Sulak1 Nick Sulak Lynn M. Raymond English 1101 October 15, 01! "ene#its o# the $.

Murrey %tkins Library &he library here on cam'us (as not al(ays (here it is located today nor (as it al(ays called the $. Murrey %tkins Library. &he library today is located behind the "urson building #rom the north and the )ing building #rom the south. *o(e+er, in 1,-. (hen the school (as establish as /harlotte /ollege the school shared its library #acilities (ith /entral *igh School. /harlotte /ollege at the time (as only a t(o0year 1unior college and only had classes at night, (hich (ere held in /entral *igh School. /harlotte /ollege original location is (here /entral 2iedmont /ommunity /ollege is located today. "y 3ecember o# 1,54, /harlotte /ollege had started the 'rocess to becoming a #our0year institution. &he school (as then (as accredited by the Southern %ssociations o# /olleges and Schools. &he school5s collection o# books (as o+er .,000. 6inally, in 1,.1 /harlotte /ollege mo+ed to this cam'us and housed their library in the 7.$. )ennedy "uilding and had a collection o# about 14,000 +olumes8 7hile the initial collection (as 1ust a hand#ul o# books, the /harlotte /ollege library ke't a record o# its 'urchases and ac9uisitions through (hat is kno(n as an %ccession "ook. %s titles (ere 'urchased and recei+ed by library sta##, each (as recorded in this book in the order it (as recei+ed. &hanks to those records, (e kno( that the #irst +olume ac9uired by the Library (as 2re#ace to 2hiloso'hy8 "ook o# Readings, by Ross

Sulak2 Earle *oo'le, Raymond 6rank 2i'er and 7illiam 2earson &olley. Ne( :ork8 Macmillan, 1,-. ;<*istory=>. &(o years later, /harlotte /ollege became a #our0year state institution. &he ne(ly a''ointed "oard o# &rustee o# /harlotte /ollege had their #irst meeting and elected $. Murrey %tkins as chairman. &he e##orts o# this man on behal# o# the college had #inally reached his dream. *e brought a school to the metro'olitan area. &he schools that (as once a one year night school in an old high school no( (as a #our0year college and had a brand ne( cam'us ;<$. Murrey %tkins Library=>. ?n 1,.!, the site #or the library mo+ed (est(ard to the location o# the library today, (hich is a''ro@imately the mid 'oint on cam'us. &he library (as built #or the 'ur'ose to house the schools library and in 1,.- the library #inally o'ened and Mr. $ames 3. Ramer (as a''ointed the #irst head librarian ;<*istory=>. On %'ril 11, 1,.5, the library (as named in memory o# $. Murrey %tkins, (ho (as the #irst chairman o# the college5s "oard o# &rustees. $. Murrey along (ith "onnie /one (ere +isionaries o# this school, they both antici'ated the rising 'ublic demand #or and institution o# higher learning (ith in this metro'olitan area. &hen in $uly o# 1,.5, the once t(o0year /harlotte /ollege no( o##icially became the Ani+ersity o# North /arolina. Bo+ernor 3an Moore and /harlotte /ollege trustees signed the 'a'ers in the ne(ly named $. Murrey %tkins Library. 7hen 1,.4 came the schools enrollment (as e@'anding +ery ra'idly and the uni+ersity had to 'etition #or state su''ort to e@'and the library. "y 1,41, the su''ort ga+e the library the ability to build a 100story to(er and they 'lanned on naming it a#ter *arry Lee 3alton. *arry Lee 3alton (as a uni+ersity 'atron and a book collector. *arry donated a lot o# books to enhance the schools already

