Barbara Rad-El, Senior Librarian, Ex Libris
I was the recipient of the many emails that you – the Alma community – sent in for the 2020 Alma Around the World login competition, and as such was lucky enough to be able to see all the gorgeous, beautiful pictures you submitted. (To see a slideshow of submissions from across the globe, click here.)
And we also heard how many of you appreciate this theme!
JoLinda Thompson, at the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, George Washington University, USA wrote: “I enjoy seeing the new login theme each month and look forward to this year’s selections.”
Isabel Quintana from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain also commented: “We like to know a little about other Alma libraries around the world through these pictures.”
And Hilde Verhaeghe from the Katholieke Hogeschool VIVES in Belgium said: “Looking forward to see the new Alma login screens for 2020!”
“Unfortunately,” there are only 12 months in the year, and so only 12 pictures could be chosen for our monthly login screens. But what about all the other pictures? In addition to our movie, we’d like to share some highlights from the many email messages we received, together with snapshot pictures of some of the additional entries to the competition.
The Sojourner Truth Library at SUNY New Paltz was named for a former slave who escaped slavery and became an abolitionist and women’s rights activist.
From Montana State University we heard how the library can counter nasty weather:
“Since Montana winters can be rough, student’s outdoor time can be limited. We decided to bring nature into our small Academic Library and create warm, inviting study spaces. This corner of the Library seems to get the most amount of use.”
The University of New South Wales submission shows a mural next to the Help Zone in the library.
“The Library has been working with the Creative Collective …to run a competition inviting students to submit proposals for a temporary mural next to the Help Zone in the Main Library… The judging panel selected a winning design by current Honours student Lydia Morgan. Lydia’s proposed design is a fun and engaging expression of student life at UNSW.”
John Phillips Library at Western Sydney University was shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards in the higher education and research category. Named after a former Chancellor of the University, the library opened in April 2015 on the University’s Penrith campus.
From The George Washington University we learned about “Words of Encouragement” at the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: Students were asked to leave notes of encouragement for each other in the library during the lead-up to mid-terms in fall 2018. (Photo by Catherine Sluder.)
The Scuola Normale Superiore, in Pisa, Italy holds a special place in my heart. It was the first site that I visited for Aleph training, many years ago. I am so glad to see that they are now a member of the Alma community.
The new Humanities and Communication Studies Library at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain), is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification building.
“Brighter and more comfortable, the ‘green library’ has become the most popular on campus. We are happy to minimize impact on our fragile environment.”
The newly refurbished library at Heriot Watt University, UK, is set in beautiful campus grounds on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland. The building uses biophilic design throughout to connect the library to the outside environment. This has been achieved through the use of natural materials and colors, matching the outside environs throughout the building.
The Department of Agriculture & Fisheries Library (Queensland, Australia) is located at the EcoSciences Precinct, a collaborative facility where Queensland Government and CSIRO scientists are working to solve some of Australia’s biggest environmental challenges. The precinct’s state-of-the-art research facilities include the library, laboratories, insect houses, controlled environment rooms, glasshouses, greenhouses, offices, workshops and a science education center.
We hope you have enjoyed reading about the many beautiful and varied Alma libraries around the world. We certainly did!
Want to see more? Watch our slideshow of submissions from around the world!
January 6, 2020
