Special Collections is a key contact point between the Library and the public. During this academic year the Archives' collection lists were added to our Web site. At the same time, Phase 1 of the MicroMARC project (adding minimal level catalog records for the archival collections to CUNY+) was completed. Both these projects enhanced the collections' visibility, bringing interesting visitors to the Archives:

• Catherine Kirk from the Borough President's office researched past Borough presidents.

 
• John Jovich, an author and Presidential Scholar, worked with the papers of Congressman John Rooney.

 
• Elizabeth Wright, a student of Amharic, used the Robert L. Hess Collection on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.

 
• Staff from the Landmarks Preservation Commission conducted research on the Lott House in Marine Park. They also used our collections in their effort to identify a mass burial site of Maryland soldiers from the Revolutionary War period.

 
• The editors of Brooklyn Bridge Magazine researched an article on the changing customs and mores of Brooklyn College students since the 1930s.

 
• A middle school teacher in Monrovia, California, whose students chose Brooklyn College as the topic for a research project used photographs, clippings, and other items from the Archives.

 
• The documentary The City of Greater New York: The Story of Consolidation by Chip Benson of Crosswalks Television included a good number of photos and memorabilia from our holdings. It was broadcast several times on public television, and we received mention in the film's credits.

 
• BBC radio staffers made use of our video collection.

 
• Arthur Bankoff (Anthropology) researched the burial site of the Maryland Soldiers in Park Slope. He plans to use the material to justify the creation of an official cemetery on the grave site.

Exhibits

Archival Assistant Marianne LaBatto mounted a number of attractive and educational exhibits during this academic year. These included:

"From Great to Greater: Brooklyn Becomes a Borough"
(Boylan Hall)

"Architectural Plans for the New Library Building"
(Library foyer)

"Paul Revere Awards"
(National traveling exhibit of musical scores honored for graphic excellence; Music Library)

"Hess Collection on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa"
(Black History Month; Library foyer)

"Gershwin Centenary"
(Music Library)

"Brooklyn College Poets"
(National Poetry Month; Library foyer)

"150 years of CUNY"
(Traveling exhibit honoring the 150th anniversary of the City University of New York; Special Collections)
 
 

Banner - "150 Years of CUNY Exhibition"

L to R: Barbara Dunlap (City College), Sandra Roff (Baruch), & Tony Cucchiara

The Library was especially proud to host this last exhibit, which drew on the archives of the several CUNY campuses and was curated by Anthony Cucchiara (Brooklyn College) and Sandra Roff (Baruch) and funded by the University. Fordham University Press will publish an illustrated history of CUNY authored by Tony and Sandra and based on the exhibit.

The collections also brought attention to the College in other ways. The Brooklyn College Magazine featured pieces on the Susan Alter papers and the 100th anniversary of the consolidation of New York City, drawing from our local history holdings. The Development Office used photographs from the Archives in a promotional video, and the Alumni Office borrowed materials for a slide show for the fiftieth anniversary class. Excelsior, the student newspaper, ran a weekly column about the campus's earlier years, running a photograph from the Archives with each piece.