Armstrong Browning Library Celebrates Benefactors Day Oct. 16
The breathtaking McLean Foyer of Meditation is one of the highlights of Baylor University's Armstrong Browning Library, a 19th-century research center dedicated to the study of the lives and works of Victorian poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. ABL houses the world's largest collection of Browning material and other fine collections of rare 19th-century books, manuscripts, and works of art.
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Contact: Carlye Thornton, Baylor Libraries
WACO, Texas (Oct. 13, 2015) – Baylor University’s Armstrong Browning Library will hold its annual Benefactors Day celebration from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. The event commemorates those who support Armstrong Browning Library (ABL), the world’s leading 19th century research center and one of the most beautiful libraries in the world.
“Benefactors Day is a tradition that began in 1999 and provides a venue for the Library to thank the gracious donors and supporters of the ABL with a special program featuring a guest lecturer,” said Rita Patteson, director of Armstrong Browning Library.
A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party will begin at 3 p.m. in the Garden of Contentment alongside the library. The party will feature sweet treats and a performance by The Baylor Faculty Woodwind Quintet. The quintet includes Francesa Arnone, flute; Doris DeLoch, oboe; Jun Qian, clarinet; Ann Shoemaker, bassoon; and Jeffrey Powers, horn.
Following the tea party, guests will enjoy a lecture by Nicholas A. Basbanes in the Hankamer Treasure Room, “Adventures Among the Gently Mad.” Basbanes is a renowned American author known for his books and lectures about books and book culture.
“It is a pleasure to have Nicholas Basbanes visit Armstrong Browning Library,” said Cynthia Burgess, curator of books and printed materials at Armstrong Browning Library, “I really enjoyed reading A Gentle Madness (2005), about bibliophiles and those with an eternal passion for books. I’m excited about the opportunity to meet him and hear his Benefactors Day presentation at the ABL.”
For more information about Benefactors Day, please contact Christi Klempnauer at Christi_Klempnauer@baylor.edu or 254-710-4968.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
ABOUT THE BAYLOR UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
The Baylor University Libraries support excellence in teaching and learning, enhance research and discovery, and foster scholarship and success. Through its Central Libraries and special collections – Armstrong Browning Library, W.R. Poage Legislative Library and The Texas Collection – the Libraries serve as academic life centers that provide scholarly resources and technological innovation for the Baylor community and beyond.