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Special
Collections
moves into the light
Special
Collections at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, which
contains UM's rarest and most valuable holdings, has moved
to new digs on the fourth floor.
The
department houses irreplaceable archives of rare books,
manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, microfilm, artifacts
and more. This fascinating cross-section of history includes
a first-edition book by famous cowboy artist Charles M.
Russell, a book once owned by Adolph Hitler and even a large
desk presented to Montana statesman Mike Mansfield by former
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos. In addition, the
archives hold the papers of former UM presidents and other
documents and artifacts relating to the University's history.
The
department had been hidden away in cramped rooms in the
bowels of the basement, but library administrators worried
that in the event of a fire or flood the collections would
be especially at risk. So the Special Collections recently
moved upstairs where it is protected by a new high-tech
misting sprinkler system that won't damage the collections
as much in the event of a fire.
Frank
D'Andraia, dean of library services, said the department's
new quarters are designed to safeguard UM's rarest holdings.
There is controlled access to the area, where library staff
keep a careful eye on archival items when they are used
by researchers, students and the general public.
"This
move provides additional space for our expanding collections
on Montana, creates more appropriate study room for scholars
and adds several hundred more square feet for archives,"
D'Andraia said. "This new space was specially designed
with the researcher in mind."
The
fourth-floor complex includes new display cases that were
donated by Ford and Marlys Barrett of Wenatchee, Wash. These
are used to show some of the more unique holdings, such
as the Henry Villard Collection, which includes UM's 1814
edition of the Lewis and Clark journals. The cases are secure
and well lighted.
D'Andraia
said the former subbasement home of Special Collections
will be renovated to provide more user space and room for
the library's growing print collection, current newspapers,
maps and government publications.
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