The Elms College Alumnae Library is celebrating a momentous milestone, as it marks its 50th anniversary as a cherished hub of knowledge and intellectual growth. Since its inception, the library has played an integral role in shaping the educational experience at Elms College, fostering a love for learning and empowering generations of students.
To mark this special milestone in the library’s history, we invite the campus community to join us for a variety of events and activities to celebrate the history of Alumnae Library. The local public community should inquire at the library, if interested in any events.
 Meet the Author: 11/13/23, 12:15pm, Library Well Come and meet the Elms’ current & past faculty & staff authors. Authors will be available to discuss aspects of their work with some authors reading from their books. |  Scavenger Hunt: 11/14/23, 12:15pm, Library Well Explore the hidden corners & dark recesses of the Alumnae Library for hard-earned clues & tokens, guiding one team to glory! Stay tuned for registration info. |
 Student Bingo: 11/14/23, 7:30pm, Mary Dooley College Center Dining Hall Join the fun with this month’s game, which is co-sponsored by the Alumnae Library and the SGA. |  Poetry Reading, Art Exhibit, & Art Reception: 11/15/23, 4pm Library Theatre, Library Well, & 2nd Floor Landing Listen to students reading their work and enjoy viewing artwork, as well as art work from alums. |
 50th Jubilee Celebration: 11/16/23, 4:30pm, Library First Floor Celebrate 50 years of the Alumnae Library! The campus community & special guests are invited to share in this important milestone. RSVP to library@elms.edu |  Daily Raffles: 11/13/23-11/16/23, 12pm Online Each day of our 50th festivities week will kick off with 2 random Blazers winning. One $10 gift card/ea. – Monday, 11.13 One $15 gift card/ea. – Tuesday, 11.14 One $25 gift card/ea. – Wednesday, 11.15 One $50 gift card/ea. – Thursday, 11.16 You can literally be anywhere & have to do literally nothing* for a chance to win each day that week!!! (*j/k, you have to check your email each morning that week to see if you’re 1 of the 2 to win 1 that day) |
Share with us: To honor the library’s Jubilee, we’re asking that you share your favorite memories/best stories about the library. You may send your story by email (library@elms.edu) or through this form.
Online exhibits: To celebrate the legacy of the Alumnae Library building, the library is showcasing items from their Archives to commemorate what makes the library special.
Please feel free to view the digital exhibits created to honor the Library’s 50th Anniversary, which include:
- The Library Directors
- Before and After
- An Historical Timeline
- The Construction Process
A History of the Library:
The origin of the library dates back to the beginning of the college, in the late 1920s, when discussions centered around developing a library facility. When the decision was made to build Berchmans Hall, the designs included a space to be designated as the library. The library was to include a single reading room, seating for forty people and 20 ranges of bookshelves. When Berchmans Hall officially opened, between 1932-1934, the library also opened for Business.
As the library collections increased the need for additional space was required, which led to the library expanding to the fourth-floor mezzanine and the north hallway of Berchmans in 1938. By 1962 the library had outgrown the various spaces it was using and expanded again to two storage rooms in the north wing of the fourth floor of Berchmans.
As the college grew so did the need for additional library services, library materials, and space. In 1964, after much discussion, the decision to build a new library was made and plans were started. The original plans were instituted by Monsignor Thomas Devine (college president) and Sr. Anna Maria Walsh (AKA Sr. Teresa Daniel), the head librarian and chairman of the New Library Planning Committee.
There was also a Library-Faculty Committee, which provided input on the interior design plans. All decisions on colors, seating, etc. were passed through the full faculty and administration for final approval.
The location of the new building was chosen in order to form a quadrangle with O’Leary Hall, the Administration Building (now called Berchmans Hall), and the Student Center (now called Mary Dooley College Center). Mr. Philip McNiff was appointed as the building consultant with the firm of Carroll and Greenfield as the architects. The architectural design of the building was meant to complement the structures already on campus. In order to construct a quadrangle, Bevin Hall Dormitory was razed in December 1970. A ground-breaking ceremony for the new building was held in March 1971 to signal the beginning of the construction phase. The new library took a little over a year to build and was completed in September 1972 with moving day on May 14, 1973. To help the librarians move the materials from Berchmans to the new building, all classes were cancelled and, under the supervision of the librarians, the entire campus community helped move the materials.
As the building became a part of the campus community, it was known as “the library”, however after a focused fund-raising program with the Alumnae Association the librarians decided to honor the Alumnae who donated money to help pay the mortgage. As a thank you for their generosity the librarians, with the approval of the administration, named the library “Alumnae Library” in 1982 and had a sign attached to the side of the building. Alumnae continued to contribute to the “Library fund” until the building was paid off in 1992.
Over the past 50 years the building has seen many changes, which can be found in the Alumnae Library Archives. If interested, please contact the library archivist, Anthony Fonseca, at fonsecaa@elms.edu.