ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

BOOK MOVE AT FORT LEWIS

Waiting to put their loads of books on the new library’s shelves—Graham Sadler, director of the Fort Lewis College library (at left), Miss Indian America, Wahleah Lujan; Chad and Jeremy, singing duo from England, and John F. Feed, president of the college.

Fort Lewis College recently completed a new million dollar library-classroom building and was faced with the problem of moving over thirty-five thousand volumes of books in the middle of a trimester without disrupting the use of the library by students any longer than necessary. Thus, at 8:30 a.m. on March 20, over one thousand students and faculty assembled at the old library and the move began. Wahleah Lujan, a student at Fort Lewis College when she was named Miss Indian America, was on the campus ThursdaySaturday to participate in the annual Hohzoni Days (Beautiful Days) activities sponsored by the College’s Shalako Indian Club. She decided to stay over and help her fellow students move the books. Chad and Jeremy, singing duo from England, who were to present a concert that evening, also decided to join the Fort Lewis students in the book move. At noon an old fashioned “Chuck Wagon” feed was spread out for the students in front of the new library and a local band provided the music for the “Book Moving Day.”

By 1:30 p.m., when the last of the students and faculty had had their plates filled at the Chuck Wagon, the library had been moved intact, with the books taken from the shelves in order in one building and put on the shelves in order in the new building. Formal dedication ceremonies for the library were combined with the college’s commencement exercises on April 16. ■■