FRIENDS OF THE ALBION COLLEGE LIBRARY

Year End Review: 2000

MEMBERSHIP

In 2000, the Friends of the Albion College Library had 52 members. We would like to thank everyone who gave so generously this year, but would like to extend a special thanks to several donors including, Marilyn and Ed Schleg, for their continued support of the College Archives and the Schleg Lecture. We would also like to thank Richard Davis for the numerous art and art history books he donated, and especially for the proof sheets of the 1st edition of Ezra Pound's Cantos.

EVENTS & PROGRAMS

On October 5th, David Szewcyk and Cynthia Davis Buffington, co-founders of the Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts Company, delivered the second Marilyn Crandell Schleg '58 Endowed Lecture. Their informative and highly entertaining presentation on "Adventures in Bookdom: FAQs and Fiction" was well attended and well received by the audience. For an encore, later that evening, David and Cynthia presided over an antiquarian books event where they appraised books for audience members.

The Odd Topics Society Luncheon Group is still going strong. In the past year we learned about invasive plants at the Whitehouse Nature Center, Lithuanian Easter Eggs, adopting a child from Russia, stamp collecting and WPA Post Office art. Upcoming talks should be every bit as interesting so be sure to check your mail.

Last spring the Friends Annual Book Sale raised over $1,000!! We also had a fine turnout for the Book Sale Preview Lecture. See Upcoming Events (below) for information on our next sale.

The Friends continued to host Readings & Lectures with the English Department. In September we co-hosted GLCA New Writers Award Winner, William Orem. He read from his award-winning collection of short stories, Zombi, You My Love: Stories of Haiti published by La Questa Press in 1999. The next Readings & Lectures will feature Craig Arnold, the most recent GLCA Poetry award winner. In keeping with this literary theme, the Friends provided refreshments for the Library's Poetry Festival in April. The enthusiasm for this event was terrific and we are planning to make this an annual celebration.

Finally, the Friends of the Library will provide refreshments for the students studying for finals in the Library on December 17 - 19, 2000. The Friends have done this in the past and the students really appreciate the study break.

PURCHASES & GIFTS

The Friends received a number of very exciting gifts in 2000. Joanna Sieber and Barbara Lange donated several boxes filled with genealogical papers, photographs, architectural renderings, etc. from the Dean family. This past spring, the Stockwell- Mudd Libraries displayed some of the pottery and miscellaneous objects from the collection of Lacondone Indian pottery, films and slides donated by Marvin Vann '40. We also received a large number of gift books from Allison Kent Thomas, Royal Ward, Tom Doran, Jim Cook, John Hart, Bill Hayes, Paul Loukides, Myron Levine and Glenn Persuek.

Thanks to the generous support of our Friends we were able to really spruce up the Library! We re-upholstered 7 chairs and 3 benches and purchased 3 beautiful area rugs for the Presidents' Room. We also used Friends donations to defray the remodeling costs for our new student lounge on the first floor of Mudd. Last but not least, the Friends served as a sponsor for the 2000 Elkin R. Isaac Research Symposium.

UPCOMING EVENTS in 2001

Odd Topics Luncheons are scheduled for: January 24th, February 28th, March 28th, September 26th, October 24th and November 14th . The Friends Annual Book Sale is scheduled for March 28 (Friends Preview Sale) and March 29 and 30. We have loads of books so it looks like another big money maker. In April don't forget to look for information for literary events and programs. The Friends' 2000 Year In Review is posted on the Library's home page at: http://www.albion.edu/fac/libr/friend.htm.