Spring 2021 Rare Book Room Exhibit Now Open

Image of a rare book illustration

Interested in the history of books or printing? Or maybe you’re looking for something new to do in between classes? Come to the A.M. Todd Rare Book Room on the third floor of the library to view our Spring 2021 exhibit, Incunabula: An Exploration of Books from the Infancy of Printing.

The exhibit runs until June 11 and is available for viewing Tuesdays 10:00-12:00 PM, Friday 1:00-4:00 PM, or by appointment. We are open only to students, faculty, and staff who are participating in the college’s COVID-19 surveillance testing. Two people will be allowed to enter the room at a time. Masks are required.

Mallory Heslinger
Rare Book Room Curator
rarebookroom@kzoo.edu
(269) 337-5762

Spring 2021 Library Hours and Services

The Library is here for you this Spring Quarter! Things may look different, but our services are available.

Masks and Distancing

Masks are required in the Library building.

Please remember to socially distance while you are in the Library building, especially on stairways, the elevator, and in seating areas. Six foot distances are marked at service points like the Circulation Desk.

For more information about expectations and College plans, see the Kalamazoo College COVID-19 Information website.

Spring Quarter 2021 Hours

The Library is CLOSED Week 1 (March 28 – April 4).

Starting Week 2 (April 5, 2021):
Monday – Thursday: 9am – 9pm
Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: 3pm – 9pm

Circulation Services

You may request Kalamazoo College Library items through Library OneSearch.

  • We will retrieve the books for you, and you will get an email when your materials are ready. 
  • You may pick up your items on a cart by the Reference Desk in the Library lobby during building open hours (expect a 24 hour processing delay).
  • Locate items by your name and take your books from the cart. They have already been checked out to you!
  • Please wear a face mask when picking up items to keep Information Services staff safe. Patrons are welcome to use the available hand sanitizer near the pick up cart when picking up items.
  • At this time, we cannot mail materials. If you are not in or near Kalamazoo, please contact reference@kzoo.edu and a Reference Librarian will help you identify libraries and services in your area.

If you have a concern about your requests or need assistance placing a hold, please email circulation@kzoo.edu.  

MeLCat and ILL

MeLCat and ILL will be available for faculty, staff, and students. You will receive an email when your materials are ready. Please follow the instructions above for pick up.

The MeLCat Visiting Patron service is temporarily suspended. Patrons from other MeLCat libraries are still able to request our books through MeLCat, but will not be able to check out materials in person at the Circulation Desk. Kalamazoo College students, faculty, and staff are temporarily unable to borrow materials in person from other MeLCat Visiting Patron participating libraries as well.

Returns

Please return all items (including MeLCat and ILL) in the Book Drop on Academy Street. They will be quarantined for 72 hours.

Reserves

Print reserves are suspended during Spring 2021. Your instructor may have materials for your course on Moodle, Teams, or another platform.

Study Space

We realize students need spaces for study, and are making some limited seating available. Study rooms and classrooms are not available for study during Spring 2021, but there is limited seating for study and at computers throughout the first, second, and third floors. Seating is first come, first served.

Please:

  • Do not move furniture
  • Stay six feet apart
  • Wear your mask correctly at all times
  • No eating or drinking
  • Wipe down your study area when you leave with the cleaning wipes provided

Reference Services

Reference services continue remotely. Make a Research Rescue appointment with us and we can meet with you on Zoom or Teams! You can also email us at reference@kzoo.edu.

Archives and Rare Book Room

You can make an appointment to use materials in person in the Archives or Rare Book Room, or we can answer your questions via email, Teams, or Zoom. Contact us at archives@kzoo.edu or rarebookroom@kzoo.edu.

Other Services

Other services in the building (Writing Center, ESL Help, Center for New Media Design, Media Services, Help Desk, etc.) have other hours and service changes. Please check their websites for details.
 

Library Services and Hours, Winter 2021

Woman wearing a mask

The Library is here for you this Winter Quarter! Things may look different, but our services are available.

Masks and Distancing

Masks are required in the Library building.

Please remember to socially distance while you are in the Library building, especially on stairways, the elevator, and in seating areas. Six foot distances are marked at service points like the Circulation Desk.

