New couches, study areas, and a strikingly different aesthetic may be the first things people notice when they enter the renovated Connelly Library, but continuing improvements to Library resources deserve a closer look.
With ever-expanding subscriptions to exclusive online databases, hundreds of thousands of ebooks, and our one-of-a-kind collection, the Library continues to diversify its offerings in order to fulfill the academic and artistic inclinations of Moore’s students, faculty and staff in the Library space and beyond. Our collection development initiative emphasizes materials foregrounding the voices of heretofore underrepresented artists and scholars across spectrums of gender, race and nationality.
For Connelly Library, diversifying the collection means a few things. First, it involves expanding upon content that increases visibility for all identities and backgrounds. Medium is also a consideration. Patrons entering the renovated Library will be happy to discover two unique new collections – a quickly growing collection of graphic novels and another of interactive pop-up books. While these types of materials existed before the renovation, Library staff have worked hard to expand holdings and highlight them in freestanding collections separate from the main stacks.
These materials also reflect our dedication to diversity of representation. Debuting in September of last year, this collection has already increased in the past two semesters by 138 titles, quickly becoming one of the library’s most utilized and circulated resources.
As for title acquisition, perspectives that more accurately reflect society and the school’s student body are equally important. A few examples include Feminist Fables for the Twenty-First Century, Comics for Choice, and My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. Award-winning and thought-provoking titles also include The Best We Could Do, which explores the lives of an immigrant family relocating to San Francisco, and Persepolis, about a girl who lives through the Iranian revolution. For those with identities outside the dominant perspective, these graphic novels are relatable and reaffirming. Our pop-up book collection is equally surprising; come in and discover ingenious bookcraft creations about subjects as unexpected as fashion, science and classic children’s literature. We currently have 26 individual titles, and are still growing this collection.
Library staff are not the only ones contributing to this process. Moore students, faculty and staff are also encouraged to make recommendations. You can help voice your ideas and suggestions by submitting the Suggest a Purchase form on the Library’s Services page. The Library is not an entity unto itself; we strive to reflect existing curriculum and student interest. Conversations with the Moore community are a hugely important aspect of this continued growth. Today’s student artists may very well be tomorrow’s spotlighted authors!
