Needed to do some literary research today, and the only library anywhere nearby who had what I…read moreneeded was Bryn Mawr's Canaday Library. I am a local resident, and am not currently a student anywhere, so I called first to see what access was allowed to me.
Swarthmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr colleges work together for inter-library loaning on the Tri-pod system, which is an online catalog of all their collections, accessible to any i-net user. You don't have to be a student to visit the libraries and read, but you do need a school card to check out. I had used Tri-pod to ascertain which library had what I needed, before calling for more info.
(According to my local township library, there is an inter-library loan process which would allow me access to Tri-pod items and be lent something through my library, but, since it takes over a week to process, I have not personally done this. I am relating the info I was given, but I do not know for sure how much access is really permitted via inter-library loans, to libraries outside the three Tri-pod schools.)
I was very impressed with the politeness and helpfulness of the young woman who answered the phone at the Bryn Mawr science library, however, I ended up calling her only because I could not get a live soul on the line for Canaday, even after multiple calls, and leaving a message. That part was a really poor experience, especially when we finally got there and saw FOUR staff members sitting at the circulation desks, doing nothing but their own classwork, while on duty. Come on. This would not fly at other libraries. I even called McCabe at Swarthmore just to see if they had someone answering at that time, and a very helpful young man was live on the other end, ready to help me, so Canaday, seriously, answer your phone!
The helpful staff member at the Bryn Mawr science library told me that "Visitor Hours" for Canaday Library, which I guess are different from student hours, are 8-6 M-F, and 10-5 on Sat. Upon visiting on a week day, it was well after 6pm when we left, and they were making no signs of closing, so I assume they run late for students (normally campus libraries are open until closer to midnight) but would like visitors to leave earlier. For safety reasons, especially since this is a women's school, I can certainly understand and respect that.
The library was organized and clean. I did not see any features on display, such as an art collection or those snazzy decorative architectural niches, that many other academic libraries have. Normally a school library is a showplace, even at private schools, on an upper school level. While I like looking at the neat things academic libraries normally display (glass cases of rare books, Native American artifacts, antique local photography, etc.), it was also a little refreshing not to have the pomp and circumstance, and we certainly did not explore the entire building, so I could be missing something outstanding. But for what we saw, it was a plain old library, with books as the main event. I hope to have more time to explore next time.
For the section of literary journals where we were, it was very inclusive of all I needed, and actually had several other literary reviews that were really helpful as well. Definitely strong on their collection for all my research purposes, and then some.
I had a positive experience, as well, speaking to the main reception at Bryn Mawr, another student who was very helpful. I call there to ask about visitor parking and she patched me through to Campus Safety / Public Safety, who unfortunately did not have a name for the lot, but confirmed what I saw online on their interactive map, which called it "Campus Center Parking," off of New Gulp Road. I posted a map with visuals to help anyone needing to know where this is.
This was my first time at Canaday. When I took some undergrad classes at Penn, and then grad classes at Penn and Rosemont, I had always used the HUGE library at Penn, or McCabe Library at Swarthmore College. I have to say I really like McCabe, and that is normally my go-to when I have a choice. They have the perfect aesthetic for a college library (decor combo of tasteful architecture, sculpture, art, and an amazingly comprehensive book collection). But, while I didn't feel as at home at Canaday, I did feel comfortable enough to get work done there, which is the whole point.
All in all it was a strong positive experience at Canaday. The Bryn Mawr campus, like many, has a strong Gothic architectural influence. I also cannot help but think of Katharine Hepburn, one of their most well-known alumni. Katharine's "Bryn Mawr accent" is a joy to watch, as it comes and goes, when she thinks about using it, in her earlier movies, especially "Philadelphia Story." It is so shamelessly snobby, but ballsy of her, which makes it hilarious at the same time.