For more information about expectations and College plans, see the Kalamazoo College COVID-19 Information website.

Hours

Winter Quarter 2021 Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 9am – 9pm
Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: 3pm – 9pm

Circulation Services

You may request Kalamazoo College Library items through Library OneSearch.

  • We will retrieve the books for you, and you will get an email when your materials are ready. 
  • You may pick up your items on a cart by the Reference Desk in the Library lobby during building open hours (expect a 24 hour processing delay).
  • Locate items by your name and take your books from the cart. They have already been checked out to you!
  • Please wear a face mask when picking up items to keep Information Services staff safe. Patrons are welcome to use the available hand sanitizer near the pick up cart when picking up items.

If you have a concern about your requests or need assistance placing a hold, please email circulation@kzoo.edu.  

MeLCat and ILL

MeLCat and ILL will be available for faculty, staff, and students. You will receive an email when your materials are ready. Please follow the instructions above for pick up.

The MeLCat Visiting Patron service is temporarily suspended. Patrons from other MeLCat libraries are still able to request our books through MeLCat, but will not be able to check out materials in person at the Circulation Desk. Kalamazoo College students, faculty, and staff are temporarily unable to borrow materials in person from other MeLCat Visiting Patron participating libraries as well.

Returns

Please return all items (including MeLCat and ILL) in the Book Drop on Academy Street. They will be quarantined for 72 hours.

Reserves

Print reserves are suspended during Winter 2021. Your instructor may have materials for your course on Moodle, Teams, or another platform.

Study Space

We realize students need spaces for study, and are making some limited seating available. Study rooms and classrooms are not available for study during Winter 2021, but there is limited seating for study and at computers throughout the first, second, and third floors. Seating is first come, first served.

Please:

  • Do not move furniture
  • Stay six feet apart
  • Wear your mask correctly at all times
  • No eating or drinking
  • Wipe down your study area when you leave with the cleaning wipes provided

Reference Services

Reference services continue remotely. Make a Research Rescue appointment with us and we can meet with you on Zoom or Teams! You can also email us at reference@kzoo.edu.

Archives and Rare Book Room

You can make an appointment to use materials in person in the Archives or Rare Book Room, or we can answer your questions via email, Teams, or Zoom. Contact us at archives@kzoo.edu or rarebookroom@kzoo.edu.

Other Services

Other services in the building (Writing Center, ESL Help, Center for New Media Design, Media Services, Help Desk, etc.) have other hours and service changes. Please check their websites for details.
 

Library Services, Fall 2020

The Library is here for you this Fall Quarter!

Things look different, but our services are available.

Library Building

The Upjohn Library Commons building remains CLOSED through Fall Quarter 2020.

Circulation Services

Local faculty, staff, and students may request items through Library OneSearch. We will retrieve the books for you, and you will get an email when your materials are ready. We will have them on a cart for pickup in the Receiving Area of the Library at the Academy Street double doors (expect a one business day processing time). We will not mail materials. If you are not in or near Kalamazoo, please contact reference@kzoo.edu and a Reference Librarian will help you identify libraries and services in your area.

How to Pick Up Items

  • You will receive an email notifying you that your item is ready for pick up. For easy pick up, all items will already be checked out to you.
  • You may pick items up from 9am-4pm, Monday through Thursday at the receiving area on the Academy Street side of the Library.
  • The double doors located on the Academy Street side of the library are locked. You will need to ring the buzzer at the door and wait to be let in. Please be patient! You may need to ring twice if library staff are performing other tasks, in meetings, etc.
  • Locate items by your name, take your books from the cart, and exit the same way you entered the building. Please ensure the door closes completely after visiting. 

Things to know

As library staff time in the building is limited, pick ups for items cannot be arranged outside of 9am-4pm, Monday through Thursday.

Please wear a face mask when picking up items to keep Information Services staff safe. Patrons are welcome to use the available hand sanitizer near the pick up cart when picking up items.

For staff safety, all doors leading into the building are locked. No one other than designated staff is allowed to enter the main library space.

If you have a concern about your requests or need assistance placing a hold, please email circulation@kzoo.edu.  

