Below is an interview conducted with Ann Williams, director of Timken Library, detailing many of the finer points and offerings of the library. She and assistant librarians Olga Brazaitis, Holly Newcomb and Kate Skeffington are pictured here.

What does Timken Library offer?
The library provides hands-on learning and access to information. We help students transform their information needs into real learning. Timken Library is a wonderful space for studying, reading and working on computers. We also offer the infamous blue chairs. We have roused many a student and even a few faculty members from a peaceful slumber in our comfy chairs!

How many volumes are there in the library? What on-line resources are offered to the Blair community via the Blair Intranet?
We have over 20,000 volumes in Timken Library. The Library also subscribes to several excellent databases. They are recognized academic sites with information that has been collected and reviewed specifically for student use. We recommend that students use these accredited sites first while researching for their projects or papers. Once they have gathered data from these particular sources, they may then wish to investigate additional print and Internet resources.
      By logging on to the Timken Library section of Blair’s Intranet, students have access on a daily basis to the latest news from various media. By simply clicking on a button called “Today’s News, they access direct links to national, state and local newspaper and television Web sites including The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and other news portals such as The Drudge Report and SciTech Daily Review. The library’s Web site section also offers links to on-line citation guides and other valuable information such as a listing of new book acquisitions, etc.

What did Timken Library used to be before its reconstruction?
Before Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts was created, chapels and school meetings were held in this building, which was called Memorial Hall. The periodical room was the stage, and seating was located where the third floor is now. The building was rededicated after its renovation as Timken Library. The lovely windows remain from the original structure.

Describe a typical day in the life of a librarian at Blair and your favorite thing to do.
A typical day, if there is such a thing, consists of helping individual students; teaching a class or more; cataloging inventory, and searching for new resources to help students and faculty get what they need. Trouble shooting printers, applying Band-aids, and providing forgotten supplies to grateful students is usually somewhere in the mix. Let’s not even talk about what happens at 10 pm after a grueling night of studying!

How do you go about ordering new books for the library?
New book buying is a wonderful part of my job. We get lots of suggestions from students and faculty. We also subscribe to journals dedicated to reviewing new resources, read book reviews, and participate in on-line resources for librarians who work with teens. We call them Young Adults in Library-Land, and that fits Blair students well. I love to read Young Adult fiction myself, and I get to pick out lots of great reading titles.

What books and movies are the most popular, and what is your favorite book?
Fiction books like the Harry Potter series (of course) are always popular. There are many Blair students who enjoy non-fiction reading on current topics of interest, and we are always looking for quality books to whet those appetites. The movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, holds the record for being replaced the most times. My favorite book is a trick question because I have about 12 favorite books. If I had to give one title at gunpoint, it would probably be Gone With the Wind. I think I have read it about seven times.

What are the glass cases, and how do you choose the monthly theme?
Our display cases are changed to reflect the current holiday, a significant historic event or an interesting collection. Some displays attempt to raise awareness of an important issue for students.

What are the archives?
The archives preserve and reveal parts of the long history of Blair Academy, along with its connection to the Blair family and Blairstown. We try to maintain an archival copy of all school publications and a second copy to share and use. We collect things like the Blair Breeze, the ACTA yearbook and Blair Bulletins, as well as actual artifacts of the school year. It is great fun for alumni to see the objects from their past when they visit for Blair’s annual Alumni Weekend. One day the archives may be even more accessible if a display area can be created.

What are some gifts the library has received and what significant art is there in the library?
We have many generous alumni who have donated tons of gifts including historic documents, books (lots of books!) and Blair memorabilia for the archives. The Dally Fund provides fiction books, the Habermann family provided foreign language books, and the class of 2004 gave the fish tank. The most significant art pieces are our Headmaster portraits.

What is the annual Readathon?
The Readathon occurs during and after Spring Break. Students and faculty record the title and number of pages of unassigned reading they do during this time. An anonymous donor gives a penny a page to a deserving charity. One of our usual recipients is Partners in Health, a group of doctors donating health care to people in need.

In regard to student volunteers in the library, how would you describe the position to those interested?
We schedule student volunteers each night during study hall. The volunteer sits at the front desk to greet and sign in students, check out materials, assist with crowd control, and juggle their own homework. Volunteers have to have unlimited honor nights and nearly unlimited patience.

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