This year’s Herbert and Mary Jane Lefler Lecture will bring Scott Bennett, a Yale University librarian emeritus and consultant on library planning, to campus. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will occur at 7 p.m., Monday, March 21, 2011, in Alumni Hall, located in the O.J. Johnson Student Union.
In his talk, Bennett will trace the intellectual history of learning and the preservation of knowledge as it is found in the architecture and design of libraries. It will provide an opportunity to reflect on the place of libraries in the future.
Bennett has published extensively on library space planning and other topics relating to libraries, including publishing history, intellectual property, and bibliography. His major study, Libraries Designed for Learning, created a stir in academic library circles because it questioned assumptions about the nature and purpose of libraries. Since the book’s publication in 2003, Bennett has consulted with many colleges and universities interested in making their library spaces more effective in fostering student learning.
The Lefler Lecture at Gustavus was established in 1993 by Mary Jane Lefler in memory of her husband, Herbert P. Lefler. The event occurs annually and carries on the Lefler family tradition of inquiry and learning by funding a scholar to visit campus for 2-3 days. In the past, the program has brought professors, artists, and a variety of specialists to campus.
The lecture is co-sponsored by the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library.
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