Linderman Library,”Lindy”, has an impressive reputation rising to the top of numerous lists for most beautiful libraries at college universities.
Linderman Library’s doors opened in April 1878 after a five year construction funded by Asa Packer. Linderman Library was built in the memory of Asa Packer’s late daughter, Lucy Packer Linderman. This project was the largest monetary gift of Asa Packer to Lehigh University. He believed that Lehigh needed a single library to merge all of the departments’ collections at the time.
This iconic library was designed by an architect from Philadelphia named Addison Hutton, who also designed many other Lehigh facilities such as Packer Memorial Church.
Twenty alumni provided $500,000 in 1929 to expand the library and add more beautiful architecture such as the astonishing rotunda. More space was also wanted to allow for more room for the vast collection of books. The next and most recent renovation came in 2005. This expansion also added more room for the growing book collection and more study spaces. Lucy’s Cafe, a spot for coffee and food on the ground floor, was also added in this renovation.
Linderman Library also is home to the Special Collections. Special Collections was establish to have access to historical collections that encompasses rare books, manuscripts, and Lehigh archives. It also holds that document the extensive renovation of Linderman in 1929. A rare book collection with over 40,000 volumes with first editions of English and American literature from the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Special Collections also is home to manuscripts and personal papers. Examples include papers by Les Whitten, a successful novelist and investigative reporter, and Congressional papers by Francis E. Walter. Other personal papers include those done by Lehigh University presidents.
Lehigh University merged its libraries, computing, and telecommunications into one single organization in 1996. It is known as Information Resources. The front line services were combined into one help desk to offer a single point of service. It included instructional technology, library consultants, and enterprise information. The development of the LTS (Library and Technology Services) took over ten years to develop. Some of the management issues that the LTS helps in is training, staffing, referral, work flow, assessment, and other topics.
Synopsis:
Linderman Library is part of the Lehigh experience. My first time on campus as a prospective student on a campus tour I was taken through Linderman Library. Going through Linderman Library at that moment in time I knew I so desperately wanted to attend Lehigh University in the future. Looking up at the beautiful rotunda I dreamed of seeing it again in the future as a student at Lehigh University. This was the first impact Linderman Library had on me as a student. Now as Lehigh student Linderman Library has had an extreme impact on my Lehigh experience. Linderman Library is the place I go to study, grab a quick snack or drink at Lucy’s Cafe, and even take the occasional nap between classes in a private study corner. Researching through the information sources have helped me understand more about Linderman Library. I learned that Linderman Library received its name from Asa Packer’s daughter Lucy Packer Linderman (Salava, K). I also learned that Lucy’s Cafe also received its name from her. Another thing the information sources has taught me about is the Special Collections. I knew that Linderman Library was home to many rare book collections, but I did not know that it had first edition collections from as early as the seventeenth century (Black, L). My information sources also taught me about the merging of the library services and how a student can get help through the Library and Technology Services (LTS). Receiving help through the Library and Technology Services (LTS) is easy and helpful. Students can receive help through this service in many ways including library consultants, and instructional technology help (Kimmel-Smith, S).
So far in 2018 as a student at Lehigh University the building with the most impact on me has been Linderman Library. Linderman Library in 2018 has been a spot for me to study for exams, finish assignments, work on pre-lab work, and where friends and I gather to discuss class assignments and collaborate together on class work. I believe that every student at Lehigh University has been impacted by Linderman Library in some way, shape, or form. I have spent numerous hours and late nights in Linderman Library and it has been a huge part of my life as a Lehigh student in 2018 so far. When I start getting frustrated while I am studying or doing assignments for class I will usually go to Linderman Library to put myself in a certain mindset. Going to Linderman Library puts me into a mindset where I get inspiration and motivated to do my class work. Lucy’s Cafe has given me the caffeine boost that I would need to get through finishing my assignments for my classes or to get through the studying I would need for my 4 o’clock exams. Even though I am a first year student at Lehigh University I realize that Linderman Library will continue to have such a large impact on me throughout the years that I spend here at Lehigh University as a student. Linderman Library has had impacts on students past and present and hopefully can continue to impact students in the future twenty-five and even fifty years from now.
| Title: | Kelsey Miley’s Final Project |
| Author: | Kelsey Miley |
| Date: | 12/04/2018 |
| Description: | Improvements and renovations have occurred on Linderman Library throughout the years. Reflections on the impact of this building have on all students at Lehigh. |
| Format: | Photographic Series |
| Subject: | Linderman Library, Lucy’s Cafe, Special Collections, LTS services |
| Rights: | Attribution CC BY |
| Sources: | Black, Lois. “Lehigh University Libraries .” Special Collections | Lehigh University Libraries, library.lehigh.edu/research/special-collections.
Kimmel-Smith, Stacey E. “Ten Years After: The Integrated Computing and Library Help Desk at Lehigh University.” Research Gate,www.researchgate.net/profile/Stacey_KimmelSmith/publication/274719613_Ten_years_after_The_integrated_computing_and_library_help_desk_at_Lehigh_University/links/5771654908ae842225ac250d.pdf. Salava, Kate. “Linderman Library Has Rich History of Renovations,Legends.” The Brown and White, The Brown and White, 11 Nov.2014, thebrownandwhite.com/2014/11/10/linderman-library-history/. |