LIBRARY NOTES
Barbara H. Stanton
The Wallet
Thursday, June 1, 1995
Sam Waterston receiving the Library's prestigious MBE (Master of the Boswell Evening).
From left: Henry S.F. Cooper Jr., William J. Dean, Barbara H. Stanton, and Sam Waterston.
"An Evening with James Boswell" on May 11th combined scholarship with performing artistry. The sold-out event made over $30,000, thanks to the generosity of Richard Goodyear, the author; Sam Waterston, as Boswell; and Dick Cavett, the introducer, who donated their considerable talents and time. The Boswell Committee apologizes to members and friends who could not be accommodated that night. We did not know what the response might be to this first benefit in the Library's history. We kept our expectations low -- and were swamped by ticket requests. Next time we will know better.
Including Boswell proceeds, the Capital Campaign now stands at more than $685,000, and the Annual Appeal (November 1994-November 1995) has reached $108,555 -- the highest ever at this date. Two gifts honoring individual Library members deserve special mention. One, a contribution of $1000 to the Annual Appeal, is in memory of Francis Steegmuller, distinguished author, great gentleman, and deceased husband of trustee Shirley Hazzard. The other, of 42000 to the Capital Campaign, is from Train, Smith Counsel, New York City, in honor of C. Sims Farr, an eminent lawyer, staunch advocate of the Library, and advisor to Train Smith. We thank these donors and join them in celebrating their honorees.
The Capital Campaign now has raised enough money to undertake the major expenditures necessary to put the Library's shelf list in computer-readable form ("retrospective conversion") and to automate our books acquisition and circulation systems. The senior staff, led by Heidi Hass, head of the Cataloging Department, has been researching these matters for several years and has selected the systems and vendors most appropriate to this Library's size, collection and way of operating. The Board has authorized the expenditures, and the first contracts will be signed shortly. Retrospective conversion will take about a year, and acquisition and circulation automation cannot begin until after that -- but this is the beginning. Non-computer-literate members can rest assured that the present card catalog will remain in place even after computerized access to our collection becomes possible.
The hole in the ceiling of the second floor stair landing is evidence of another work in progress. We are remaking this landing into an Exhibition Space, thanks to a $15,000 grant from The Thomas J. Watson Foundation.
Finally, the stack elevator will be modernized this summer! Amending its present unheeding course, the elevator soon will stop for all calls in the direction of its route. This much-desired and long-awaited improvement will be funded jointly from the Annual Appeal and the Capital Campaign.
Thanks to all of you who have helped make these improvements possible. As before, contributors will be listed in the next Annual Report.
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