Jonathan Lauer reflects on two decades at library’s helm
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| Mackenzie Martin '08 |
Since 1989, when Jonathan Lauer (right) accepted his current position as director of Messiah’s Murray Library, he has managed
a library staff of 16 or more, fulfilled myriad campus committee assignments, and represented Messiah College on regional higher education accreditation teams, visiting campuses as far away as Puerto Rico. “My overall tasks have changed little,” he says modestly, “other than teaching a course or two each year since 1994 as part of the College’s core curriculum,” through which students gain a thorough understanding of the library resources available to them.
But what has changed dramatically under his leadership is the library collection itself. In 20 years, Murray Library has increased from about 181,000 to almost 300,000 volumes. It now also provides access through data bases to more than 100 million information resources in over 400 languages from more than 50,000 libraries worldwide. “We are an up-to-date information resource of staggering format variety and depth, staffed by competent and welcoming individuals who enjoy their work and pursue it as a calling,” Lauer says.
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