Brandeis Library News - Research Guides at Brandeis University

This summer, Maker In Residence Elinam Ladzekpo MA’25, MBA’25 completed an innovative slip-casting project to create ceramic vessels designed for hydroponic planting. Elinam pioneered a new workflow for the MakerLab using CAD and 3D printing to create positive forms, which she then used to make plaster molds for slip-casting in the Fine Arts ceramics studio. Her project bridged digital and traditional techniques, and she showed exceptional determination, refining her designs through countless iterations. This unique collaboration between the Library’s MakerLab and the Fine Arts Department highlights the creative possibilities when disciplines intersect. Special thanks to Rebecca Strauss in Fine Arts for all her support and expertise on this project!

Read more about the types of projects you can work on at the Brandeis Library MakerLab and consider attending a workshop or dropping in at Open MakerLab hours.

Recent Posts

SIMS 24 Hour Reflection

The Sound and Image Studios (SIMS) hosted an exciting event in September, where students wrote, produced, and recorded an album of songs in just a 24 hour period. This brought together musicians from all sorts of backgrounds and experience levels to collaborate in the dedicated computer labs and recording studios on Farber 3 of the Brandeis Library. Incredible songs from all sorts of genres were created, including jazz, indie/folk, R&B, heavy metal, and many more! Nearly 30 participants, many of them meeting each other for the very first time, attended and formed small groups and ensembles. Spirits were high and everyone was energized, the creative process continued all the way until 2am on a Saturday night!Club leaders from WBRS Radio, the Student Music Committee, the Guitar and Bass Club, and Basement Records also attended and brought their members to engage. The full-time staff and student staff of SIMS taught pop up workshops to help beginners learn how to record and mix.Keep a look out as this event will certainly run again next year. In the meantime, if you are looking to get involved in the music community at Brandeis and find fellow students to collaborate with, it is not too late! SIMS hosts regular workshops on recording, producing, mixing, and performing music, taught by our excellent student staff. You can also check out our instrument loaning program, music recording studios, or our computer labs with production software. Swing by the SIMS support desk to learn more about these resources and get involved.Huge thank you to the club leaders, Library staff, SIMS student staff, and students who made this event possible!...

I Am Global Week 2025

To celebrate I Am Global Week, November 15 - 22, 2025, Brandeis Library is highlighting our resources with content from all over the world. The Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections houses Brandeis University's unique and rare primary sources, including materials from countries around the world, including:19th century Russian photograph collection: Finding aid This collection of 91 photographs of Tolstoy at Yasnaya Polyana, Anton Chekov, and others serves to illustrate Russian literary life in the 19th century.The Benjamin A. and Julia M. Trustman Collection of Honoré Daumier Lithographs: Digital collection The Trustman Collection comprises nearly the entire oeuvre of Daumier in the lithographic medium, making the Trustman Collection a unique resource for the study of Daumier's art and nineteenth-century French history.Helmut Hirsch collection: Finding aid This collection contains material related to Helmut Hirsch (1916-1937), including correspondence; creative work by Hirsch; scholarly and popular media materials describing Hirsch's life; government and legal documents regarding Hirsch's death sentence and more. Hirsch was a young opponent of the Nazi regime who was executed in 1937 for plotting to bomb the Nazi headquarters in Nuremberg.Le Témoin: Spotlight The French journal of political satire Le Témoin [The Witness], 1933-1935, created by Paul Iribe, was a scathing report on French political life and a magnificent display of Iribe’s artwork in its most mature state.Consistoire Central Israélite de France collection: Finding Aid Containing seven linear feet of French Consistory materials and one linear foot of international Judaica, the Consistoire Central Israélite de France collection at Brandeis provides a sweeping view of the French Jewish community from the mid-eighteenth through the first third of the twentieth century.Indian Legal Documents collection: Finding aid The Indian Legal Documents collection contains court records from several former princely states in the present-day state of Rajasthan, dating primarily from the 1930s and 1940s.The Library Recreational Reading Collection, located on Goldfarb Level 1 across from the Information & Borrowing Desk, houses popular books and picture books in languages most commonly spoken by our students. You can browse this Recreational Reading Collection online and help us grow the collection by emailing suggested titles to libacq@brandeis.edu.The Library’s Databases A-Z list includes databases with scholarly content from all over the world, as well as international news coverage. Highlighted resources for international news coverage:Canadian Newsstream (ProQuest) Coverage for over 400 Canadian news sources, 1970s to present.Global Breaking Newswires Provides timely access to the best newswire content available globally as well as growing archive of news that may not be captured in any of the traditional print sourcesInternational Newsstream (ProQuest) Includes newspapers and newswires from Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. Covers 1980-present.Latin American Newsstream (ProQuest) Local, national, and regional news from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Provides newspapers in Spanish and Portuguese, such as El Universal (México); O Globo (Brasil); La Nación (Argentina); y El Mercurio (Chile).Nikkei Asia News and insights on the region's most influential companies, and comprehensive coverage of politics, economy, markets and trends. We recommend users access this resource in Firefox....

A Fresh Look for the Farber Mezz

This summer, the Farber Mezz underwent a complete refresh, from brand-new furniture, updated carpet, to fresh paint, and a brighter, more inviting setup! The changes were designed with input from the Brandeis Student Library Advisory Council, hoping to create a space that feels both comfortable and functional.Students are already noticing the difference. “The new set looks nice and more inviting,” one student shared. Another added, “My friends and I love coming here to work on our assignments after getting coffee from Starbucks.”Whether you’re looking for a collaborative space to brainstorm, a cozy spot to meet up with friends, or a flexible area to work on group projects, the Mezz is now the perfect place to do it all! The Mezz is also conveniently located right above Starbucks, so you can grab matcha with your friends and head upstairs to recharge, connect, and get work done together!With its new look and feel, we hope you use the space to connect, collaborate, and recharge in between classes. We’re excited for you to come check out the new Farber Mezz and make it your go-to study area this semester! ...

Constitution Day

September 17th is considered the anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution, and, to commemorate, we are giving out pocket-sized Constitutions on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at the Information & Borrowing Desk and the Research Help Desk on Goldfarb Level 1. Quantities are limited, so get yours before they are gone! Also, in honor of Constitution Day, Louis Dembitz Brandeis’ copy of the United States Constitution Annotated is on display near the Registrar Office on Goldfarb Level 1. On Wednesday, September 17, from 11am-12pm, artifacts from the Elsie O. and Philip D. Sang Signers of the Constitution collection will be on display for the public in the Archives Reading Room on Goldfarb Level 2. Don't worry if you can't make it to the display: this collection is always free and open to the public! This collection contains 50 original letters, documents, and portraits of the original signers of the U.S. Constitution, related material, and one oversize color portrait of Alexander Hamilton. The letters and documents range in date from 1759 to 1825. To read more about the Constitution or learn the Preamble from Schoolhouse Rocks, please visit the library’s Constitution Day guide....

Maker In Residence Spotlight: Elinam Ladzekpo MA’25, MBA’25