Middlebury College library to be named for longtime supporter on May 6
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — On May 6, Middlebury College will name its main library for a longtime friend of the college and his family. The college will mark the occasion with a two-part event, beginning at 4:15 p.m. in McCullough Social Space with a discussion — “Why the Library Matters in the Digital Age.” The naming ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the library atrium, with remarks by Middlebury College President Ron Liebowitz, who will reveal the library’s new name. The public is invited, and light refreshments will be served in the atrium.
At the first part of the event, four faculty members and a recent alumnus will discuss what architectural planners sought to achieve in designing the new library, the library’s importance in our era of digital communications, how students use the library, and its role in teaching and learning. Participants are:
• Glenn Andres, C.A. Johnson Professor of Art and Director of the Arts
• Anne Kelly Knowles, Associate Professor of Geography
• Paul Monod, A. Barton Hepburn Professor of History
• Alexander Manshel, digital-media graduate intern and 2009 Middlebury graduate
• Michael Roy, L. Douglas and Laura J. Meredith Dean of Library and Information Services
As part of the discussion, Manshel will present a brief video that he filmed and produced about the diverse ways that students use the library.
Regarding the ceremony in the library, Liebowitz said, “The library will be named for an alumnus who greatly values the education he received at Middlebury. He believes his experience at Middlebury has had a tremendous impact on his life, and his support of the college over the years reflects that. He and his family are among the most generous donors in the college’s 210-year history.
“The library transformed research and study at the college when it opened in 2004,” added Liebowitz. “It is very fitting that we name a building that plays a central role on campus for someone with such a deep appreciation for his Middlebury education.”
Mike Roy, Middlebury’s dean of library and information services, said, “The new library has more than exceeded its original expectations, providing our community with access to a vast array of scholarly materials, with cutting-edge reference services and instructional technologies, and a wide array of options for studying, reading and collaborating. It has become the hub of intellectual life on campus.”
A brief history of the library since the college’s founding, a list of fun facts about the current library building, and a timeline of the growth of the library’s holdings are available on the college’s Web site.