Sulak3 e@'anding collection o# books. ?n 1,.,, the %tkins Library reached a milestone and had ac9uired their 100,000th +olume, (hich (as donated by Mrs. Mary Myers 3(elle. &he book (as, The Historie of the World: in five books, by Sir 7alter Raleigh ;<*istory=>. O+er the ne@t t(o decades the schools enrollment gre( #rom 5,000 to 15,000 students. &hen in 1,,1, the school5s library reached another milestone o# its 500,000th +olume, (hich (as a rare #irst %merican Edition o# Moby 3ick. Mary and *arry Lee 3alton donated this (onder#ul book. &oday, the uni+ersity5s library has o+er 1 million +olumes (ithin its collection ;<*istory=>. &he %tkins Library here on cam'us has so much to o##er #or its students aside #rom the books and archi+es. &he library has 1. com'uter stations and .0 la'to's to lend out both ha+e the most u' to date so#t(are on them. Most students that ? ha+e sur+eyed ha+e not taken ad+antage o# the resources a+ailable to them at the library. &hey ha+e maybe co'ied a 'age o## or scanned something in but not many ha+e used the grou' study rooms, or the schools catalog to try and #ind a book. Many students did kno( ho(e+er that the library is o'en t(enty0#our hours a day #rom Sunday night to &hursday night and that the library is o'en t(enty0#our hours a day e+eryday during e@am (eek ;<$. Murrey %tkins Library 6act Sheet=>. 6or the undergraduate students here on cam'us, the north entrance, (hich (as ne(ly com'leted in 01 , (as designed #or collaborati+e grou' (ork. ?n this ne( (ing there are con#erence rooms and s'ace #or si@ smaller collaborati+e (ork areas, each ha+e a (all monitor that are attached to a la'to', they also ha+e (hiteboards and com#ortable seating (ith in the rooms ;<&hornton=>. Some students kne( that the library had ten0#loors but some did not, but many did

Sulak4 not kno( (hat (as on the tenth #loor. ?n #act, !.C o# the #reshman sur+eyed here on AN/ /harlotte cam'us did not kno( (hat (as on the tenth #loor ;<Sulak=>. On the tenth #loor o# the $. Murrey %tkins Library is &he 3alton Rare "ook and Manuscri't Room. &his book room holds D,500 (orks o# art, including the #irst %merican Edition o# Moby 3ick. :et, not many 'eo'le go u' to the tenth #loor. )risty 3i@on, head o# digital 'rograms and collections said, <7e5re not a museum. 7e5re (orking, acti+e archi+es, (e don5t (ant 'eo'le to come in here and think that they can5t touch things. E+erything that5s in here (e (ant 'eo'le to use ;<&hornton=>.= &he 3alton Rare "ook and Manuscri't Room is o'en to anyone, students, 'ro#essors, 'arents and locals. *o(e+er, there are a #e( rules, you must lea+e your belongings at the door, only 'encils are allo(ed in the room and you must also check in. Many should (ear a s(eater (hen 'lanning on going to the tenth #loor because they kee' the room at a chilled .D04 degrees (ith - 05 'ercent humidity ;<&hornton=>. 6reshman should kno( that the $. Murrey %tkins Library has had many changes and a lot o# history ha''en (ith in those (alls. &he %tkins Library should be a 'lace #or students to go and #ul#ill their re9uirements #or their classes. &he library here on cam'us has a lot to o##er, bet(een the Rare "ook room, o+er one million books, study rooms, designated 9uiet #loors and the ability to take books out #or school (ork or 'leasure. 6reshman should not be scared to go this is a (onder#ul 'lace and it is al(ays o'en during the (eek, t(enty0#our hours a day Sunday through &hursday night. &here is also 'lenty o# seating #or students and you do not al(ays need to bring your la'to' because they ha+e deskto's and la'to's a+ailable there. &he $. Murrey %tkins Library, <?t 're'ares students #or success in their studies, and in their li+es as global citiEens.=

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7orks /ited <*istory o# $. Murrey %tkins.= J. Murrey Atkins Library. AN/ /harlotte, n.d. 7eb. ,

Sulak6 Se't. 01!. J. Murrey Atkins Library. N.'.8 /harlotte /ollege, 1,.5. 2rint. <$. Murrey %tkins Library 6act Sheet.= J. Murrey Atkins Library. AN/ /harlotte, n.d. 7eb. 1 Oct. 01!. Sulak, Nicholas. <$. Murrey %tkins Library.= Sur+ey o# 5 AN/ /harlotte 6reshman Students 5 Oct. 01!. &hornton, Lisa. <Ne( Library Entrance, Student 7orks'aces.= Charlotte Observer F/harlotteG 1 $an. 01 8 n. 'ag. 2rint. 0 0 0. <AN//5s Rare "ook /ollection *as &reasures the 2ublic /an En1oy.= Charlotte Observer F/harlotteG 15 %'r. 01 8 n. 'ag. 2rint.