Category Archives: weird titles

International Museum Day!

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On Wednesday the 18th May it is International Museum Day. Since it’s inception back in 1977, this day has provided an opportunity to raise awareness on how important museums are in the development of society. This year’s theme will be Museums and Cultural Landscapes. Participation in International Museum Day is growing among museums all over the world. In 2015, more than 35,000 museums participated in the event in some 145 countries.

A photograph of the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, 2005. By No machine-readable author provided. Maccoinnich~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

There are a number of SUNCAT Contributing Libraries which are museum libraries: the British Museum; National Coal Mining Museum; National Museums Scotland (see the wonderful museum building above!); National Museum of Wales; and the Natural History Museum. Here are some wonderful museum-themed titles found in these and other SUNCAT Contributing Libraries.

  • Ladies museum.
  • The torch; or Glasgow museum.
  • Leather Archives & Museum News.
  • Fossum : the magazine of Friends of the Sedgwick Museum.
  • The Bruce Museum : a museum of the arts and sciences.
  • Ka ‘Elele : news of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.
  • Under the dome : the British Museum staff magazine.
  • Farmer’s Weekly Museum.
  • Memoirs of the Raffles Museum.
  • Trolley fare / Pennsylvania Railway Museum Association.
  • Water Words : news from the Waterworks Museum, Hereford.
  • Oh! Cet cho! : museum kunst palast magazin.
  • Mermaid / Friends of Merseyside Maritime Museum.
  • Heirloom seed reference guide / from the Landis Valley Museum.
  • MoNA now : news from the Museum of Northwest Art.
  • Now & then : Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society newsletter.
  • The Potato Museum’s peelings.
  • The Flixton flier : newsletter of the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum.
  • Palmnut Post : Magazine of Durban Natural Science Museum.
  • Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum Memoir.
  • AMuse news : Durban museums newsletter.
  • Meeting Place : Royal Ontario Museum.
  • Bloomers / British Museum.
  • British Museum Attendants’ Mutual Life Assurance Society, afterwards British Museum Life Assurance Society [Annual Reports.]
  • Museum documentation system : costume card instructions / Museum Documentation Association.

If you are a museum library and would like to participate in SUNCAT or if you would like to suggest a museum library as a possible Contributing Library do let us know by contacting us at edina@ed.ac.uk.

 

Mark Shakespeare400 with SUNCAT

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Shakespeare400 is here! On the 23rd April it is the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare‘s death and all this year there are celebrations marking the great poet and playwright’s amazing legacy. There are many events happening all around the country, including performances, screenings, conferences and talks. There is also an exhibition Shakespeare in Ten Acts taking place at the British Library, one of our Contributing Libraries.

William Shakespeare has made a lasting impression not only in theatre and literature but also in the English language, as can be seen from the image below. His works are studied and enjoyed worldwide and this is reflected in the fascinating titles on Shakespeare found in SUNCAT.

Image showing things we say today which we owe to Shakespeare.

Shakespeare. TRF_Mr_Hyde, 2012. Via Flickr – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. Generic (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/).

  • Borrowers and lenders : the journal of Shakespeare and appropriation.
  • Around the Globe : the magazine of the International Shakespeare Globe Centre.
  • The Shakespeare pictorial : a monthly illustrated chronicle of events in Shakespeareland.
  • A groat’s worth of wit : journal of the Open University Shakespeare Society.
  • The Swan of Avon.
  • Boys of England Stories of Shakespeare : complete.
  • The Upstart crow : a Shakespeare journal.
  • Ivory leaves : A medium of expression for the new intensive study of Shakespeare.
  • Shakespeare and His Legal Problems.
  • “The Graphic” Gallery of Shakespeare’s Heroines. The stories of the several plays from which the pictures are taken … by W. E. Henley.
  • Journal of the Wooden O Symposium.
  • 1616 : saw the death of William Shakespeare & Miguel de Cervantes
  • The London Shakespeare League journal.
  • Shakespeare news from Japan : (Komazawa University Shakespeare Institute).
  • Hamlet’s ghost.
  • HAMNET : Folger Library catalog.
  • An Elizabethan journal : second journal [&] last journal, 1591-1603.
  • The Shakespeare problems / ed. by Alfred William Pollard and John Dover Wilson.
  • The great cryptogram: Francis Bacon’s cipher in the so called Shakespeare plays / by Ignatius Donnelly.
  • Fair Thoughts and Happy Hours attend on you. A Shakespeare Calendar for the year 1905. [With coloured illustrations and initials.]
  • The Shakespearean almanacke : an occasional paper for the study of astrology in the works of Shakespeare and his contempories.
  • “The Graphic” Gallery of Shakespeare’s Heroines. The stories of the several plays from which the pictures are taken … by W. E. Henley.
  • Ariel : the Stratford-upon-Avon messenger.

