Speeches

University Libraries 150th Anniversary

            On behalf of the entire Penn State family, I wish to say how wonderful it is to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the University Libraries. They are like a second home to many of our students and faculty--actually sometimes the libraries feel like Sandy’s main residence. Once, when I was chiding her about her passion for the library, she warned me that I shouldn’t ask her to choose between the library and me, because I might not like the answer.

Sandy’s colleague Stan Katz, the Princeton scholar working with her on the preservation of Hemingway’s papers in Cuba, recently spoke glowingly about our libraries, and he wrote in his Chronicle for Higher Education blog: “Penn State has one of the most ably led university research libraries under the deanship of Nancy Eaton…”

            I have had the great pleasure and privilege of working with Nancy, as well as her two predecessors. Stuart Forth was the first dean, serving from 1973 to 1988. He deserves credit for bringing the libraries into the modern era. Nancy M. Cline served as dean from 1988 to 1996 before leaving for a post at Harvard. Nancy Eaton joined us in 1997, and she has deftly handled the changes in research libraries that have resulted from the complexities of information technology and digital scholarly resources.

            In this age of information and technology, our research libraries are undergoing transformative changes that are opening up new ways to collaborate, share information, conduct research and publish findings. For those of us who still remember the marvel of microfiche, the scope of the digital environment is awesome. And the task of harnessing its power is monumental.

I’m proud that Penn State has taken a leadership role in creating technology-rich, student-centered learning environments, and that we are advancing our collective knowledge with our involvement in the Google Book Project, electronic databases, and the Knowledge Commons.

It’s also notable that while technology has led to extraordinary changes in our libraries, each year nearly 660,000 books are checked out; there are 190,000 reference transactions and more than 100,000 interlibrary loans; and that students still fill up all of the comfortable chairs in library--for reading, studying, and occasionally sleeping--or rather, thinking with their eyes closed, as my daughter used to claim. 

            In 1893 President Atherton said, “A library is…the soul of a great institution.” Those words speak volumes about the University Libraries and their role in supporting teaching, research, and service. As a gateway to the still advancing information resources of our times and the timeless value of traditional collections, the role of the library in the university community is more vital than ever. 

            My thanks to all who have contributed to the excellence of the Penn State University Libraries: Dean Eaton, the staff, Ellen and Larry Foster, Sue and Joe Paterno, the Advisory Board, and our many donors and friends.  You have made this special celebration possible, and I am very grateful for your efforts. Thank you.