Samford University - University Library

No snow pics this week, just a view of Berry Field on the old East Lake Campus circa the 1950s.

2023 photograph of Nanafalia Baptist Church in Nanafalia, Marengo County, Alabama. Organized in 1831, the church is a member of the Bethel Baptist Association.

When the Nintendo Wii debuted in November 2006, it quickly became popular among senior adults who found it to be a way they could get exercise and once again enjoy sports/pastimes of their younger years. Anyone out there still playing theirs in 2025?

The Samford University Library will be CLOSED Monday, January 20th, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We currently plan to re-open at 7:30am Tuesday, January 21st, weather permitting.

Last week we shared a picture of the library in the snow back in 1958. Here's one of the library in the snow back in 1992. Who knows? Perhaps we'll be sharing 'library in the snow' pics from this past weekend for about 20-30 years from now...

You may not be able to see it depending on where you are on campus, but you can definitely hear it!

The Rushton Memorial Carillon was first installed on campus in Reid Chapel in 1968. The carillon was donated by William J. Rushton in honor of his parents, two sisters, and brother. When the carillon was first erected, 49 bells were included. It was the first four-octave chromatic carillon in the United States. Each bell was cast with a meaningful inscription -- including quotes from Keats, Longfellow, Moore, Poe, Tennyson, Plato, and the book of Psalms -- making the bell system not only unique to the United States but to the world. No other bell system at that time included inscriptions on each bell.

In 1979, the bells were moved to the Harwell Goodwin Davis Library. Eleven more bells were added at that time. The largest bell, C3, weighs 5,192 pounds and has a diameter of 61-9/16". The lightest bell, C8, weighs 26 pounds and has a diameter of 7-1/8". The total weight for the bells is 29,244 pounds. Visit our website for more information -- https://library.samford.edu/special/treasures/2005/carillon.html

Since we'll be closed tomorrow due to the threat of inclement weather, we thought it might be fun to share this photo of the library in the snow back in 1958. Stay safe during this cold snap everyone!

The first batch of recent acquisitions for 2025 has been added to our website, with 33 items covering 14 subjects -- from art and history to religion and sociology! Visit our website for more information -- https://library.samford.edu/newacq/

Interested in a particular subject and want to know when we add more titles about it? Clicking the orange "RSS" button by the subject heading on the Recent Acquisitions page is a great way to get notifications when it happens!

Due to the threat of inclement weather, the library will be CLOSED on Friday, January 10th. Virtual assistance will be available 8am-5pm at https://samford.libanswers.com. Stay safe during this cold snap everyone!

One of Samford's most treasured traditions, began right here on the steps of Renfroe Hall at our East Lake campus in 1951 under the name "Singspiration." There was no award given at the 1951 event; the first documented winners were in 1953 when the Crimson reported, “Pi Kappa Alpha and Young Women’s Auxiliary win again.”

After the college moved to its current location, Step Sing continued to evolve. Originally hosted in locations like Seibert Hall and the campus cafeteria, the event settled into its permanent home at the Wright Center in 1976, providing space for larger audiences and more sophisticated productions.

The competition continued to grow in popularity so much so that discussion took place in 1971 to expand Step Sing from 1 to 2 nights to allow more audience members to attend. It wasn’t until 1972 that Step Sing became a multiple night event.

2025 marks the 56th anniversary of the coveted Sweepstakes Award, which has been an integral part of Step Sing since 1969. That first Sweepstakes went to Alpha Phi Omega. The current trophy was designed by Craig Hyde, a 1994 Samford graduate who studied graphic design. The trophy was introduced in 1993 and went to Pi Kappa Phi. Hyde’s creation celebrates its 32nd anniversary in 2025 and has become an enduring symbol of excellence in Step Sing, proudly raised high by each year’s champions.

Proceeds from the event have benefited various charities, with Step Sing participants raising over $65,000 between 2015 and 2019 alone. In 2020, the university introduced the Step Sing Endowed Scholarship to honor the dedication of student performers who work tirelessly to create memorable shows. Since 2020, the scholarship has added a special moment to the tradition, with the recipient being announced on stage during the Saturday evening performance, adding another meaningful moment to an already much-loved event.

With Spring Semester starting next week, it won't be long before students start working on this year's edition! Good luck to all who will be participating! https://library.samford.edu/special/treasures/2024/step-sing.html

We hope everyone had a great holiday break! We're open reduced hours this week and will return to normal hours one week from today. Visit our website for more information about our hours of operation -- library.samford.edu/about/hours

Still not done with your Christmas shopping? Here's what the respondents to a recent Statista Consumer Insights survey said they'd like this year.

Rounding off the top ten for men were board games/toys/dolls (15 percent) as well as event tickets (14 percent) and for women computers/computer accessories (17 percent) followed by board games/toys/dolls (15 percent). Out of the polled options, "decoration articles" were among the lowest scoring gifts, only desired by 10 percent of female respondents and 6 percent of men.

REMINDER -- the library will close at 5:00 pm today & will re-open at 7:30 am Monday, Jan. 6. We hope everyone has a joyous holiday season, a Merry Christmas, & a Happy New Year! For more info about library hours, visit our website at library.samford.edu/about/hours. See y'all in 2025!

The library will close at 5:00 pm this Friday & will re-open at 7:30 am Monday, January 6th. We hope everyone has a joyous holiday season, a Merry Christmas, & a Happy New Year! For more info about library hours, visit our website at library.samford.edu/about/hours.

2017 photograph of Macedonia #2 Baptist Church in Crossville, DeKalb County, Alabama. Organized in 1942, the church is a member of the DeKalb Baptist Association.

With finals over with, we here at the library can start thinking about the holidays. Not listed is that 63% of the respondents look forward to spending time with friends and family, making it the top answer by far. What traditions are essential in your household?

On the subject of Christmas movies/shows... a 2017 survey asked over 4,000 people if they thought of "Die Hard" starring Bruce Willis as a Christmas movie. 56% said they did not, 19% said they did, and 11% said they weren't sure... but surprisingly, 14% said they weren't familiar with the movie. We're still trying to wrap our heads around that one.

Commencement ceremony, 1988. To all our seniors graduating this weekend, CONGRATULATIONS! The sky's the limit and we cannot wait to see what all of you achieve next!

Good news! The pizzas are here, so it's time to take that study break you've been looking forward to since dinner! Y'all come and chow down!

And thanks once again to for making it possible!