There are many other serials on Shakespeare in SUNCAT. Why not take a look?

 

SUNCAT Celebrates Dolphins!

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Today (14th April) is National Dolphin Day. Ranging in size from 4 ft to up to 30 feet, dolphins are among almost forty species in 17 genera. Find out 10 interesting facts about dolphins and look at our weird and wonderful dolphin titles below. (We have added a couple of whale and porpoise titles, not to leave them out!)

Photograph of dolphins swimming underwater

Dolphins. DaBear Media, 2007. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

  • Sonar : the magazine of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
  • Wavelet : the magazine for junior supporters of HWDT.
  • Dolphin superpack for boys and girls.
  • POD news : adopt a dolphin.
  • Splash!
  • Arion’s dolphin.
  • The Daily Dolphin : A serio-comic political periodical.
  • Dolphin dreams.
  • Dolphin insight.
  • Dolphin log : a publication of the Cousteau Society.
  • Whales alive! / Cetacean Society International.
  • Whulj : newsletter of the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society.
  • Porpoise : a poem in 4 sections and in 32 books.

For more dolphin titles and other weird and wonderful serials take a look in SUNCAT.

April Fool’s Day at SUNCAT!

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Today, 1st April, is of course April Fool’s Day. This is the perfect opportunity to share with you some weird and wonderful titles on the subject of fools, humour and jokes. This is not an April Fool – these titles really are in SUNCAT!

Image of a giant cat sitting on top of a library buidling with the words 'Teh Liberry - I Rulez It'

April Fool’s from Kennedy Library. The Robert E. Kennedy Library at California Polytechnic State University, 2010. Available under CC Attribution-Non Commerical 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/)

  • The Granta : a college joke to cure the dumps.
  • Monkeyshines on you! : the original monkeyshines joke book.
  • The Laughter prescription newsletter. (Laughter prescription, because humor is healing.)
  • Fool Time prospectus.
  • Sportophyte : a British journal of botanical humour.
  • The cabinet of life, wit and humour.
  • The Golden Halfpenny : A budget of humour, fact and fiction.
  • Stitches : the journal of medical humour.

Continue reading →

Happy 20th Birthday EDINA!

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Today (25th January) is not only the birthday of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns, but also EDINA‘s 20th birthday! SUNCAT is helping to mark this occasion with this special blog post of weird and wonderful University of Edinburgh serial titles. As you know EDINA is based at this great institution, and is located just down the road from Edinburgh Castle. We have also found some wonderful publications of Edinburgh clubs. Join us in wishing EDINA a wonderful birthday and many more successful years ahead.

An image of Edinburgh fireworks in the sky over Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh Fireworks. By Chris Combe from York, UK (Edinburgh Fireworks) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Jabberwock : Edinburgh University review.
  • Fox: Edinburgh University poetry magazine.
  • The New evergreen, Christmas book of University hall [Edinburgh university].
  • The Gambolier: a light journal, Edinburgh University.
  • Edinburgh University English Literature Society Paumflet.
  • University of Edinburgh Staff Club scene.
  • New Gambit : Edinburgh University Review.
  • Town and gown lectures/ University of Edinburgh, Extra-rural Committee.
  • Ge. Being the magazine of the Edinburgh University Geographical Society.
  • Survival guide : the Edinburgh University students’ handbook.
  • The journal of the fair [i.e. the Edinburgh University Union fancy fair, Waverley Market] / [edited by William K. Dickson.]
  • The rebel student. Official organ of the Edinburgh University Labour Party.
  • An account from Scotland and London-derry of the proceedings against the Duke of Gordon, in the Castle of Edinburgh.
  • Ye Tartan Club annual.
  • Rules of the Innominate Club.
  • Proceedings of the Library Club of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum / Royal Edinburgh Asylum for the Insane. Library Club.
  • The L. & C. Magazine … The official organ of the City of Edinburgh Lighting and Cleansing Department Welfare Club.
  • The Hibee.
  • The Carrying Stream Festival.

For more Edinburgh-themed journals and other weird and wonderful titles take a look in SUNCAT.

SUNCAT shares the happiness

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It may be the case that no Northern Hemisphere teams are through to the semi finals in the Rugby World Cup, but let SUNCAT put a smile on your face with our weird and wonderful ‘happiness’ titles! Smile (and possibly dance) yourself to a happy place.

