Peek in the Stacks

"Once upon a time" is the well-worn opening to several traditional fairy tales, but where did the phrase originate? What is a fairy tale? Scholars generally agree that a fairy tale does not need to include actual fairies, but they agree on little else. Some basic themes in fairy tales are the presence of magic, some form of transformation (of a character or an idea), and the inclusion of the extraordinary ....

As most California State University, Northridge (CSUN) faculty and students know, the Sundial is CSUN’s student newspaper. The Sundial was first published by Associated Students in February 1957. The library has catalogued the Sundial in its entirety and many issues are available online through the Digital Library. Over the years, the Sundial has reported on...

Puck was an American humor and satire magazine published from 1871-1918. Published in both English and German language editions, the magazine was founded in St. Louis and moved to New York City within 5 years. Most issues were 32 pages in length. They included colorized cartoons on the front page, and a large, colorized political cartoon on the centerfold. Many well-known....

In honor of Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th every year, this blog post showcases some sources on Mexican Independence in Special Collections and Archives. As neighbors, most in the United States are aware of certain cultural aspects of Mexico, but often don’t reflect on...