Honoring 75 Years: MD Anderson Library Celebrates Its Past and Future
Recently, University of Houston Libraries hosted an elegant, festive milestone event. The MD Anderson Library 75th Anniversary Celebration was held on August 29, honoring the history of the Library while setting the foundation for an exciting transformation.
Guests were treated to a unique, crafted Library experience, one shaped by discovery and curiosity. The event featured themed vignettes:
- History of the MD Anderson Library
- Abundant Stacks, Quiet Study: The Library of the Past
- Fueling New Forms of Scholarship: The Library in Today’s Digital Age
- Beyond the Stacks: The Library of the Future
- Enduring Collections: Preserving Memory Across Time
Positioned with intention at selected locations within the Library and brought to life by librarians and archivists, each vignette illuminated a chapter in the Library’s history and its evolution alongside that of the University. The story was told through archival photos, documents, and artifacts of yore including a card catalog and an iconic, midcentury Swan chair that UH alumni can recall from their days studying in the Library.
A VIP experience in the Special Collections Reading Room offered guests an up-close look at rare and ancient records of human history, including a Sumerian clay tablet; a Torah from the historical regions of Bohemia and Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic); a 1769 edition of Experiments and Observations on Electricity by Benjamin Franklin gifted to UH Libraries by the UH Cullen College of Engineering; an 18th-century Ethiopian manuscript of religious texts; a volume of hand-colored woodcuts by artist Bingzhen Yao from the 18th or 19th century; a Qur’an manuscript leaf from the 11th century; and the 1773 Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley, the first published book of poetry by a Black author in the United States.
At the conclusion of the self-guided exploration, dean of UH Libraries Christina H. Gola gave welcoming remarks. David Bertman, professor in the department of Music, served as the evening’s spirited emcee. Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner in the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion, accompanied by a graceful performance from Moores School of Music harpist Juliana Jordan. A delightful keynote from UH alum Shane McAuliffe (’03), host of The Texas Bucket List, brought a fitting finale to the evening.
Beyond a joyous, nostalgic gathering of UH alumni, friends, and colleagues, the event held a higher purpose: to inspire support for the Reimagined Library, a big idea that drives the development of modern, vibrant, and inspiring spaces and services designed to meet the dynamic needs of UH students, faculty, and scholars. Our bold, ambitious master plan will preserve traditional library spaces to honor the history of MD Anderson Library and our University, and it will transform static spaces into active, collaborative areas that reflect the way students learn today.
UH Libraries warmly thanks the host committee members, our guests, Shasta and Sasha, alumni, supporters, colleagues, and UH Ambassadors for a wonderfully memorable evening. Special recognition goes to UH alumna Cathy Coers Frank (’80), whose invaluable knowledge and connections made the event a success.
Learn more about UH Libraries giving opportunities
Watch MD Anderson Library, Reimagined on YouTube
View photos from the 75th Anniversary Celebration on Facebook