Quinnipiac University
Charles M. Getchell, Jr., Arnold Bernhard Library Director
Available local special collections
Unlike many other libraries, the Arnold Bernard Library does not manage
the University's archives. In 2005, an investigation is started to create an
inventory of what materials might be suitable to become part of a centralized
university archive. A next step would be to decide about how to gather and
maintain the materials.
The Library houses the Lender Family Special Collection on the great
famine in Ireland in 1845-1850 (see: www.thegreathunger.org ). The collection
has recently been acquired (2000) and holds literature and art objects and is
housed in a special room in the shape of a ship, representing the way people
fled the famine.
As part of the collection development, books, letters, and original,
handwritten minute books have been digitized. OCR-ed text and PDF images of
the originals are supplied. All resources came from other libraries (some of
them in Ireland), and are being made available as part of this collection.
Links to The Great Hunger Online might be found at
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x6779.xml .
The collection still grows through purchases, funded by a special
(university) fund.
The role of the Lender Family Special Collection
The initiative for building the collection came from Quinnipiac
University's president John L. Lahey, who has Irish ancestors. An important
motive is the role a special collection can play in marketing the
institution. The 'mission' of the collection, published in the art catalog,
states that the collection will "help increase awareness and promote
research" on the topic of the Great Hunger in Ireland and aims to serve
researcher from inside and outside Quinnipiac University. The library
strongly believes in enhancing access to (among other things) primary sources
on the topic by digitizing relevant materials from other depositories.
The room is well visited by many classes and during campus tours, and an
educational guide is available. The connection with Ireland is further
developed by student and faculty exchange programs between Quinnipiac
Universities and universities in Ireland.
How can a project like the Teagle Project help? What other areas are
future priorities?
The Teagle project might be helpful in communicating existing collections
in Connecticut and exchanging ideas on how to encourage the use of primary
sources in undergraduate teaching.
Contacts
Arnold Bernhard Library
Charles M. Getchell Jr.
Director
275 Mt. Carmel Ave.
Hamden, CT 06518-1908
Tel. (203) 582 8631
E-mail: Charles.Getchell@quinnipiac.edu
