When one thinks of a library, often the first
image that comes to mind is a brick or stone building. However, one should also remember that a library is a gathering place. Within its walls are carefully gathered or collected resources, whether electronic,
print, or sound. Beyond such artifacts, the library is moreover a gathering place for people, be it library faculty and staff, or the patrons which they serve. It is a place for people to work, investigate, socialize, or repose. Indiana State University’s Cunningham Memorial Library (CML) embodies both these concepts. Yes, it is a physical structure, but even more so it is a gathering
place. What follows is an exposition of the library’s rich history, its buildings, its collections, and the means through which it gathers people into its fold – library
faculty, staff, and patron alike

Mehrens, Christopher E. (Christopher Emile)

Muyumba, Valentine K.

IUPUIScholarWorks

Indiana Libraries, Vol. 22, Number 2, 200326PLACE: THE CUNNINGHAM MEMORIALLIBRARY OF INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITYby Valentine K. Muyumba, Cunningham Memorial Library,Indiana State University&Chris Mehrens, Cunningham Memorial Library,Indiana State Universityhen one thinks of a library, often the firstimage that comes to mind is a brick orstone building. However, one should alsoremember that a library is a gatheringplace. Within its walls are carefullygathered or collected resources, whether electronic,print, or sound. Beyond such artifacts, the library ismoreover a gathering place for people, be it libraryfaculty and staff, or the patrons which they serve. It is aplace for people to work, investigate, socialize, orrepose. Indiana State University’s Cunningham Memo-rial Library (CML) embodies both these concepts. Yes, itis a physical structure, but even more so it is a gather-ing place. What follows is an exposition of the library’srich history, its buildings, its collections, and the meansthrough which it gathers people into its fold – libraryfaculty, staff, and patron alike.THE LIBRARY BUILDINGS, THEIR HISTORY, ANDTHEIR COLLECTIONSIn 1870, Indiana State University began life as theIndiana State Normal School. At that time, one wouldbe hard pressed to say that the school had a library.Given this situation, Chauncey Rose, one of the earlybenefactors of the community and founder of RosePolytechnic Institute, gave the Board of Trustees $4,000in 1873 for the purchase of books for the library. TheState also appropriated $500. This first library collec-tion was housed in the President’s office, and oneprofessor was put in charge and paid $20 per monthfor this extra service.1Disaster struck in 1888 when the building of theIndiana State Normal School with all its contents,including the library, was destroyed by fire. The city ofTerre Haute immediately contributed $50,000 and theState appropriated $100,000 of which $15,000 wasdevoted to library purposes. During this period thePresident’s secretary, who was also clerk and registrar,performed the duties of librarian. In 1890, the librarygained its first professional librarian. ArthurCunningham was the Assistant Librarian of DePauwUniversity when he was appointed Librarian of theIndiana State Normal School. Under his tenure theIndiana State Legislature appropriated $99,970 for anew building, contracts were signed, and on December17, 1909, the Board of Trustees received the building.The dedication of the new building, what was tobecome Normal Hall, was held in June 1910.The new building was essential to the vision thatCunningham had for the expansion of the library. As anormal school, with its emphasis on the training ofeducators, he saw the need to expand the number ofeducational titles on the shelf. It should be kept inmind that Cunningham had a keen interest in the newpedagogical developments of his day and that he madeevery effort to collect materials that would place thenormal school’s students at the forefront of their futureprofession. As related in a collection developmentpolicy document for what is now known as the“Cunningham Collection,” “Cunningham was recog-nized for his collection-building efforts in education,building a nationally important resource.”2After 38 years of stellar service, Arthur Cunninghamretired in 1928 and in 1929 Edwin Fitzroy was ap-pointed Director of the Library. At the time of hisappointment, the name of the Indiana State NormalSchool was changed to Indiana State Teachers College.In 1933, Fitzroy stepped down as Library Director andat that time Hazel Armstrong became the new librarydirector, a position that she would hold until 1954.Throughout this period, the collection continued togrow so that by 1953, the need was seen to add a newwing to the library building.Growth continued throughout the ensuing decade,so much so that by the late 1960s, it became evidentthat the University’s library building, now called theCunningham Memorial Library, was not meeting theneeds of the growing collection. The legislature appro-priated $6,250,000 for a new library building for whatwas now called Indiana State College. Constructionbegan December 1970, and the new library opened itsdoors in January of 1973. As we now write, the library iscelebrating its 30th anniversary of the current building,and plans are being made to modify the library struc-ture to fit the growing needs of the University’s stu-dents and faculty. These changes are being made notIndiana Libraries, Vol. 22, Number 2, 2003 27only to improve the manner in which we support thecurriculum of the University, but also, as we will seelater, to make the library a more welcoming structure –one which will compel people to visit and to gather.ATTRACTING AND RETAINING NEW LIBRARYFACULTY AND STAFFA library is very much a human place, and becauseof this quality, its staffing often is in a state of flux overtime. Retirement, opportunities for professionaladvancement, and changes in everyday life deplete theranks of the library family, and when this occurs, thevoid is genuinely felt. Such loss is both professional andpersonal, because the dynamic of an effective librarystaff is dependent both upon the professionalism of itsworkers and upon their collegiality. For anyone whohas spent time in libraries, it is readily apparent thatlibraries have distinct personalities. Some libraries maybe quiet and reserved, others cold and imposing, andstill others