From using card catalogs to computerized systems to find books, the MD Anderson Library has evolved in many ways over the past 75 years. Donors, alumni and faculty celebrated the library’s 75th anniversary on Aug. 29 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. with the Catalog of Curiosities, five exhibits that feature the past, present and future of the library.
While the event celebrated the history of the library, it also looked forward to the future vision of a reimagined library.
“Libraries are a special place,” said donor relations manager Carina Pouraryan. “They’re always a place of community and how our communities interact with one another and seek knowledge changes.”
The transition from a quiet library filled with books to a collaborative, digital space was prompted by the rise of the digital age and how it has changed the way people learn.
Monit Cheung is a professor of social work and has been teaching at UH for 36 years. Cheung said that when she assigns her students readings, she can tell some of them don’t read much.
“I hope the library will find creative ways to engage students in conferences that could be jointly hosted by the library and a department, so that students will feel they have events that belong to them,” Cheung said.
One of the resources students can access at the library is the special collections and university archives. The collections feature rare books and manuscripts and many are primary sources only available at UH.
“We exist for the students,” said Associate Dean for Special Collections and Preservation Lauren Gottlieb-Miller. “For an event like this where we’re able to build relationships with our donors and other interested members of the community to help bring attention to this, we can continue to improve and build the collections to benefit our students.”
Keith Hughey is an alumnus who graduated in the 1970s. He was invited to the celebration and experienced the special collections exhibit.
“The exhibits are just incredible, particularly some of the special archive exhibits,” Hughey said. “We’ve really enjoyed looking through those. It brings back some memories from being here on campus.”
The library continues to be a shared space for learning, collaboration and memories because of the community’s engagement. Earlier this year, students and staff participated in a daytime celebration of the library’s 75th anniversary.
“Community support is the foundation of public spaces like this,” Pouraryan said. “Community support helps amplify the mission of the library and helps us move toward our vision at a sustainable pace.”
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