ATLANTA – Rare books – evaluating, recognizing and preserving them – will be the topic of two programs offered to the public by Mercer University’s Monroe F. Swilley, Jr. Library as part of its National Library Week celebration. Both presentations will be held Thursday, April 19, on the Mercer University Atlanta campus, 3001 Mercer University Drive, just inside the northeast perimeter, off I-85.
Robert Williams, a nationally renowned rare book specialist at Kennesaw State University, will give the presentations. Funded by a grant from the Georgia Humanities Council, the programs are free of charge.
The first session, entitled “The History of Rare Books,” will be part of a Lunch and Learn series held from noon to 1 p.m. in the conference room of the cafeteria building on campus. Participants are invited to bring their lunch to the session.
From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Mr. Williams will talk on “Identifying and Collecting Rare Books” in the Trustees Dining Room. Attendees are encouraged to bring a personal book to self-evaluate as Mr. Williams shows what to look for when collecting rare books and gives valuable tips for preserving the volumes.
The Special Collections of the Swilley Library includes rare and special books and the campus archives. The archives contains materials and information on Atlanta Baptist College, 1968-1972; Mercer University Atlanta, 1972-present; Cecil B. Day Campus, Mercer Atlanta, 1990-present; College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 1903-present; McAfee School of Theology, 1996-present, and Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, 1902-present. Individuals interested in accessing the Special Collections need to make an appointment by contacting the librarian/archivist between Tuesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., (678) 547-6283. Additional information on the Swilley Library is available at http://swilley.mercer.edu.
For more information on the two rare book presentations, contact Kim Eccles, associate director for Public Services, Swilley Library, at (678) 547-6271.
About Mercer University
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. The University has 7,300 students; 11 schools and colleges – liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, business, engineering, education, theology, music, nursing and continuing and professional studies; major campuses in Macon and Atlanta; four regional academic centers across the state; a university press; two teaching hospitals — Memorial Health University Medical Center and the Medical Center of Central Georgia; educational partnerships with Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Warner Robins and Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta; an engineering research center in Warner Robins; a performing arts center in Macon; and a NCAA Division I athletic program. For more information, visit www.mercer.edu.
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