To celebrate the acquisition of the one-millionth book to its collection, a ceremony featuring prominent AU student and faculty speakers was held at Bender Library on Wednesday.
The one-millionth book, a first edition 1693 copy of John Locke's "Some Thoughts Concerning Education," was presented, as well as another book, a 1792 copy of Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Women."
The event featured a reading by poet and teacher of the year Richard McCann and a speech by acting President Neil Kerwin.
"The event was just wonderful and so much fun," said Patricia Wand, university librarian. "It was a wonderful way to bring all of the library stories together. Richard McCann was so inspirational."
Peter Brusoe, chairman of the Graduate Leadership Council and a graduate student in SPA, spoke at the event along with SG President Kyle Taylor.
"This is a major milestone for the library," Brusoe said. "It says something about where the library is headed, and it speaks of our institution's commitment to social justice."
Since moving into its current location in Bender in 1979, the university library has added more than 630,000 volumes to its collection and currently holds 1,013,387 volumes, including all print and electronic resources. Of the over 3,500 university libraries in the nation, fewer than 200 have over a million volumes.
"This has happened after many years of work and many millions of dollars," Wand said. "Hopefully this will help students see the library as a very strong resource for their personal learning and achievement."
The library has undergone extensive renovations and improvements over the past several years, such as the addition of the coffee shop and more data ports for laptops, but some students still find the facility to be sub-par.
"The way the library is organized, it's really hard to find books to do research," said Megan Nierman, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs who works at the library. "We have ancient and outdated books from the '60s and '70s. We are a political science and international affairs school, but there are no current books for us to look at."
This sentiment was echoed by Brittany Schillerstrom, a junior in the School of International Service who uses the library about twice a week for studying.
"I don't think this is a major improvement for the university," she said. "I think it's probably just for PR reasons."
Those participating in the event, however, felt that the library's poor reputation is outdated and no longer true. Despite what external reviewers say, according to Brusoe, this milestone may improve the library's standing with the American Library Association.
"The library has this urban myth that it's not that good, and everyone believes it even though no one goes," Brusoe said.
The acquisition of the two new books can be credited to the fundraising efforts of Friends of American University Library, an auxiliary group that promotes library initiatives and attracts donors. Gail Hanson, vice president of campus life and a member of the Library Friends board, agrees that the library's low rankings are misleading.
"In the past the library has had this low ranking that students are just beginning to see doesn't fit anymore," Hanson said. "If you look at campus climate surveys, the evaluations of the library are getting better, which is an accurate reflection of the improvements being made."
Now that the millionth volume landmark has been reached, the library plans to continue improving the facility by adding more outlets, data ports and study space for students, as well as working toward the second million.
Organizers and participants of the event hope it promoted awareness of all of the resources the library has to offer.
"The strength of an institution is reliant on its library," Brusoe said. "It is our gateway to the outside world, and a companion on our path to intellectual excellence"
