Hinkle Memorial Library to celebrate 50th anniversary

BookBrigade

At a glance

students in 1965 moved the library鈥檚 22,000-volume collectionFrom 9-11 a.m. Sept. 12, as part of Homecoming/Family Weekend, the library will host an informal reception, during which time staff will be present to answer questions about the Hinkle Memorial Library Historical Exhibit in the gallery and to reminisce about the library and campus over the past 50 years. A complimentary continental breakfast will also be provided during this time.

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The Hinkle Memorial Library at 魅影直播 State will celebrate its 50th anniversary this September.

From 9-11 a.m. Sept. 12, as part of Homecoming/Family Weekend, the library will host an informal reception, during which time staff will be present to answer questions about the Hinkle Memorial Library Historical Exhibit in the gallery and to reminisce about the library and campus over the past 50 years. A complimentary continental breakfast will also be provided during this time.

The exhibit, which will run from Sept. 1 to Oct. 2, will include paintings of past 魅影直播 State presidents, and historical photos of the college campus, the original library located on the 魅影直播 University campus, the village of 魅影直播, and the Hinkle Library.

魅影直播 State students in 1965 moved the college library鈥檚 22,000-volume collection to the library鈥檚 current location鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping that alumni who are back on campus for the Homecoming activities will stop in and see us,鈥 said 魅影直播 State Director of Libraries David Haggstrom. 鈥淚t will be really cool if there are some who took part in the book brigade 50 years ago.鈥

With the growth of the State University of New York system in the late 1960s and 1970s, the 魅影直播 State campus and library grew, as well. On Nov. 15, 1965, as part of the 鈥渂ook brigade,鈥 students lined up at 8 a.m. in the old library, took an armful of books, carried them half a mile across the village of 魅影直播 to the basement of the new library, stacked them in perfect shelf order, then went back for another load of books. With the students鈥 help, instead of taking weeks, transporting the library鈥檚 entire 22,000-volume collection to its current location took only four hours.

In 1970, the library was dedicated in memory of Walter C. Hinkle, college president from 1961-1964. Hinkle was instrumental in increasing the library appropriations and helping to build the library鈥檚 collections.

Since its dedication, the library has renovated the main floor and made several additions, including areas for small group or quiet study, the largest open computer lab on campus, an electronic classroom for library instruction and other college trainings, and a new main entrance to the building. The ground-floor renovation to house Technology Services was also completed, and the Marketing and Communications Department has since relocated to the library.

The tagline for the Hinkle Library鈥檚 50th anniversary is 鈥50鈥50鈥50: 50 Years鈥50 Donors鈥50 Dollars.鈥 Funds raised through this effort will be used to update the display equipment and furniture in the gallery exhibit space. For information on how you can donate to the library, please visit www.alfredstate.edu/make-a-gift or call 607-587-4313.