December First Fridays: Conversations from UMN's Archives and Special Collections
First Fridays: Sensory Experiences
Join us for the 2025-2026 season of First Fridays as we explore the things you can see, hear, touch, taste or smell in Archives and Special Collections. This first program in the First Fridays season features presentations from the University of Minnesota Archives and Archival Processing.
Light lunch at 11:30 a.m. Presentations begin at noon. A tour of the archival caverns will take place after the event concludes. ASL interpreters will be present for all First Fridays events.
Sensational Stories from the Student Newspaper
Presented by Katelyn Morken and Rebecca Toov, Archivists, University of Minnesota Archives
Archivists Katelyn Morken and Rebecca Toov will share stories from the Ariel and The Minnesota Daily featured in the University of Minnesota Archives exhibit, “Beyond the Page: Preserving the Spirit of the University Through An Independent Student Press,” on view in Elmer L. Andersen Library from October 13 – January 30, 2026.
Making Music Together: Community Music Collections in the Social Welfare History Archives
Presented by Linnea Anderson, Archivist, Social Welfare History Archives
From the first notes of children’s music classes and recitals to the sweeping sounds of orchestral, choral, and opera performances, there is a long history of music in community centers across the U.S. Hear stories of how community music schools and neighborhood organizations were a space for musical expression, education, and experimentation. See photographs, sheet music, programs, and scrapbooks from the Social Welfare History Archives that document this vibrant world of community-created sound.
About
First Fridays is a series of intellectually stimulating conversations from the Archives and Special Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries. First Fridays is made possible by a generous gift from Governor Elmer L. Andersen and Mrs. Eleanor Andersen in honor of former University Librarian Dr. Edward B. Stanford.
Event details
What: First Fridays: Sensational Stories from the Student Newspaper and Making Music Together: Community Music Collections in the Social Welfare History Archives
When: Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 | Lunch at 11:30 a.m. | Presentations begin at noon
Where: Elmer L. Andersen Library, room 120 and ONLINE | Parking and directions
