“Everything is scary if you look at it. So you just got to live it.” – Mary J. Blige – Singer-Songwriter-Actress

 

“Happiness is not something readymade, it comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

 

Teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself. – Chinese Proverb

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)

We were joined this morning by two guests from the Chez Veteran Center at UIUC: Dustin Lange and Garret Anderson.

Phyllis recapped our successful service opportunity assisting Habitat for Humanity/ReStore unload a truck and sort merchandise at the ReStore warehouse in Urbana.

Upcoming Opportunity: Read Across America, Saturday March 26, 10-1pm, Lincoln Square

 

PROGRAM

Joe Rank introduced Tom Teper, Associate Dean of Libraries, Associate University Librarian for Collections, Coordinator and Project Planning for UIUC Library.  Tom discussed the Library Building Project – Envisioning the Library of the Future

Goal: The University of Illinois is continually ranked #1 in the country for its Library and Information Studies Program. Both the main and undergraduate libraries need to be modernized to maintain this ranking and to align this university’s library with other research libraries.

The library collection is one of the largest and most distinctive in the world and has been a constant for the vital research ecosystem at Illinois. By combining this collection with a hub of scholarly activities, they will propel the University forward.

The library’s rare and archival collections are an extraordinary University asset. These collections are scattered throughout our campus, and there is a pressing need for a dedicated home for the collections and the scholars who use them.

Bringing these extraordinary resources together in a single location will enable them to provide superior spaces to serve our students and faculty, to support instruction, to mount exhibits, and to house these valuable collections in a secure and climate-controlled environment. It will also improve their conservation and digitization support for these collections.

Phase 1: Undergraduate Library redevelopment including adding an enclosed loading dock. This is a massive phase in which the current undergraduate library will be converted into the collections library.

Phase 2: Demolition of stacks 1-5 at the main library replaced with a 5-story public services addition. The current stacks are made of cast iron which was a great construction in the 1930’s.  Over time, iron is not a great material to house valuable books. In addition, the stacks are inaccessible to a significant portion of the population.

Phase 3: Renovation of the 1924, 1926, 1927 and 1962 additions of the main library.

Phase 4: Enclosure of the upper and lower level of the courtyard and partial enclosures of the plaza level between the main and undergrad pavilions.

The approximate timeline for these renovations is five years.

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  Mar 3rd Mar 10th Mar 17th Mar 24th
Introductions Robb Patton Jerry Payonk Allan Penwell Ed Perry
Reflection Phyllis Mischo Scott Paceley Robb Patton Jerry Payonk
Greeters Robb Patton Jerry Payonk Allan Penwell Ed Perry
Lou Simpson Charlie Smith Mary Kay Smith Cary Woolard
Notetaker Perry Hodson Conforti Perry

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

 

March 3rd – TBD 

March 10th – Ginger Mills and Marlin Livingston, Cunningham Children’s Home, will discuss housing refugee children from the border (Mary)

March 17th – AG Michael Harris will discuss visiting Rotary Clubs around the world (Mary)

March 24th – Professor Fred Christensen, OLLIE presenter and president of the East Central Illinois Archeological Society will speak on “What history tells us about the Ukraine-Russian War” (Mary)

March 31st – TBD

April 7th – TBD

April 14th – TBD (Bob)

April 21st – TBD (Cary)

April 28th – Jordan Dziura, the Executive Director at Illini Media Co., will discuss the Daily Illini’s 110th anniversary, upcoming reunion for IMC alums, and the future of college media (Charlie)

May 5th – TBD

May 12th – TBD (Joe)

May 19th – Major General (ret) William L. Enyart (Mary)