Ray Bradbury, the famous American writer once said, ‘You must live feverishly in a library. Colleges are not going to do any good unless you are raised and live in a library every day of your life.’ Stony Brook’s Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library is this second home for students. The pervading smell of old books and the silent faces of students studying is a familiar aspect here, especially during the week before the arrival of finals where many students can be found engrossed in their studies.
Taking note, Sherry Chang, the associate director of University Libraries for Public Services said, ‘Right now, starting this weekend, we have extended hours for the central library for final exams and there are extended hours in the winter intersession.’ The hours will be extended until 4 AM in the morning for finals week starting this Thursday.
However, for most students, the Melville Library is utilized for more than just finals week. Located on the academic mall of the university, the building consists of six floors and contains offices for different academic departments, such as the Academic & Pre-Professional Advising Center or the Special Collections Department, as well as classrooms, computer labs, a career center and a bookstore.
Originally constructed in 1962, it was renovated and greatly expanded in 1967. To date, the Melville Library boasts more than 2 million bound volumes, 8,300 newspaper and periodical subscriptions, 5, 800 circulating video titles and 4 million microform publications. While the main library is located in the Melville building, the University Libraries also encompass six branch libraries. They are Chemistry, Computer Science, Music, Math/Physics/Astronomy, Science and Engineering and the Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Information Center. As you can imagine, Stony Brook’s libraries contain an extensive amount of information for students to absorb and use for research as well as class purposes. More so, Stony Brook’s Melville Library also enables students to discover other entertaining aspects of society and culture by circulating a wide arrange of videos and dvds.
Amidst the library also lies a jewel overlooked by many students and professors. This is the Special Collections Department at Stony Brook which houses over 16, 000 rare books, 800 antique and hand-drawn maps, and over 150 different collections including the William Butler Yeats Microfilmed Manuscripts Collection, the Environmental Defense Archive and the papers of Senator Jacob K. Javits. Located on the second floor of the Melville Building, next to the Pre-Professional Advising Center, the University archives contain the history of Stony Brook, research papers of faculty members, past issues of the Statesman and the yearbook, as well as faculty books and memorabilia from campus events. As quoted from Kristen J. Nyitray, the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, ‘This department is really diverse and’hellip;.makes us unique as a library with manuscript and map collections that are one of a kind.’
Recent acquisitions include a letter written by George Washington in Setauket, part of the spy ring of Long Island in 1779, which connects Stony Brook to our past during the days of the American Revolution. On the other end of the spectrum, the WUSB donated a large collection of Punk Albums which ties Stony Brook to the present.
In addition to focusing on Long Island history, the Special Collections department also offers a series of special events including book readings by faculty members, educating lessons on Chinese banquets and traveling authors including Suffolk County Poet Laureate, Daniel Thomas Moran. Many of these events are filmed and can also be accessed through the Special Collections website.
Thus, whether it is the week before finals with students cramming in the Central reading room, or an exhibition by traveling artists, the Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library is an essential aspect of Stony Brook and student life.