Virtual Art Gallery

A Man and a Woman on a Park Bench, by Jeanne Dunn

Have you seen this painting? It’s located near the children’s literature section on the 4th floor of Love Library. Did you know it was painted by an SDSU faculty member?

There’s a lot you might not know about the artwork found in the library, which is why we created the “Art in the SDSU Library” Web page. Clicking on a thumbnail brings up a page dedicated to that artwork, giving information about the artist, the work’s location within the library, etc.

The page will be updated as we receive more artwork, so visit often. Better yet, drop by the library and see what’s hanging!

Art in the SDSU Library

Summer Reading

The SDSU NewsCenter published an article yesterday about SDSU’s National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature and its summer reading recommendations. In the article, Alida Allison, professor of children’s literature, and our own Linda Salem, children’s literature librarian, discuss how to select good books for your children and the library’s children’s book collection. The article also includes a link to a video that includes footage taken during the “Celebration of Kids Books” event, which was held in the library on April 13, 2010. A direct link to the video on YouTube is also included below.

Best Summer Reads for Kids

Many Happy Returns

We really do enjoy seeing your face inside the library, but if you’re rushed and need to return a book that’s due, we have several places outside of the library where you can safely deposit library books:

• On the east side of the library dome
• On the main corridor through Aztec Center near the ATM machines and STA Travel
• On Hardy Avenue at the corner of Hardy and Campanile Drive (north side of Gateway Center)
• Under the Love Library overhang, north side (facing the Administration Building)

(top row, L to R) outside the library dome, in Aztec Center; (bottom row, L to R) corner of Hardy and Campanile, north side of Love Library

SDSU, Then and Now

Scripps Cottage, circa 1931
(Photo courtesy of Special Collections and University Archives)

Scripps Cottage, June 2010

The Sixth of June

President John F. Kennedy speaking at the June 6, 1963, commencement ceremony at SDSU.

Many years have passed since June 6, 1963, but some people around here remember that as the day the President came to campus. Here’s an excerpt from Special Collections’ Website that briefly describes how President John F. Kennedy’s visit came to pass and a little of what he spoke about:

On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered San Diego State College’s commencement address before approximately 30,000 people at the Aztec Bowl. He was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree during the commencement exercise at San Diego State University. It was the first honorary doctoral degree awarded by any California State University campus. Following a letter to President Kennedy in which Associated Students President Bob Weir asked him to consider giving the 1963 commencement address, California Governor Edmund Brown extended a formal invitation to the President on April 18, 1963. On May 16, a letter from Kennedy’s aide Ken O’Donnell addressed to President Malcolm Love was received confirming that Kennedy would be honored to accept the honorary degree. In his commencement address he said, “As a nation, we have no deeper concern, no older commitment and no higher interest than a strong, sound and free system of education for all. In fulfilling this obligation to ourselves and our children, we provide for the future of our nation-and for the future of freedom.”

Learn more about President Kennedy and his historic visit to SDSU:

Special Collections Online Exhibit
Highlights from the library’s 2003 Kennedy exhibit
Fall 2004 The Dome article about The Kennedy Collection