Friends of the Swedenborg Library (FOSL)
We are especially mindful of trying to meet the
needs of the ‘whole student’ by experimenting
with opportunities to reduce stress and add an el-
ement of relaxation into their busy schedules by
providing coloring, knitting, and gaming materi-
als. At the same time, we continue to be supportive
of campus efforts that assist academic achievement
and learning experiences, including the popular
triannual ‘Long Night Against Procrastination’
(LNAP) and the ACE (Academic Career Excel-
lence) Program. Finally, we responded to student
remarks in the annual outcomes survey by extend-
ing our weeknight hours.
The annual meeting of FOSL was held on Sun-
day, February 12, 2017. In a change of venue, the
meeting took place in the Pendleton Hall Audi-
torium to accommodate the live-streaming of
the guest speaker’s talk: the Rev. Dr. Jonathan
S. Rose who spoke on the interesting twists and
turns experienced in translating Swedenborg’s
writings. His talk: Indexing his way into further
enlightenment: discovering Swedenborg’s process
through translation is available online at: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHVRWP3bZtQ
In the business meeting that followed, the Friends
approved two funding proposals from the Li-
brary Director: to construct a computer kiosk
in the stacks area of the upper level so that pa-
trons are able to access the library’s online cata-
log and website; and to support the College
ACE (Academic Career Excellence) Program’s
“Long Night Against Procrastination” that is
held once a term in the library. This gift, total-
ing $4,000, is one more example of the long-term
support provided by FOSL. We are very grate-
ful for these generous donations that enable us
to enhance the library’s resources and services.
FOSL also sponsored three art exhibits dur-
ing the year: Tania Alden (paintings, Fall 2016);
Fred Moore (photography, Winter 2016-2017);
and Martha Gyllenhaal (drawings and paintings,
Spring 2017). In a very generous gesture, Dr. Gyl-
lenhaal donated funds to install a new, gallery-
grade art hanging system, provided by The Art of
Framing in Jenkintown.
Library Spaces
To promote advocacy and awareness of library
space needs, in early 2017 the Director formed
an ad-hoc committee to review proposed changes
to library spaces, and to provide suggestions and
support as our campus population grows. At the
same time, in anticipation of the increased need
for study space in the library, as well as to improve
the relevance and appeal of our print collections,
we have embarked on a significant weeding proj-
ect to de-accession out-of-date and unused books
in our Library of Congress (non-fiction and ref-
erence) collections. The process involves book-by-
book examination and collaboration with faculty
to ensure that the collections continue to reflect
the academic curriculum and support research. In
conjunction with that, we have identified books in
those collections that mention Swedenborg or the
New Church and have added red stickers noting
“Swedenborgian Heritage” to the spine labels. Ref-
erence notes are also added to the records in our
online catalog. De-accessioned items are donated
to Better World Books for resale that supports lit-
eracy programs worldwide; made available to the
public through the Friends of the Swedenborg Li-
brary’s ongoing used book sale; or free for the tak-
ing from our ‘Last Chance’ cart. To increase the
usefulness of our public computer space, in March
2017 we reoriented the workstations to allow for
informal class use, if needed. The reconfiguration
also improves traffic flow in that area, and provides
additional usable space for casual seating. Finally,
the use of our existing group meeting/classroom
spaces has grown to almost full capacity. To make
scheduling spaces more efficient, we have prepared
Microsoft Outlook calendars for the Friends of the
Swedenborg Library Room and the Small Group
Study Room so potential users can check availabil-
ity and reserve the spaces.
Volunteers
We will always be in debt to the many volunteers
who, through their hard work and welcome pres-
ence, help us make the library a wonderful place to
be. There are many tasks that simply would not get
done without their constant and enthusiastic sup-
port--donating 446 hours of their time in the past
year. Our deepest thanks go to: Lynn-Del Sand-
strom (new materials processing); Gerda Fiske
(paperback Browsery maintenance and FOSL
used book sorting); Vera Glenn (FOSL used book
sorting); Donnette Alfelt (archival boxes); Kelly
Asplundh (archival boxes); Sonia Doering (book
mending: Mending Committee Chair); Jackie Bos-
tock (book mending); Jane Bostock (book mend-
ing); Janet Simons (book mending); and Michelle
Rose (catalog database maintenance.)
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