Library endowments allow purchase ofimproved, modem equipment "Can you keep it down; these rooms aren 't sound proof. " "Let me see what I can do for you. " "I think the copier is broken. " These are all phrases commonly heard in the Brackett Library. Named for Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Brackett of Vero Beach, Fla., this 43,432 square foot structure was reopened in the fall of 1990 after a complete renovation. The Bracketts provided major funding for the project. Both had served on the president's council, and he continues his service on the Board of Trustees. When the Brackett Library opened its doors , five miles of shelves housed 1,300 current periodicals and 337,000 other volumes, with plans to add 7,000 new volumes a year. The facility also became a depository for government documents. Five years later the library continues in its quest to expand its capabilities. Last year brought the Internet to campus. This year, two new programs which use search words to locate documents- YAHOO and Word Crawler-became accessible over the Internet. Library director, Suzanne Spurrier, said, "The only problem with some of the information is not knowing when it has been updated and to whom it is attributed. Some of it sounds like it is from the National Enquirer. " Increased usage of library information led to the purchase of two new personal computers and the networking of six computers. "Eventually, we would like to have network capabilities that allow students to access library information from personal computers in their dorm rooms," Spurrier said. "We are planning to train librarians to provide telephone reference help, because people are eventually going to want help from where they are." The first search databases were added last fall on a trial basis. Funded by an Arkansas grant, free indexes were provided through ERIC, Medline, Contents First, Articles First andWorldCat. Other media additions to the library include books on cassette. Books with CD Roms, mainly for photo capabilities, were to be the next step, Spurrier said. The death of Chris Broadaway, the interlibrary loan librarian, last spring spurred contributions from friends to honor Broadaway with a memorial fund to purchase Christian literature and to sponsor library assistants who desire to work in evangelistic campaigns. "These were two things that meant a lot to Chris," Spurrier said. "Chris was always encouraging us to live Harold Alexander, M.S.E. , Counselor, Student Support Services Jenene Alexander, M.S. , Counselor, Adviser, Diagnostician Mary Binkley, M.L.I.S. , Circulation Librarian Dee Bost, Ed.D. , Coordinator, Learning Center, Director, ADVANCE Ann Dixon, B.A., Assistant Librarian Ann Hobby, M.Ed. , Reference Librarian Jennifer Hurd, Ed.D. , CommunicationSkills Coordinator Denise Miller, J .D. , Director, Cooperative Education Suzanne Spurrier, M.L.S. , Library Di rector Henry Terrill, M.S.L.S., Serials, Government Documents Librarian Linda Thompson, Ed.D. , Director, Student Support Services Shirley Williams, M.S.L.S. , Assistant Professor, Library Science closer to the Lord. She would often write us little notes of encouragement, reminding us to pray." Broadaway was also the social chairman at the library. "When we would celebrate someone 's birthday, shewould always be more excited than the person being honored, " Spurrier said. Broadaway was less than a year old when she was diagnosed with her first tumor. She spent the rest of her life with a tracheotomy tube, leaving her with limited speaking abilities. Her biggest regret was that she could not sing. Numerous surgeries kept he r wo rking, but malignancies fi nally caused her death in March. Debbi e Howell , Broadaway' s replacement in the library and a fo rmer student worker with her, hopes to carry on in Broadaway's footsteps by always going the extra mile for people. "Chris was always so friendly. She treated me with respect and she made me feel good. It 's just the way she was," she said. Contributions such as the financial ones given by the Bracketts and the living ones in honor of Broadaway continue to furnish the educational needs of Harding students while standing as examples of sacrifice for generations to come. -Beth Smith Academic Support 60 ~-~A--:--~d ----:.-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ca em1cs
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==