Washington College Magazine
At the back of the Information Commons, small groups can rehearse presentations or finalize revisions sharing notes on the SmartBoard—a transparent dry-erase surface over a 50-inch plasma screen.
Wired For Learning
As repositories of knowledge, libraries today offer students the best of two worlds: the canon of literature and scholarship contained in books, and information technology that provides access to an array of online resources. Recent gifts to Miller Library support initiatives in both realms.
Treasure The Old
Numbering nearly 1,000 volumes, the Pasch Collection covers the span of logic and the logic of language from the Renaissance to the present day. An antiquarian bookseller appraised the collection donated by Alan Pasch as "very strong in texts from the 17th through 19th century, with many rarities and highly sought-after books." The collection, valued at $130,000, was amassed during Dr. Pasch's 37-year teaching career at the University of Maryland, where he was a mentor of J. David Newell, Washington College's retired professor of philosophy.
Embrace The New
With a $250,000 gift from College Trustee Ben Kohl and his wife, Judy, Miller Library has reconfigured its public learning space, purchased new furnishings and equipment, and funded a new position. David Dudek (pictured above) was named Information Commons librarian. Elizabeth Young was hired as an information literacy librarian charged with helping students develop their research skills.
The Kohls have frequented Miller Library since moving to the area a decade ago. "I soon realized that for a college of this size, Miller Library was exceptionally strong in many fields," recalls Ben Kohl, a Washington College parent and retired Vassar College professor of history. Judy Kohl serves as President of Friends of Miller Library. Together, they wanted to make a significant gift that would help enhance those strengths.
"We believe that libraries should be the center of the students' learning experiences outside the classroom," says Ben Kohl. "We wanted to help the library to be just that—a place where students can come to be part of the sharing of knowledge that comes through technology."
Their gift was a win-win situation. Spurred by the federal government's relaxation of tax laws pertaining to charitable giving in 2006, the Kohls converted IRA holdings into an outright gift to the College without incurring any tax liability.
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