According to campus legend, the giant cement slab that was intended to grace the High Library is buried somewhere near the Brown Building. The sign that was put in its place remains today greeting visitors to this Elizabethtown College building.
Sylvia Morra, head of collection management at the library, remembers the construction. When the architects created the sign, she said, their design didn’t account for the third-floor windows. Dr. Gerhard Spiegler, president of the College at the time, ordered it replaced by a smaller version, so as not to obstruct the view.
“It’s not an urban myth. It’s true,” Morra said.
People don’t think of libraries changing, but they really do.”
With the smaller sign in place, the dedication marked the official opening of the High Library in the summer of 1990. The building still looks much the same as it did 25 years ago on dedication day, but many changes are hidden in the similar façade. Morra, who began working as a librarian when it was still located in Zug Memorial Hall, recalls the differences between the locations. She has seen it grow from having only paper indexes and a single CD-ROM database to an entirely computerized system and more online databases than print sources.
“I’ve been here more than 25 years. I’ve just stopped counting,” Morra said. “Things change so much and I think that’s what I like the most about it. People don’t think of libraries changing, but they really do.”
Some of the alterations include new study spaces throughout and a renovated archive on level one. As well, renovations to the second floor are planned for the summer of 2016. The changes were intended to better equip members of the campus community with the resources they need to create and collaborate. Sarah Penniman, director of High Library, considers these spaces valuable to the learning environment and looks forward to future changes.
In contrast to these modifications, one thing remains constant at High Library, besides the furniture.
“The library staff is here all the time to help with research, with assignments, with book recommendations, movie recommendations, for the fun aspect of college life, as well,” Penniman said.
In recognition of the library’s history, and in looking to its future, the College organized several displays and events during the month of September. The goal is to commemorate the work that was put into the library and the years it has served E-town students. Starting Sept. 1, a faculty reception was held in the library to welcome them back to school for the semester.
“It’s nice to document where we’ve been on campus over the years and how we evolved and changed over time,” Morra said.
In addition, three exhibits were created on campus to celebrate the anniversary of the library. The outdoor “Book Walk” stretches from Zug to the current library and traces the history of libraries at E-town. The Book Walk exhibit is outside until the end of September, but the online timeline and in-library photo gallery will be available for the fall 2015 semester.
“It is timely to commemorate [President Spiegler’s] work and the efforts he made to build this fabulous building on campus,” Penniman said. “It is also important to celebrate the fact that academic libraries are not going away.”
For more information about the commemoration celebrations, check the library website or call 717-361-1222.