The Lane Libraries history

Helen Fentress) became librarian, and in the late summer of the next year the library was moved two doors down Gaston Street to the Lane Building which had been the gift in 1935 of Mr.

During its first six years the library remained on the first floor of the Armstrong Building, but in 1942 Miss Mary Elizabeth Mayo came from Virginia to be librarian, and the library, needing larger quarters, was moved to the third floor which had formerly been the ballroom of the home.

In March 1943 Miss Helen Woodward (now Mrs.

In 1949 when Miss Woodward returned, Armstrong’s library was again moved, this time into Hodgson Hall where its collection was inter-filed with that of the Georgia Historical Society which numbered 10,000 volumes, making a total of 16,000 books available to students and faculty of the college.

George Sloan left in 1976, when total resources numbered 140,000, including 92,000 books.

The Minis Room was dedicated on February 24th 1978.

After Doctor Gerald Sandy left, Kristina Brockmeier served as library director until 1987 when Everett J. Dennis came from South Carolina to serve in that capacity.

Fentress’ history was last updated in 1989.

Under Lee’s leadership, the library underwent a $5 million renovation, completed just weeks after his untimely death in May, 2006.

The Smith Library has been a Freedom Station Affiliate of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati since 2007.