warm and ebullient. Because of this, thehiring of a new professional goes far beyond theirqualifications and often takes into account the personaof the individual and how they would fit into theoutlook of the organization. As in any good relation-ship, each library has to find a “partner” that is a goodfit – someone who will mesh well with other membersof the organization. At CML, this is very much the case,given that we are “team” oriented.When we lose a team member, our Dean assessesthe needs of the library, and a decision is reached tomeet these needs through the recruitment and hiring ofnew faculty or support staff. Once this decision hasbeen made, the Dean of Library Services contacts theoffice of the University Provost to obtain a clearance fora job search. After “clearance” is obtained, the Deanthen meets our Library Faculty Assembly (LFA) who inturn charges the Library Administrative Affairs Commit-tee (LAAC) to examine a preliminary position descrip-tion. Upon the finalization of the position description,in the case of professional faculty, the Dean then formsa search committee. In case of support staff, the Deanworks closely with the Office of Human Resources infinding candidates who are not only interested inworking for the library, but also who are well qualifiedto contribute its overall operation. Once these individu-als are identified, the team leader, or department headinterviews them, and recommendations are made tothe Dean.In the case of library faculty candidates, a searchcommittee is formed. This process begins with a call forvolunteers who would be willing to serve on thecommittee. The Dean selects the members for thecommittee based on their qualifications and their abilityto work effectively together. In the past, our searchcommittees were composed of five people. At thepresent time, however, our committees at CML arelimited to three people only for greater efficiency. TheDean feels that keeping the committee formation toonly three people helps the library get a better handleon the tight deadline schedule from the Provost’s office.Of the three members, two are of faculty rank and oneis a member of the support staff. By doing so, allindividuals who work in the library are represented.Beyond the formation and composition of thesearch committee, the search process itself followscommon practice: job advertisements are mailed tolibrary schools and are placed in print publications,Listservs and websites; applications are screened andthe pool of candidates is narrowed; telephone inter-views are conducted to further narrow the field; andfinally, three or four candidates are invited for onsiteinterviews. These final interviews provide an opportu-nity for the staff to get to know the candidates betterand to see if they would be a “good fit” for our organi-zation. Throughout the interview process, library stafffills out evaluation forms, giving their impression of thecandidates. These become critical aids to the searchcommittee and the Dean, who will ultimately make thefinal decision in the hiring of the individual. Once thelibrary has hired a person to fill the position, CMLmakes every effort to assure that the new librarian orsupport staff will succeed and want to remain with theorganization. One means of accomplishing this isthrough the assignment of library mentors.The type of mentoring provided by CML is fairlyunique to our University environment, as other depart-ments have not engaged in this practice. Our mentorsare usually drawn from senior faculty or staff, so thatthey may impart to the new person the wealth of theirexperience derived from working for the library over aperiod of time. Mentoring at CML comes in a variety ofstyles: professional, social, and unofficial. Professionalmentoring involves helping the new faculty or supportstaff member to acclimate to their new role, and to helpthem both succeed and advance in their position. Thesementors are identified and assigned by the Dean, andthey are paired with the new individual because it is feltthat their personalities will be a good match. For libraryfaculty who are expected to fulfill certain requirementsthat lead them into tenure status – research, publica-tion, presentations, and service – the assignment of amentor eases the demand of the process.In addition to mentoring, from day one new facultyor support staff members are made aware that there isan open door policy on the part of the Dean andAssociate Dean. Should they have any concerns, theyknow that both administrators are supportive and opento their ideas. Such openness and availability is largely aresult of the Deans taking time to get to know theiremployees.Camaraderie is another essential ingredient toretaining new faculty or support staff members. OneIndiana Libraries, Vol. 22, Number 2, 200328means of strengthening staff bonds is through theirparticipation in group activities, whether it takes formin a staff retreat, professional training sessions, parties,or the sharing of meals. For example, every Friday a callgoes out via the library Listserv inviting colleagues toorder pizza, or to simply join the lunch group. It hasbecome one of our staff’s favorite activities. Anothermeans by which we have come together and haveshared the wealth of our library experience is throughwhat we call the “Third Thursday Forum.” As the nameimplies, time is reserved on the third Thursday of themonth for conference reports, training activities, or thesharing of research on the part of colleagues.The promulgation of a team spirit within the libraryranks has facilitated, to a certain degree, the changesproposed by the new Dean to our library environment.When the Dean determined that the current librarystructure needed a face-lift, she made a conscious effortto involve all members of our support staff, faculty, andadministration in the planning overall process. To thisend, a number of brainstorming sessions were held.Two components of these sessions were game activitiesand the sharing of food, which promoted our workingas a team.Accommodation for the research, educational, andpersonal needs of our faculty and staff is given in theform of flexible scheduling. Flexibility of scheduling isextremely appreciated by our faculty because of theresearch demands made upon them. To ensure tenureand promotion, they are expected to publish or deliverpapers at professional meetings. Librarians are