Schaffer Library at Union College

Today, we have a mini takeover:

Hello! My name is Addison Rosenko (Class of '29) and I am a student worker in Special Collections and Archives! Here I assist with archival research and processing along with compiling exhibits of some of the interesting stuff housed in the collections.

Just this past ReUnion Weekend, I assembled an exhibit looking at the names and lives of the people whom our Minerva Houses are named after. Many of these people and families have been prominent figures in the Union community for many years now, so it was fascinating to take a look at their pasts and accomplishments.

From photographs to 1920s textbooks, there's something bound to interest everybody; if there is something you would like to research, write about, or just look at for fun, schedule an appointment with SCA to take a look!

Special Collections was delighted to welcome approximately 50 alumnus and families with some excellent questions for ReUnion this weekend. Thank you for coming!

Here are some snapshots.

Special Collections Student Assistant, Petr Melnikov '28 was sorting through the Kennith H. Kingdon Papers, SCA-0220 and found some unusual artifacts.

Kennith Kingdon was a leader in the development of atomic energy. According to his obituary in the New York Times, Kingdon was a member of the 1939 team that successfully extracted U-235 from Uranium.

Obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/12/obituaries/kenneth-kingdon-leader-in-research-on-atom-dies-at-88.html

Wanting to err on the side of caution, Special Collections & Archives invited Liz Dobson-Davis, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, to examine the collection for radiation. Happily for all of us, there is nothing radioactive in the collection!

[images: Liz Dobson-Davis, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, using a Geiger counter to measure the radiation levels of some artifacts in Special Collections & Archives.]

Steinmetz!

We are thrilled to be hosting Steinmetz poster sessions again this year! Here are some pictures of setup. Looking forward to seeing you all between 12:30 and 1:50.

We've got some great whiteboard notes going on here!

(Maybe the first one can help you ace your next exam...? 😀)

We made a quality of life addition to your study time on the second floor of the library, in the area that overlooks the Nott: plugs!

We hope you enjoy.

Love,
Schaffer Library

Come on down to the library tomorrow (Monday, April 27) at 5PM to enjoy a reading from Schenectady Poet Laureate, Adonis Richards. This is a a great opportunity to share poetry, read, and discuss literacy and writing, and yet another way to celebrate National Poetry Month.

(Have you picked up a Poem for your pocket from our Schaffer reads shelves to the right of the door when you walk in? Take one on your way into or out of the reading.)

We're setting up for our book swap!

Come on down to the library lobby today between 12:50 and 3:00. We have tons of books for you to browse and take home (to keep!).

Thank you for helping us celebrate National Library Week this week. 💖