A century of scholarship at Wellesley College library

By Caitlin Castello, Town Correspondent

As many alumnae will attest, the 100-year-old Margaret Clapp Library is the heart of the Wellesley College campus, gracefully bridging a print past and a digital future.

Wellesley will celebrate the library's centennial on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. with a ceremony and exhibit showcasing materials from the library's past. The event is open to the public.

“The place of learning is so vivid,” says Micheline Jedrey, vice president of information services and college librarian.

“I think it's coming at a particular moment for students,” said Jedrey. “For students to see this continuum of scholarship, where the print resources and the digital resources are housed all in the same building and the students are part of the continuum of scholarship.”

In the last 15 years, the library staff has focused on integrating technology into the library, which is now completely wireless.

“It is about trying to have a happy combination of digital and print resources,” said Jedrey.

The library houses archives and special collections and is the largest library on campus.

Special collections librarian Ruth Rogers said having such an expansive collection is meaningful to students and faculty. Rogers said students told her they feel connected to the past when see the first edition documents of John Locke or Immanuel Kant.

“They feel there is no comparison,” said Rogers. ‘They feel fortunate that Wellesley has such a collection.”

Since its opening in 1909, the library has been expanding, said college archivist Ian Graham. The first addition was added to the building six years after its initial opening.

“This building has stood the test of time,” said Graham. “I'm immersed in the history of the place. We have records that have to do will all facets of the institution so any time I get to delve into the history of the college it's revealing and eye opening, I find it fascinating. The archives here are very full; it’s a robust collect of materials.”

Caitlin Castello can be reached at caitlincastello@gmail.com