94 · SPEC Kit 296
Pennsylvania State University
Fred Waring’s America, Penn State’s Fred Waring Collection located in
313 Pattee Library, contains historical memorabilia reflecting Fred Waring's
nearly seventy-year career as a choral conductor and showman. In
addition to temporary exhibits designed to reflect current interests, there is
a marvelous collection of historical memorabilia on permanent display in
the front area of the Waring collection rooms that includes awards, musical
instruments, costumes, stage props, Waring blendors, golf paraphernalia,
and personal items, among other objects. Further details can be found at
the Waring Collection website.
External Exhibits
Occasionally, we may be asked to mount a temporary exhibit outside of
Special Collections. The library lobby (“Stonehenge” area) is the most
common location, (see the Library policy on exhibits for details about using
this area), although exhibits have been done in other campus buildings
and even off campus. While time to prepare such exhibits is usually a
major factor in deciding whether to do such projects, security and
preservation are the overriding considerations. If there are no locking
display cases or means of securing framed items to the wall, or if
materials cannot be protected from environmental risk in the exhibit
(excessive ultraviolet light or heat in the display environment, for example),
such display invitations should be declined. Also, we cannot lend or
transport our exhibit cases to other locations. However, if the requestor is
willing to pay for creation of reproductions and mounting costs, then such
an exhibit might be considered.
Public Programs and Group Events
Special Collections provides an attractive venue for holding programs, meetings, and
classes and these are developed on our own initiative and at the request of people outside
the department or the Libraries. Scheduling a space to hold an event is a key requirement.
The Mann Room is the primary public space that we have available to us. We can
schedule it through LuAnn Shifter, while the rest of the library will work through Sandy Ball
in the Office of the Dean of University Libraries. There are a set of procedures for use of
the Mann Room that govern furniture set-up, food, etc.
Other events might take place in the Steelworkers Room, or even occasionally in the 8th
Air Force Room or the Shelley Room. The Steelworkers Room is scheduled by penciling in
the event on the calendar in the hall outside the room. There is no schedule for the other
two rooms, but as a courtesy one should check with Jim Quigel for the 8th Air Force
Room, or Sandy Stelts for the Shelley Room, before using them, since they are frequently
used for staging materials and it may be inappropriate to try and hold a meeting in them.
The Foster Auditorium may also occasionally host a Special Collections-sponsored event.
Foster must be scheduled through Sandy Ball in the Office of the Dean of University
Libraries and there are procedures for its use.
Lectures
One highly visible aspect of outreach in Special Collections is the provision of lectures for
the public. Generally, these may be either gallery talks or other presentations by members
of the faculty and staff of Special Collections, or specially-arranged lectures by visiting
scholars, donors of collections, or persons who have lent materials for an exhibit or
otherwise provided assistance or services to Special Collections. Lectures may be held in
the exhibit hall, the Mann Room, the Foster Auditorium, or in another appropriate space in
the Libraries.
As with other outreach activities, some lectures such as gallery talks, are initiated by
Special Collections, while others may be done at the request of outside individuals.
Advanced planning is essential for a successful program. Scheduling of the speaker and
required space should be done at least a month in advance, with publicity going to local
news outlets as well as library webpages, and/or by broadcast Email messages to selected
faculty, staff and students. Posters and/or flyers might be coordinated through Library
Public Information and distributed to likely outlets for posting. In some cases, a reception
might follow the lecture, in which case arranging for the food and beverages must also be
planned, even further in advance.
Conferences
Special Collections occasionally may take upon itself the development and hosting of a
conference. This is not undertaken lightly since the logistics and likely staff workload can
be extensive. The larger the conference, either in potential attendees or length of the
Pennsylvania State University
Fred Waring’s America, Penn State’s Fred Waring Collection located in
313 Pattee Library, contains historical memorabilia reflecting Fred Waring's
nearly seventy-year career as a choral conductor and showman. In
addition to temporary exhibits designed to reflect current interests, there is
a marvelous collection of historical memorabilia on permanent display in
the front area of the Waring collection rooms that includes awards, musical
instruments, costumes, stage props, Waring blendors, golf paraphernalia,
and personal items, among other objects. Further details can be found at
the Waring Collection website.
External Exhibits
Occasionally, we may be asked to mount a temporary exhibit outside of
Special Collections. The library lobby (“Stonehenge” area) is the most
common location, (see the Library policy on exhibits for details about using
this area), although exhibits have been done in other campus buildings
and even off campus. While time to prepare such exhibits is usually a
major factor in deciding whether to do such projects, security and
preservation are the overriding considerations. If there are no locking
display cases or means of securing framed items to the wall, or if
materials cannot be protected from environmental risk in the exhibit
(excessive ultraviolet light or heat in the display environment, for example),
such display invitations should be declined. Also, we cannot lend or
transport our exhibit cases to other locations. However, if the requestor is
willing to pay for creation of reproductions and mounting costs, then such
an exhibit might be considered.
Public Programs and Group Events
Special Collections provides an attractive venue for holding programs, meetings, and
classes and these are developed on our own initiative and at the request of people outside
the department or the Libraries. Scheduling a space to hold an event is a key requirement.
The Mann Room is the primary public space that we have available to us. We can
schedule it through LuAnn Shifter, while the rest of the library will work through Sandy Ball
in the Office of the Dean of University Libraries. There are a set of procedures for use of
the Mann Room that govern furniture set-up, food, etc.
Other events might take place in the Steelworkers Room, or even occasionally in the 8th
Air Force Room or the Shelley Room. The Steelworkers Room is scheduled by penciling in
the event on the calendar in the hall outside the room. There is no schedule for the other
two rooms, but as a courtesy one should check with Jim Quigel for the 8th Air Force
Room, or Sandy Stelts for the Shelley Room, before using them, since they are frequently
used for staging materials and it may be inappropriate to try and hold a meeting in them.
The Foster Auditorium may also occasionally host a Special Collections-sponsored event.
Foster must be scheduled through Sandy Ball in the Office of the Dean of University
Libraries and there are procedures for its use.
Lectures
One highly visible aspect of outreach in Special Collections is the provision of lectures for
the public. Generally, these may be either gallery talks or other presentations by members
of the faculty and staff of Special Collections, or specially-arranged lectures by visiting
scholars, donors of collections, or persons who have lent materials for an exhibit or
otherwise provided assistance or services to Special Collections. Lectures may be held in
the exhibit hall, the Mann Room, the Foster Auditorium, or in another appropriate space in
the Libraries.
As with other outreach activities, some lectures such as gallery talks, are initiated by
Special Collections, while others may be done at the request of outside individuals.
Advanced planning is essential for a successful program. Scheduling of the speaker and
required space should be done at least a month in advance, with publicity going to local
news outlets as well as library webpages, and/or by broadcast Email messages to selected
faculty, staff and students. Posters and/or flyers might be coordinated through Library
Public Information and distributed to likely outlets for posting. In some cases, a reception
might follow the lecture, in which case arranging for the food and beverages must also be
planned, even further in advance.
Conferences
Special Collections occasionally may take upon itself the development and hosting of a
conference. This is not undertaken lightly since the logistics and likely staff workload can
be extensive. The larger the conference, either in potential attendees or length of the