A photograph of a silhouetted woman dancing during a sunset.

By D. Sharon Pruitt from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, USA (Sunset Party Dancing Girl Silhouette) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

  • The happy hypocrite.
  • Happiness or bust!
  • What Can Economists Learn from Happiness Research?
  • ISmile : connecting people with health & happiness.
  • Club music : the disjockey guide to happiness.
  • The Helicon. Dedicated to the pursuit of happiness. (The … magazine of the Helicon Club.)
  • The Cottage Lamp: an aid to happiness in this world and the next.
  • Crisis; or, The change from error and misery, to truth and happiness.
  • Happiness holding tank.
  • The Truth Promoter. The truth, the only way to the freedom, elevation, and happiness of man.
  • The British magazine, and periodical gleaner, or depository for hints and suggestions calculated to promote the comfort and happiness of man.
  • The Moral and Religious Cabinet, Containing Short Accounts of Christian Experience, Together with Instructive and Useful Extracts, Intended to Promote the Happiness of Pious Minds (1808-1808).
  • Happy pappy.
  • The happy warrior.
  • Sick happy idle.
  • Super hero happy hour.
  • Homer the happy ghost.
  • Happy star dance.
  • The happy pig : the official publication of the Happy Pig Collectors Club.
  • Anorak : the happy mag for kids.
  • The happy planet index.
  • Many happy returns : newsletter of the United States Boomerang Association.
  • The Chicago Basha Betelnut and “hump-happy times.”
  • The happy holidayland of Wales.
  • PLOC : the happy mag for little ones.
  • The happy artocrat data series.
  • The Happy Robin. (The official organ of the Happy Robins and Cheery Chicks.)
  • The Happy Kalendar of Cockney Sparrows with Nightingale Voices. Done by … Desmond Morse-Boycott.
  • Are you scared to get happy? : getting back to basics, a punk rock fanzine.
  • Marriage : A high-class weekly journal for promoting happy marriages in England and the colonies, etc.
  • Coach & grow R.I.C.H (rich, inspired, confident, happy) newsletter.

For more happy titles take a look in SUNCAT.

National Badger Day

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Today (6th October) is National Badger Day,which celebrates how magnificent and important one of the oldest native species is to the British countryside and its people. As part of the celebrations many badger groups around the UK are holding events  between the 4th and 12th October. They are very interesting animals and so it is not surprising that there are several weird and interesting titles containing ‘badger’. Disclaimer: some titles are not strictly about the animal!

Image of a postal stamp for the USSR, Zoo Relief Fund of a badger, from 1989.

Stamp of USSR, Zoo Relief Fund. Badger, 1989. Scanned and processed by A. Sdobnikov (Personal collection) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons from Wikimedia Commons.

  • Badger chess.
  • Badger buzz.
  • Badger trucker.
  • Maple Street Press Badger kickoff.
  • The Badger birder.
  • The Badger enterprise.
  • The Badger common tater.
  • The Menomonie badger.
  • The badger philatelist.
  • Badger saves the world.
  • Badger stamp notes.
  • Badger country : news and views from the Badger Brewery.
  • The Badger : newsletter of the Badge Collectors’ Circle.
  • The Badgerscope.

For more badger titles and other weird and wonderful journals take a look in SUNCAT.

Rugby World Cup 2015

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The Rugby World Cup 2015 is nearly here! Twenty teams battling it out over 6 weeks in thirteen different match venues in England and Wales. The first match will be tomorrow (18th September) with England taking on Fiji at Twickenham. The final will be held on Saturday 31st October, also at Twickenham. It promises to be a great tournament.

A photograph of Christopher Tolofua of Stade Toulousian charging the defense of the Beneton Rugby Treviso team. Image taken during the Heineken Cup on 13 January 2013 at the Stade Ernest-Wallon in the match between Stade Toulousain and Benetton Rugby Treviso.

Stade Toulousian vs Benetton Rugby Treviso, Heineken Cup 2013. By Pierre-Selim (Self-photographed) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons, 2013.

In SUNCAT you can find many titles on the subject of rugby, both rugby union and rugby league. Here are some weird and wonderful examples. We had to include a Welsh title, especially as when using Google Translate you get back “Reap the Whirlwind”!

