Images from the Digital Media Repository
Bracken
Library 40th Anniversary Celebration
Ball
State University Libraries is celebrating the 40th anniversary of
the opening of Bracken Library. The
dedication ceremony for Bracken Library, named for Ball State University
trustee and benefactor Alexander M. Bracken, took place on March 26, 1976. The Library is hosting a celebration
(complete with cake) on Friday, March 25 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the Archives
and Special Collections on the second floor, and University administrators will
speak at 1:30 pm.
The
celebration marks the opening of a new exhibit in the Archives and Special
Collections, Bracken Library: 40 Years of Service, Innovation, and Growth. The exhibit runs through May 6 and is
organized into a timeline highlighting major developments throughout Bracken
Library’s first 40 years, including the automation of the Library’s card
catalog, the development of innovative classroom spaces for library
instruction, and the acquisition and creation of signature research
collections, online databases, and technology.
The exhibit includes historic photographs and digitized film from the
Library’s early years and a jewel-covered book donated by the Bracken family.
The
GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library
will feature an exhibit of the floor plans for the Library in 1976 and
floor plans from today. Changes in the layout
of Library collections and the changes in available technologies can be viewed
on the floor plans. For example, the
Library did not include one computer in 1976, and typing rooms were available
for use by students and faculty. However, the 320,000 square foot building was planned with an eye toward the future and
designed with flexible space to accommodate the changes in academic needs and a
growing student population. An
interesting note about the 1976 design of the Library: Smoking lounges were available throughout the
building (denoted by the pipe symbol on plan above, click to enlarge).
For
more information about this exhibit or the opening event, please contact the
Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078.
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