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MIDDLEBURY — On May 6, Middlebury College’s library will finally get a name. But officials aren’t saying what that name will be.
Since it opened in 2004, the library has been known as the “new” or “main” library. But at a ceremony next Thursday evening, the college will introduce the longtime college alumnus and supporter for whom the library will be named.
In a press release announcing the event, College President Ron Liebowitz spoke of next Thursday’s honoree in glowing terms.
“He believes his experience at Middlebury has had a tremendous impact on his life, and his support of the college over the years reflects that,” Liebowitz said. “He and his family are among the most generous donors in the college’s 210-year history.”
Vice President for College Advancement Mike Schoenfeld said that those involved in naming the new library had chosen to keep the name a mystery in order to create excitement around the occasion.
“The library is really the heart of the college,” said Schoenfeld. “We want to recognize the person in the right way.”
He added that the dramatic buildup to the announcement was fitting in more ways than one.
“It also matches the donor very well,” he said.
Schoenfeld said that the Board of Trustees had informed college officials of their choice of a name about six months ago, and that the naming ceremony has been in the works ever since.
Officials emphasized that the choice to honor the supporter with a building name is not a result of any particular donation, but rather as a gesture of recognition for his long-term generosity.
“He has done so many different things to support the college that it would seem inaccurate to just tie it in with any one,” said Schoenfeld.
Next Thursday’s event will begin with a 4:15 p.m. panel discussion in the McCullough Social Space titled “Why the Library Matters in the Digital Age,” with remarks by professors Glenn Andres, Anne Knowles and Paul Monod, Dean of Library and Information Services Michael Roy and 2009 graduate and digital media intern Alexander Manshel.
Following the discussion, the event will move to the library atrium, where at 5:30 p.m. Liebowitz will kick off the naming ceremony with a speech and a toast. After the dedication, the event’s honoree himself will give his remarks.
Reporter Andrea Suozzo is at [email protected].