The popular Exploring Widener event shares the work of Library staff with Harvard alumni.
Early in April, some of Widener’s most difficult-to-see areas were opened to Harvard alumni to visit the incredible collections care and digital imaging areas of D-Level. This annual Exploring Widener event is a favorite among alumni (it sells out in a matter of hours!), with some traveling from as far as Dartmouth for a chance to see the meticulous and critical work our staff do.
Laura Wood, Associate University Librarian for Research and Education, started the evening with an animated welcome to alumni, sharing the three ways in which she visualizes the Library — through the physical spaces, the collections and their accessibility, and the scholars who rely on our materials and resources for their passionately researched projects. Brenda Bernier, Malloy-Rabinowitz Preservation Librarian and Director of Preservation Services, then provided guests with insight into the "why" of preservation and what conservation efforts require to ensure our materials are useable in the future, followed by Bill Comstock, Head of Imaging Services, who shared his path to Imaging Services and the fascinating work that his team oversees in order to make our collections accessible across the globe.
As remarks concluded, alumni were split into groups and then ushered to either D-Level, a guided tour of Widener’s main areas by Monica Key, or into the Memorial Room where Kate Donovan provided more history about the special collection. In addition, iPads were also set up in the West Stacks Reading Room for guests to learn more about recent Library projects by navigating the Colonial North America site, or watching book-related videos such as how books are repaired at Harvard and manuscript-related informational clips from the Beyond Words 2016 exhibition.
Guests were encouraged to take home Library Passports, Alumni Access postcards detailing how they can use library resources as alumni, and postcards inviting them to the recent Weissman Preservation Center Open House. Between the eye-opening projects showcased in the D-Level studios to the Widener tours to the questions about Harry Elkins Widener’s collection, the alumni not only were excited to physically access Widener and its usually restricted areas, but were eager to learn throughout the evening about the Harvard Library of today.
A big thank you to our colleagues in Digital Imaging, Collections Care, and Operations; to Kate Donovan and Houghton for bringing the Memorial Room to life; and to our HAA partners for making this such a successful and fun evening!
By Grace Strong, Special Events and Stewardship Officer
See also: Preservation, Widener Library
