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
New Exhibits Featuring Shuart Women’s Research Collection
Two new exhibits featuring selections from the Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection open in September at University of Houston Libraries.
Houston Comets Memorabilia Collection
Nevertheless, She Persisted! Women as Historic Influencers will be viewable on MD Anderson Library Floor 2, while Leagues of Their Own: Representing 60 Years of Women’s Athletics Achievement will be on display on Floor 1.
Claire Keck, graduate assistant curator for the Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection, selected materials for Nevertheless, She Persisted! depicting influential women in the Houston region who effected changes in society, politics, and artistic expression.
The process of curating an exhibit involves exploration of what Special Collections preserves through the use of finding aids, and choice of visually appealing items. Selections include a variety of primary source materials, including correspondence, artwork, scrapbooks, photos, certificates, banners, and video footage that illustrate an overarching theme. Keck’s tasks also involve generating social media, designing posters, and helping curate a digital exhibit.
In choosing materials, Keck’s goal was to engage Gen Z, focusing on historical activism of women’s suffrage and the pro-choice movement, women’s clubs and organizations, women’s art, women of color, and LGBTQ+ women throughout the 20th century.
Keck encourages other students who are interested in working with archival material to visit exhibits wherever possible. “Whether that means visiting museums when you can (by the way, Houston museums have a student discount on Thursdays), studying digital exhibits, or looking at the several exhibit cases in the MD Anderson Library, you will continue to learn from all of them and gain a greater understanding of history and the use of archival materials,” Keck said. “Be sure you like to work with old things and that you like to read.”
Stephen F. Austin High School Scottish Brigade
Leagues of Their Own features archives from two collections within the Shuart Women’s Research Collection. Vince Lee, archivist for the Shuart Women’s Research Collection, curated items representing the Stephen F. Austin High School Scottish Brigade, which, founded in 1937, promoted scholarship, discipline, respect, leadership, social skills, and fitness at a time when girls’ sports teams were rare or nonexistent. James Burke, PhD student in US History, selected items from the Houston Comets Memorabilia Collection. The Comets, founded in 1997, set the standard for excellence in the early years of the WNBA and paved the way for future generations of players.
“These exhibits are components of a year-long engagement generously supported by Carey C. Shuart to promote our research collections which preserve the histories of women’s clubs and organizations in the Houston area,” said Lauren Gottlieb-Miller, associate dean for Special Libraries and Preservation. “In spring 2025, we look forward to hosting a culminating event featuring a multi-generational panel and celebratory program to bring alive the stories related to the materials presented in the exhibits.”
Collaboration among Libraries departments is essential for successful exhibit production. These and all UH Libraries exhibits illustrate the collective effort and expertise of teams in Special Collections, Preservation and Reformatting, Resource Management and Metadata, Technology Services, and Administration. UH Libraries thanks Carey C. Shuart for her wonderful support of the Shuart Women’s Research Collection and related exhibits and programming.
Visitors are welcome to view the exhibits during regular building hours between September 6, 2024 and May 31, 2025. Visit Entering MD Anderson Library for details on quick and secure building access.