From the president
Books have always been a source of escape, adventure, joy and learning for me since I was a young girl. Although I am an extrovert who thrives on the company and conversation of friends and family, I also treasure quiet moments alone with a book. My husband Kelly is also an avid reader, so it’s not uncommon to find us late in the evening, sitting side by side deeply engrossed in our individual volumes. When our daughter Brooke was young, we would “allow” her to break the rules of “lights out at bedtime.” She would smuggle a book (or maybe two or three) under her bedcovers with a flashlight and read until she fell asleep. Kelly and I were delighted to nurture another reader in the family, and one of our favorite family activities continues to be visiting a bookstore for good coffee, engaging conversation and plentiful books to peruse.
When my daily rhythms and routines were drastically changed by the pandemic in March 2020, I—perhaps like many of you—turned even more to books as a welcome distraction from heaviness and uncertainty. I read mysteries with masterful plot twists, fiction set in faraway regions that gave me a glimpse of cultures and contexts vastly different from my own (and made me long to travel!) and hopeful tomes by faithful believers who reminded me of God’s unwavering faithfulness. I was reminded that reading books is essential to not only increasing knowledge and understanding but to navigating uncertain times.
A few months ago, as I was walking to an event on the ground floor of Murray Library, I was struck anew at the impressive sight of stacks upon stacks of meticulously curated and organized books. I am grateful to think of how those books, for decades, have expanded students’ and educators’ disciplinary knowledge and awakened them to new ideas in their areas of study. Think of all the papers, projects and presentations that have been brilliantly developed using the resources of Murray Library.
In January, Murray Library dedicated a new space and children’s book collection. Called “The Bridge to Freedom,” the colorful reading room features more than 130 titles focused on the Civil Rights Movement and other historical experiences. With themes of equality, freedom, justice and reconciliation, the books and resources were a generous gift from Vice President for Diversity Affairs Todd Allen, his wife Lonette and their son Bryce. The availability of such books in our campus library reminds patrons of all ages that reading is an essential act for increasing knowledge, understanding and compassion.
In “On Reading Well,” professor Karen Swallow Prior wrote, “By reading widely, voraciously and indiscriminately, I learned spiritual lessons I never learned in church or Sunday school, as well as emotional and intellectual lessons that I would never have encountered within the realms of my lived experience.” Reading has shaped my intellectual and spiritual development and personal growth in profound ways. I hope as you read this issue of The Bridge, you are inspired to dive into a book!