Vernon R. Alden Library has joined the ranks of less than 65 libraries with the unveiling of their 3 millionth addition Saturday.
The item is a panoramic photograph of the library taken by Thomas R. Schiff, a 1970 graduate of Ohio University.
We chose this item for several reasons: It is visually compelling and very accessible
said Scott Seamen, dean of Ohio University Libraries.
I'm speechless. You try to understand how many items 3 million is it is quite an honor said Schiff, who has images held in other institutions across the country, including OU's Kennedy Museum of Art. He also has published four books of panoramic photography.
The photograph, Vernon R. Alden Library
Panoramic Photograph
will be on display on the fourth floor of the library.
It is a very unusual image
because it is a 360-degree image. It is very visual and symbolic. It represents our coming of age
Seamen said.
Also on hand for the unveiling were OU President Roderick McDavis, Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit and Presidents Emeritus Vernon Alden and Charles Ping.
The photograph was unveiled by McDavis and Alden at the
beginning of the evening, before guests toured the other collections of the library.
I think it's pretty neat. It represents the digital age that we are in
and it really makes sense for it to be the 3 millionth addition
Benoit said. It is very stunning
When the library opened 40 years ago, it contained half a million additions, and it now has reached 3 million.
We chose this item because we wanted to look forward into an age where information and scholarship is online
Seamen said.
In 2009, 60 percent of the
library's acquisition budget was spent on electronic resources, and this will only increase as more information is put online, Seamen said.
Special collections will always remain in paper archives; physical objects will bring distinction to our collection
