The Van Wylen Library at Hope College will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with a reception on Tuesday, April 21.
The library opened in January of 1988, and was
dedicated on April 21, 1988, with an all-day celebration
that included a convocation, parade and renaissance fair.
The building is named for Dr. Gordon J. Van Wylen, ninth
president of Hope College, and his wife, Dr. Margaret D. Van
Wylen.
The reception will run on Tuesday, April 21, from
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the lobby of the library, which is
located on College Avenue at Graves Place (11th Street).
Refreshments will be served.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
"The Van Wylen Library has been extraordinarily
functional during its first 10 years," said David Jensen,
director of libraries. "Scholars like doing research here
because of its many different kinds of study space, and the
staff have found it a delightful environment in which to
work."
Jensen noted that although the building was
designed and constructed just at the dawn of the current
emphasis on library technology, the library works just as
well with the new electronic resources as it does with print
media. "This is a tribute to the library planning committee
chaired by Elton Bruins, who is the Evert J. and Hattie E.
Blekkink Professor Emeritus of Religion and currently
director of the A.C. Van Raalte Institute, and to the design
team, led by Geoffrey Freeman, from the Boston Architectural
firm of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott.
The building won an American Library
Association/American Institute of Architects award in 1989.
The library furniture was manufactured in Holland by the
Worden Company, some of it custom-designed for the building.
Library offices feature Herman Miller chairs and work
stations.
"The Van Wylen Library has been a wonderful
inspiration for the college to improve the entire library
program," Jensen said. "For the past 10 years, our aim has
been to raise the quality of services, technology and
collection to the same high level as that of the building.
This great building has provided an excellent standard for
us to match. We are delighted to have the opportunity
granted by it to develop outstanding library services."