  • Scrum down.
  • The great fester.
  • The Dead ball.
  • Tennent’s Velvet rugby record.
  • International rugby coaching. The collectors’ series : 36 coaching insights from world-leading rugby professionals.
  • Superplays : with Brian Smith, the greatest plays in world rugby.
  • In touch.
  • Hard Yards : the Gloucester rugby year book.
  • Medi’r corwynt : blwyddlyfr rygbi Cymru / Thomas Davies
  • Up & under : the official newspaper of London Irish Rugby Football Club.
  • Scrumbag : rugby supporters magazine.
  • @Holm.
  • The final hooter.
  • The egg chaser.
  • Another 6 tackles.
  • Murrayfield’s alive.
  • The Save & Prosper rugby union who’s who.
  • The Viking storm : the official Widnes Vikings magazine.
  • YES magazine : official magazine of the Young England Squad.
  • Wooden Spoon rugby world yearbook.
  • Front row.
  • Smirk’s handbook of northern rugby-union matches.

For more rugby serials and other weird and wonderful titles always look in SUNCAT.

 

Celebrating World UFO Day

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Today (2nd July) is World UFO Day. It is dedicated to the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects and is celebrated to raise awareness about the undoubted existence of UFO’s and intelligent beings from outer space. This day is also used to encourage governments to declassify their knowledge about sightings throughout the history.

Below is a fascinating chart from the collections of The National Archives, one of our Contributing Libraries, showing Unidentified Flying Object sightings in the years ranging from 1947 to 1970.

An image of a UFO sightings chart showing drawings of UFOs sighted in years ranging from 1947 to 1970.

UFO Sightings Chart. The National Archives, c.1969.

Of course, there are some great weird and wonderful UFO periodical titles in SUNCAT.

  • Flying saucers.
  • The APRO bulletin / Aerial Phenomena Research Organization
  • Magic saucer : a magazine of unidentified flying objects for under 18s.
  • Quest international : the journal of UFO investigation.
  • UFO Info. Exchange Library.
  • Australian flying saucer review.
  • Flying saucers are fact.
  • Skeptics UFO newsletter.
  • The MUFON UFO journal. (Mutual Unidentified Flying Object Network unidentified flying object journal)
  • Journal of transient aerial phenomena.
  • Sightings : S.
  • Mystero.
  • The U F O pulse analyzer.
  • The Swamp gas journal.
  • The Flying saucer collector.
  • Synchronicity : the journal of the Anomalous Phenomena Research Agency.
  • Alien encounters.
  • Truth seekers review : publication of Truthseekers Research International.
  • The unopened files : access a number of well kept secrets …
  • Phenomenal news from Scotland.
  • Alien worlds : the search for extra terrestrial life.
  • Seriously strange magazine.
  • Into the unknown.
  • Odyssey : the strange truth about UFO’s.
  • Roswell : your travel guide to the UFO capital of the world!
  • Anomalous phenomenon review.
  • International who’s who in ufology directory.

For more titles with an extraterrestrial theme and other weird and wonderful titles take a look in SUNCAT.

Celebrate local and community history month!

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This May is Local and Community History Month. Its aim is “to increase awareness of local history, promote history in general to the local community and encourage all members of the community to participate”. There are a range of activities happening across the UK, including trips, library exhibitions and local lectures. Why not uncover your local history? Libraries hold a wealth of resources on local and community history. It is a truly fascinating subject, made even more interesting with these weird and wonderful titles found within the collections of our Contributing Libraries.

An image of Holyrood Palace from Calton Hill in Edinburgh by James Valentine. 1878 or earlier.

Holyrood Palace from Calton Hill, Edinburgh by James Valentine. 1878 or earlier.

  • Olde Wisbeach.
  • Cornish banner.
  • Blaby courier.
  • The Epworth witness.
  • Manchester faces and places.
  • The town crier.
  • The Devonshire adventurer.
  • Trans-national Database and Atlas of Saints’ Cults : newsletter.
  • It could be verse.
  • SqueezeOC (Orange County, Calif.).
  • The ragged staff : the magazine of the Warwickshire County Officers’ Guild.
  • Home words for heart and hearth.
  • Something to shout about! : the newsletter of the new local history centre.
  • Frae the fit o’ the walk.
  • Cake and cockhorse : the magazine of the Banbury Historical Society.
  • OLHA! newsletter & diary.
  • JOURNAL of the English Place-Name Society.
  • Mochdre bygones.
  • “Know your place” local history bibliography.
  • In the shadow of the steeple.
  • The smoke & fire news.
  • Whistlewind.
  • Trees & forebears.
  • Sandpumpings.
  • The winding Roe.

For more titles with a local history theme and other weird and wonderful titles take a look in SUNCAT.