2010 calendar a message from the university librarian Twelve months. Twelve verbs. Twelve images. We’re taking a different tack in pre- senting highlights from the past year in lieu of a tradi- tional annual report. We hope you will find this calen- dar useful and that you will enjoy the iconic images and short vignettes as much as we enjoyed gathering them. And, in our none-too-subtle fashion, we imagine that as you turn the page each month, you’ll be reminded regu- larly of the critical role Cornell University Library plays in the life of this university on the hill. The twelve verbs that tie the images to the text each month reflect accomplishments from the past year as well as our aspirations for the future. Several of them speak to a proud tradition of preserving cultural heritage while offering a place for learning, reflection, and inspi- ration that extends beyond formal years spent at Cor- nell. Others look to emerging needs wrought by changes in technology, new forms of scholarly expression, and the economic challenges facing us all. And several high- light the Library’s leadership in broadening access to scholarly resources here at home and abroad. Among the very best research libraries in the world, Cor- nell University Library reflects the university’s distinc- tive mix of eminent scholarship and democratic ideals as both an Ivy League institution and New York’s Land Grant university. By all measures, the Library is a highly valued partner in teaching, research, and learning. It of- fers cutting-edge programs, internationally recognized expertise, and outstanding collections from rare books and manuscripts to a significant network of digital re- sources. Its impact reaches beyond campus boundaries with initiatives that extend the Land Grant mission to a global focus. More than a hundred years ago, Andrew Dickson White, co-founder of Cornell and its first presi- dent, wrote, “The ideas of a great university and a great library are inextricably linked.” We aim to keep it that way in the 21st century. Anne R. Kenney Carl A. Kroch University Librarian JANUARY S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Toboggan slide on Beebe Lake INSPIRE Engaging alumni and friends In the historical tradition of literary salons devoted to the life “[The Library Salon] was the best of the mind, Cornell University Library offers a series of Library Cornell experience we have had in years. Salons each academic year. These gatherings, held across the The presentation sparked the kind of country, provide an opportunity for alumni and friends to en- intellectual enjoyment that was one of gage with the most interesting and intellectual voices from the the best parts of our Cornell experience. Library. Salon topics have included Hemingway’s Havana, legal We would do it again in a heartbeat.” issues in the digital world, and the preservation of cultural trea- sures in war-torn countries. Nancy Gallant, M.P.A. ’75 FEBRUARY S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Visit the Library’s Lincoln exhibition, open until April 2010 Echoes of Lincoln & Darwin BUILD Through exhibitions and events, the Library joined worldwide cel- “The ideas of a great university and a ebrations of the 200th birthdays of two men whose visionary think- great library are inextricably linked.” ing changed the course of history. Charles Darwin’s exhibition fo- Andrew Dickson White, cused on his work after the publication of Origin of Species. A rare co-founder and first president of Cornell University trio of documents from the Library’s materials on Abraham Lincoln underscored his efforts to rebuild a nation torn apart by civil war. MARCH S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Cover of Cornell’s Widow magazine, spring 1928 ‘Omit needless words’ LEARN When Cornell professor William Strunk Jr. produced a 43-page treatise “In clear, concise, and compelling on writing for an English class in 1918, he never could have envisioned prose, Strunk and White laid down the future of his modest project. One of his most famous students, E.B. the law.” White, would revive the treatise in 1959; it would become the world’s most respected guide to writing and sell more than 10 million copies. Peter Hirtle, senior policy advisor at Cornell University Library Fifty years after The Elements of Style’s first run, the Library marked the anniversary with an exhibit of Cornell’s outstanding collection of Strunk and White materials. APRIL S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Images from the Library’s archive on the history of hip hop CHALLENGE Libraries at the forefront Whether celebrating the fundamental right to read during “Cornell staked a claim in hip hop Banned Books Week or showcasing collections that influence history... and Kroch Library just gained culture and community throughout the United States, Cornell some serious street cred.” University Library supports scholarship that can challenge think- ing and change lives. “Grandmaster Ezra,” Cornell Daily Sun MAY S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Storage wall, 1949, NYS College of Home Economics INNOVATE Flexible, transparent, seamless Unlimited access to journal articles dating back decades. “We have been carefully preserving and storing The ability to consult with librarians 24 hours a day, 7 days materials for years, and now we’re diversifying a week. Web sites that provide instant connections to the the channels for them to be studied and used. right information at the right time. As online tools become We now have the ability to take information to an essential part of research at Cornell, visions of “the the places where readers are.” library of the future” come into focus with new technology and virtual presences. Oya Rieger, associate university librarian at Cornell University Library JUNE S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 13th annual Hotel Ezra Cornell Waiters’ Derby, 1938 TRANSFORM Reimagining the Library The entire country saw economic trouble in 2009, and “We will flex, reach out in many directions, Cornell University Library was no exception. Balancing and think well beyond the traditional branch our dedication to open access and responsible steward- library model as we reshape this library, its ship of Cornell’s resources in hard economic times re- collections, and services to support the evolving quires focus, flexibility, and a rethinking of business as research environment for the 21st century.” usual—but the Library’s commitment to research, teach- ing, and learning at Cornell remains constant. Leah Solla, coordinator, Physical Sciences Library JULY S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Map of Yorktown presented to General Lafayette during his visit to America An invaluable resource SEEK Cornell’s focus on research at the undergraduate “Look for anything from an Irish epic to Japanese level is exemplified in the use of special collections. history to Greek etymology, and you’re going to Over half the researchers who use the Division of find an entire shelf of books... half of which are Rare and Manuscript Collections are undergraduates, going to be better than the one you thought you and an astounding 55 percent of all undergraduates were looking for.” consulted those collections in their work. River Granados, undergraduate AUGUST S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pinneated Grouse, by John James Audubon Access for all DISCOVER In a dramatic change of policy, library patrons may now “This is an exemplary policy.... Cornell is use and republish public-domain works held by the Library right that restricting reuse of the public- without seeking permission. Large-scale digitization projects domain texts will limit valuable uses, violate make Cornell’s materials available everywhere from Google the university’s background commitment to Books to The Internet Archive to Amazon’s print-on-demand open access, and constitute copyfraud.” service. Continued support for research initiatives such as arXiv and Project Euclid—both of which recently hit signifi- Peter Suber, open-access expert, cant milestones—emphasizes the Library’s commitment to referring to the Library’s new policy on public-domain materials academic discovery. SEPTEMBER S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Four Men and a Computer, by Sol Goldberg, 1964 Spinning the Web CONNECT Twitter, Facebook, Flickr—the Library “Cornell University’s mission is to be a learning community hits the social-networking scene in a vari- that serves society by educating the leaders of tomorrow and ety of ways, becoming part of users’ daily extending the frontiers of knowledge.