Pennsylvania State University at Capitol Campus 10 C
MIC 111 e
Vol. 13, N 0.2
Cecil B. DeMille would have been
Inauguration Analysis
"The plane is at the end of the runway." - Photo by Brian Downey
Talk Of The Town-le
Library Renovation
The Richard H. Heindel Library is in
the process of an extensive renovation
designed to increase shelving space by
20 percent and to provide additional
study environments for library users,
according to Head Librarian Charles
Townley.
The most noticeable change is that
the interior walls in the new reference
and periodicals areas have been re
moved, creating open space across the
entire width of Main Building's east
wing.
"One of our primary goals is to create
a library atmosphere -- a sense that the
Heindel Library is, in fact, a library,
rather than a series of rooms," Mr.
Townley says. "The renovated library
will feature several new study environ
ments which, we trust, will be more
conducive to human space needs for
study and research."
"Tearing down the walls also has
practical effects," he adds. "The refer
ence and periodicals collections are now
unified and shelving can grow by 20
percent."
When the renovation is finished, he
adds, "we will have two lounge areas --
with lounge furnishings -- in periodicals
and reference. We'll also have three
group study rooms where small groups
can gather for discussions without dis
turbing others." The library will also
install carpeting in the central passage
way and in the lounge areas -- for
reasons of noise control as well as
aesthetics.
Central to the renovation, he notes,
will be the creation of a Heindel Room,
an area to house the late Dr. Heindel's
materials and, perhaps, some special
collections. Special furniture for the
room will be ordered as well.
Middletown, PA. 17057
roud
The microfilm area has been removed
from the reading room, "which should
now be a much quieter place to study,"
Mr. Townley adds.
Library faculty and staff members
will benefit from centralized work areas.
And several library faculty members
will have offices for their own research
and study.
"Although renovation plans for The
Heindel Library had been approved last
year," Mr. Townley says, "work was able
to start on Dec. 8 with the receipt of
$12,000 worth of free shelving from the
Delaware County Campus.
"To that, we have been able to add
the more than $B,OOO in gifts from the
Heindel Memorial Fund, plus a grant of
$3,600 from the Capitol Campus Engi
neering Alumni Society and a grant of
$5,000 from the University's undesig
nated gifts fund. The remainder is
coming from the non--book (operating)
budgets of the library."
The funds supporting the renova
tions, he says, do not affect the budget
for book and periodical acquisitions.
"The effect in the long run, however, will
allow us to shelve approximately 185,000
volumes--about 30,000 more than we
have now. Thus, we will not be forced to
discard as many marginally useful
books."
Structural changes should be com
plete by Jan. 31. The entire project,
including furniture, won't be completed
until later this year.
In addition to the improved study
climates, the library will be offering two
new services sometime this winter, Mr.
Townley adds: the circulation of micro
fiche and portable microfiche readers
and online bibliographic database
searching.
By Brian Downey
An estimated 140,000 people attend
ed the ten million-dollar extravaganza,
the 50th inauguration.
About 18,000 people attended the
Frank Sinatra "All-Star Inaugural Gala,"
held Monday night at the Capital Center.
Thousands danced at ten invitation-only
inaugural balls held throughout Wash
ington. Tickets started at $5OO. Many
paid $25 and more for a seat in the
bleachers that lined the inaugural para
rade route.
The setting of the inaugural ceremo
nies differed greatly from its predeces
sor, when Jimmy Carter shunned tradi
tion and walked the parade route. Willie
Nelson and the Charlie Daniels Band
were replaced by Sinatra and Dino
Martin. Pomp and Ceremony are back.
The inaugural was very reminiscent of a
coronation.
The inauguration was overshadowed,
intertwined, and upstaged by concern
over the release of the 52 American
hostages. It was the biggest news day
since the Three Mile Island accident, and
comparable to a lunar landing in initial
impact.
In W 205 Campus
By Dave Caruso
An endless number of phone calls
reach the Capitol Campus Relations
office daily. They range from requests
for course information and questions
about enrollment procedures to an oc
casional errant request for lottery re
sults. Though such a service alone would
seem to require the attention of an
entire staff, it is but one of the many
tasks for which the Campus Relations
Office is responsible.
The Campus Relations Office, located
in W-205 of the Main Building, is staffed
by four regular employees, as well as
several work-study students. Roger
Williams, Campus Relations Director,
heads the office while working closely
with Theodore L. Gross, provost and
dean at Capitol. In addition to Williams,
the office staff is comprised of Public
Information Assistant, Sherry Janis;
Jane Kinsey; and secretary, Judy Shenk.
In the words of Williams, his office
exists mainly to increase the visibility
and enhance the reputation of Capitol
Campus. Says Williams, "We are striv
ing to establish a major university
presence here on campus. We want to
make people aware of the excellence of
our faculty, our various programs of
22 January 1981
At 9:30 a.m., before entering St.
John's Episcopal Church, the President
elect was asked by reporters if there
were any new developments in the
hostage situation. He replied, "The plane
is at the end of the runway." It was not
until 30 minutes into the Reagan admin
istration that the hostages actually left
Iran.
Reagan made his first act as presi
dent one hour after the inauguration--a
freeze on federal hiring. This is only a
glimmer of things to come, and the
beginning of the fulfillment of his cam
paign promise to whittle away the
federal government's involvement in
social problems, education, and energy.
There were many older, well-dressed
people among the masses, as one would
expect. But there was a younger, subur
ban presence wearing Reagan-Bush in
augural buttons. They took Metro buses
in from Mclean, Arlington, and Falls
Church, and dressed as if they were
going to see "Urban Cowboy" or a Billy
Joel concert, thus lending credence to
the emerging conservative attitude of
middle-class youth today.
Continued on page 7
Currents
study, and the numerous activities and
public service events that take place."
Williams notes that one-third of the
university's funds come directly from
taxpayers' money. "For this reason," he
says, "I feel a responsibility to keep the
public informed about Capitol."
Williams and his staff go about their
job from various angles. For starters,
they regularly send out news releases to
about 150 local news media and other
interested parties.
Undoubtedly, the relationship with
the media is crucial. "The Campus
Relations Office is Capitol's liaison with
the media people," says Janis. Williams,
himself a former reporter, advocates a
policy he calls "immediate response." "I
can sympathize with reporters. They
have deadlines to meet, so whenever I'm
contacted by a member of the press, I'll
drop whatever I'm doing and give my
assistance," he says.
In addition to news releases, the
Campus Relations Office is responsible
for preparing brochures for the various
academic departments at Capitol. "We
also do a little advertising," points out
Janis. "Our ads are mainly promotions
for courses we will be offering and that
we feel have some public interest."
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