The dedication ceremony for the expanded and renovated James B. Duke Library was held on Thursday, October 28 at 2:00 pm in the library atrium. Several hundred guests attended.

The featured speaker was Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation and former president of the New York Public Library and of Brown University. Dr. Gregorian is an Iranian immigrant with an extraordinary personal story. He is a noted historian, scholar, and leader in both libraries and higher education. Dr. Gregorian spoke on the role of libraries in education, access to and preservation of knowledge, and the lives of individuals.

Other speakers included President David Shi, Mary Peace Sterling, Trustee Emerita, and daughter of Charlie Peace for whom the expansion is named, Dr. Barbara Matthews, daughter of Dr. Chesley Matthews a Furman alumni for whom the collections located on the ground level are named, Russel M. Robinson II, chairman of the board of The Duke Endowment, and Janis Bandelin, Director of Libraries.

Both photographs and a copy of the dedication program are available online. Additional information about the event is available from the Greenville News Online.

Study Lounge Open

The Hamrick Study Lounge is now open all night Sunday through Thursday. It can be accessed from the library patio using your Palacard. It can also be entered from the library lobby whenever the library is open. The Study Lounge provides seating for 40, including two group study rooms. It includes computers and vending machines with coffee, sodas, and snacks.

Construction Nearing Completion

The expansion and renovation of the James B. Duke Library was almost but not quite finished for the start of fall term. The entire building is open, but construction crews are putting the finishing touches on areas that still need work. The main entrance and first floor of the original library building reopened over the summer. The temporary side entrance, which had been used during 2003-04, is now permanently closed. The dedication ceremony for the expanded building is scheduled for October 28; the featured speaker will be Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation and former president of the New York Public Library and of Brown University. News, photos, and other information about current construction are available on the Construction Information page. Details about the finished project, including floorplans and drawings, are available on the Library Building Project page.

Library Struck by Lightning

The Library was struck by lightning on Saturday, June 20 during a heavy thunderstorm which passed through that night. The lightning hit the top of the left chimney (as seen from the front of the building) and then ran down the length of it, ripping a 12 foot long, 3 foot wide gash in its side. As a result, pieces of brick showered down onto the slate roof below. Due to the extent of the damage, the entire chimney has been replaced, along with many of the slate tiles on the roof that were broken by falling debris. Click here for pictures of the chimney.

New Library Personnel

Victoria Welborn has joined the library faculty as Science Librarian. Victoria has a B.A. in Biology from Wake Forest University, an M.L.S. from Kent State University, and is currently completing a Masters in Ocean Sciences from UC Santa Cruz. She previously served as Ocean Sciences/Biological Sciences Librarian and Head of the Science Library at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She previously served as Head of the Biological Sciences Library at Ohio State University. Victoria has already begun participating in the planning of a new science library as part of the future science complex expansion.

Jimmy Quinn has joined the library staff as Evening Circulation Assistant. Jimmy is a 2003 Furman graduate with a B.A. in Art History. Jimmy's most recent position was as Computer Operator for the Greenville Hospital System. As a student Jimmy worked in the Maxwell Music Library, Special Collections and Archives, and the Art Department slide library.

Librarian Appointed ACS Environmental Fellow

Scott Salzman, Systems Librarian, has been appointed as the Associated Colleges of the South Environmental Fellow at Furman University for 2004-05. He will serve as the key campus spokesperson for the ACS Environmental Initiative and as a catalyst to stimulate environmental and sustainable development activity on campus. He has a BS in Physical Education from the State University of New York at Cortland, an MA in Fitness. Management from New York University, and an MLS from University of Arizona. Before coming to Furman, he served as systems librarian at Mankato State University, Carleton College, St. Olaf College, and at Mercer University Law School.

Director Elected to OCLC Members Council

Janis Bandelin, Director of Libraries, is one of sixty representatives world-wide to be elected to the OCLC Members Council, an international nonprofit cooperative dedicated to furthering access to the world's information and reducing information costs. With headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, more than 45,000 libraries in 84 countries and territories around the world use OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend and preserve library materials. She will represent the libraries of SOLINET -- the Southeastern Library Network for a three-year term which begins in October.