LIBRARY MEMORIES? Remember a favorite study spot? Was there a time a librarian’s help saved your GPA? Or maybe something you found in the library that you didn’t expect? To celebrate Durick Library’s 50th anniversary, we are collecting alumni’s favorite Saint Michael’s library memories, anecdotes, and stories to share with the community. If you have a recollection that you would like to share, go to www.smcvt.edu/Durick50 and look for the Library Memories link.
“Circles are not really great for libraries, which are intrinsically linear,” Payne says, with a smile. “It makes it unusual and unique. It makes it special.” The round shape is visible throughout the main areas of the library, with the sloped brick walls a welcome space for art and exhibits and the distinct shape making wandering through the stacks a maze-like endeavor. GOING RECTANGULAR Twenty-five years ago, with the campus expanding and Durick in need of more space, the College
added to the unique nature of the library. The rectangular façade that dominates campus views today was built, leading to some of the prettiest parts of today’s Durick. “The juxtaposition of the rectangle on the circle creates some interesting spaces, some nooks and crannies and unusually shaped spaces you might not otherwise expect,” Payne says. “The architects clearly played around with that idea and used those as architectural spaces.” With beautiful rooms like the Special Collections Room, the Dailey Room, and study mezzanines, the addition to the library brought some different spaces. Combining
the two shapes created the study experience the students and alumni still rave about. And the library is not done changing. With a special gift from an alum, Payne and his staff have embarked on a number of projects, including an Archives Research Room, which will include exhibits on the history of the College and the Society of Saint Edmund.
For more information about the library’s 50th Anniversary celebration and the programs planned throughout the year, go to www.smcvt.edu/Durick50.
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