MeLCat and ILL

MeLCat is available for faculty, staff, and students. You will receive an email when your materials are ready for pickup through the method above.

The MeLCat Visiting Patron service is temporarily suspended. Patrons from other MeLCat libraries are still able to request our books through MeLCat, but will not be able to check out materials in person at the Circulation Desk. Kalamazoo College students, faculty, and staff are temporarily unable to borrow materials in person from other MeLCat Visiting Patron participating libraries as well.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is currently available for borrowing articles and books. Students, faculty, and staff on and off campus may borrow articles and will receive them in PDF format through our Interlibrary Loan system. Local students, faculty, and staff may borrow books. You will receive an email when your materials are ready for pickup through the method above.

What If I am Not in Kalamazoo?

Students who are not in or near Kalamazoo can contact reference@kzoo.edu and a Reference Librarian will help you find resources and identify libraries and services in your area. You can also search the Open Library to see if they have the materials you need.

Returns

Please place all returned items in the Academy Street drop box. For staff safety, please DO NOT leave returns on the cart with pick up items. Returned items are quarantined for at least 72 hours in the drop box.

Reserves

Print reserves are suspended during Fall 2020. Your instructor may have materials for your course on Moodle, Teams, or another platform.

Reference Services

Reference services continue remotely. Make a Research Rescue appointment with us and we can meet with you on Zoom or Teams! You can also email us at reference@kzoo.edu.

Archives and Rare Book Room

You can make an appointment to use materials in person in the Archives or Rare Book Room, or we can answer your questions via email, Teams, or Zoom. Contact us at archives@kzoo.edu or rarebookroom@kzoo.edu.

Other Services

Other services in the building (Writing Center, ESL Help, Center for New Media Design, Media Services, Help Desk, etc.) have hours and service changes. Please check their websites for details.
 

Rare Book Room Treasures

Photo of a book with a gilded edge
Photo of a book with a painted edge scene

This book from 1825 is a beautiful example of fore-edge painting, a technique where the edge of the pages is decorated with a painted scene. When the book is closed, the fore-edge of the book simply looks gilded. But when you fan the pages out, there is a village scene!

The A. M. Todd Rare Book Room has four such books, including the one pictured. Come visit us, and our curator Mallory would be happy to show them to you!

Rare Book Room Winter Exhibit

Image of a person walking with two dogs

Come visit the Rare Book room and see our Winter Quarter exhibit, Books and Beasts: A Collection of Fantastic Creatures!

The exhibit runs from January 7 – March 19, 2020. The Rare Book Room will be open Tuesday and Wednesday: from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., and Friday: 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Other times are available by appointment by contacting Mallory Heslinger, Rare Book Room Curator, at Mallory.Heslinger@kzoo.edu or 269-337-5762.

The Rare Book Room is in Upjohn Library Commons, Room 326.

Fall Rare Book Room Exhibit

Fall Rare Book Room Exhibit Poster

Kalamazoo College and the Philosopher’s Stone: The Early Science of Alchemists, Astronomers, and Apothecaries

Date: September 10 – December 13, 2019

Day/Time: Tuesday, Wednesday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Friday: 3 p.m.-5 p.m., Homecoming, Saturday October 19, Family Weekend, Saturday, November 9, other times by appointment

Location: Upjohn Library Commons, room 326

Spring Quarter Rare Book Room Exhibit

Bayeux Tapestry image

Come see the Spring 2019 Rare Book Room exhibit!

When Horse and Hero Fell: A History of Warfare Through Literature

Date: April 2 – June 7, 2019

Day/Time: Tuesday, Wednesday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. 
other times by appointment

Location: Upjohn Library Commons, room 326

Exhibit title is derived from stanza V of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade”

Winter Quarter Rare Book Room Exhibit

Painting of A.M. Todd

Who was A. M. Todd? Come see the last couple of weeks of the Winter Quarter Rare Book Room exhibit, A. M. Todd and the Case of the Rare Books to solve the mystery!

January 7 – March 16, 2019

Tues – Wed: 8:30 a.m. – 12 p. m.
Fri: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Other times by appointment.