Welcome Visitors
Once again this term, the Chapin Library and College Archives have had many visitors to the Southworth Schoolhouse from the College community. Although our excellent collections by themselves attract students and faculty, we also have been reaching out to let people know how we can support learning at Williams, both in general and for specific courses. During Fall Term we have offered class presentations in all three divisions, not only those departments which traditionally have been our heaviest users – Art, English, History – but also Astronomy, Biology, Classics, Political Science, and Romance Languages. The photo above was taken during one of our most animated sessions, on the Spanish presence in the New World, conducted (in Spanish) by Prof. Miguel Martinez and using many rare books from the Chapin Library’s collections. (The large volume in the foreground is a 1513 edition of Ptolemy’s Geography, open to a then-current map of the world.) Of course, we have also welcomed individual Williams students needing materials for research, or who simply want to see something ‘cool’ in the area of rare books and manuscripts, and there have been visitors as well from Bennington College and MCLA.
The Chapin Library and College Archives staffs are always happy to talk with faculty and students who wish to use our collections, and to make presentations on a wide variety of subjects. Just let us know how we can help! – WGH