allottedfive days each year for research purposes. Beyond this,accommodation in scheduling for research is given atthose times when our students are not present oncampus. Flexibility in scheduling is also extended to thesupport staff that work in technical services. Many ofour people arrive early in the morning so that they mayleave early in the afternoons. One benefit of thispractice is that it allows them to better meet the needsof our patrons through the rush cataloging and process-ing of materials early in the day.A final means of retaining faculty and support staffat CML takes form in the tremendous generosity of theUniversity and library administration with respect toopportunities for professional development. Ourcolleagues are encouraged to participate in professionalmeetings or training sessions, and to assure theypartake in such activities, time is granted with little orno questions. Further, library administration endeavorsto see to it that their employees are compensated for aportion of their travel and registration expenses. Allbenefit from this munificence, particularly the usersthat we serve.Our library is a wonderful place in which to workand to grow professionally, and this is due, first andforemost, to the care exercised by library administratorsto assemble people who work well together. In the end,it is the “gathering” of people who work here, theirtalents, and their personalities that constitute onefactor that makes our library the place that it is. How-ever, there is another factor that makes our library theplace that it is, the patrons that we serve, and themeans by which we attract, or encourage them togather here takes upon many forms.ATTRACTING LIBRARY USERSAs set out in the vision statement of our library,CML views itself as a “partner in advancing the teach-ing, research, and service missions of the University.”3Central to this vision are the concepts of service andenvironment, as both factor into attracting users to thelibrary. We are very aware of our user’s needs; thereforewe strive to collect the best resources to meet theseneeds, both print and electronic. Regardless of thequality of these resources, assuring that our patronshave access to information is proportionate to thequality of service that we provide. In this area we areconstantly and continually updating our professionalskills to meet these demands. Further, we have ex-plored the use of emerging technologies to enhanceaccess.At the present time, we are building upon theconcept of the library as a gathering place by creatingcollaborative computer workstations. Finding thatmembers of our teaching faculty are increasingly askingtheir students to participate in “group projects,” weresponded to this need through the creation of com-puter workstations that would allow large groups ofstudents to sit together as they access our electronicresources. Relative to this, we also circulate wirelesslaptops, so that our students may use them in theprivacy of our group study rooms. Should studentsdesire to use wireless technology with their ownlaptops, wireless cards circulate from the informationdesk and are installed by our systems people. It shouldbe noted that our library had the first wireless networkon campus.Even though we have these wonderful resourcesand provide valuable service, we still have to attractstudents to the library. Over the past two years, we havetried to make our new students, especially our interna-tional students, more comfortable with what could becalled the “library experience.” Welcome back studentevents draw both new and returning students into thelibrary through the use of door prizes and food. Oncewithin the library, they are offered mini tours of thebuilding, and as part of this process they are introducedto our various service points and our resources. Forreturning students, this is a valuable means of introduc-ing them to new resources and services. As we nowwrite, plans are being made for the expansion of thisIndiana Libraries, Vol. 22, Number 2, 2003 29experience, an event called the “Library Extravaganza.”Using the model of a carnival, tables will be set up invarious parts of the library, showcasing the services andresources that we offer. Food, games, prizes, and musicwill also factor into the event.Another means of attracting users to our library isthrough creating a comfortable study environment.One means of achieving this will be through the cre-ation of an onsite coffee shop. Through the collabora-tive efforts of the library and a local coffee shop (TheCoffee Grounds), our users will soon have a place toenjoy a good cup of coffee, a sandwich or pastry, and agood read. In addition, we are now expanding our firstfloor browsing collection to include current periodicalsand “popular” media materials such as video games,DVDs, and CDs. Further, new furniture is being se-lected to enhance this area and to create a morerelaxing study environment.In conclusion, we believe that not only is ourcampus unique and attractive, but that our library is aterrific place to work and explore our ever-changingworld. This is due, in large part, to the dedicatedindividuals who work in this environment, librariansand users alike, who make the Cunningham MemorialLibrary truly a “gathering place.”ENDNOTES1 The historical background of the library has beenprincipally derived from the “History of Indiana StateUniversity Libraries” found in Indiana State UniversityLibrary, Indiana State University Library Staff Hand-book (Terre Haute: Indiana State University, June 26,2000). Online. Available: http://odin.indstate.edu/level1.dir/staff.html#HISTORY. Accessed: May 28, 2003.2 Rare Books and Special Collections Department,“Collection Development Policy CDP-14: CunninghamCollection” (Terre Haute: Indiana State University,March 30, 1995/rev. April 27, 1995). Online. Available:http://panther.indstate.edu/irdac/documents/SpecialCollections.htm. Accessed: July 10, 2003.3 Indiana State University Library, “Library VisionStatement” (Terre Haute: Indiana State University,January 28, 2002). Online. Available: http://odin.indstate.edu/level1.dir/library.dir/vision.html. Accessed:July 10, 2003.

Place: The Cunningham Memorial Library of Indiana State University

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Place: The Cunningham Memorial Library of Indiana State University

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