Cornell University Library Instruction, Research, and Information Services

Committees

Committee on Cultural Events

Charge

In partnership with the Rare and Manuscript Collections and the External Relations Department, IRIS will sponsor a Committee on Cultural Events (CCE) that will celebrate the role of the library as the intellectual commons on campus. The Committee will work closely with all CUL units and with faculty, students, and the Ithaca community to plan and coordinate exhibits, events, programs, and the development of the New & Noteworthy Books Collection. Through its programming, the Committee will enliven the public spaces in Olin, Kroch, and Uris and highlight the richness of the Library's collections, services, and staff.

Programming Responsibilities

The Committee will develop a yearly schedule of public and cultural events that are tied to the calendar, the curriculum, the University's mission, or the role of the library in the academy. This cultural programming will be augmented digitally through the Library's web site.

Sub-committees:

Exhibits

Barbara Berger-Eden
Michele Brown
Dave Davies
John Hoffmann
Katherine Reagan

The CCE will develop the space in the Olin/Kroch Corridor into an exhibits gallery and will produce 3-4 exhibits/year that focus on three-dimensional objects. These exhibits should be coordinated with those planned by RMC for the Kroch Exhibit Gallery. The committee will work closely with other units on campus, including the Johnson Art Museum and the various special collections, to produce a series of stimulating, educational, and visually appealing exhibits that draw library patrons and other visitors into the building. The Committee will rely on Facilities, the Design Group, and the Department of Preservation and Collection Maintenance to professionally mount these exhibits.

Events

Barbara Berger-Eden
Carol Buckley
Marcy Rosenkrantz
Marisue Taube

The CCE will develop a series of events to highlight the role of reading, creativity, and scholarship. Such events might include:

A series of salons led by faculty, students, or guests on a theme focusing on learning, research, and scholarship
Readings by local authors and poets
Presentations and lectures, taking advantage of visiting notables on campus for another purpose
Cultural programs that relate music or theatre to literature

New & Noteworthy Books

Carol Atkinson
Joel Copenhagen
Carla DeMello
Lance Heidigchair
Linda Miller
Tom Riker

The CCE will develop ideas and programs for highlighting our current reading collection. The committee's first task will be to establish a new format and appearance for the physical collection itself. The second priority will be to showcase the New Student Reading Program and this year's choice of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. A series of mini exhibits highlighting various themes (e.g., Black History Month, Pulitizer Prize winners, special focus on a particular author) should be scheduled throughout the year as part of the N&N collection. The committee will also develop plans for a virtual New & Noteworthy Collection on the Web.

Publicity

Beth Fontana
Carla DeMello