Trinity College to Dedicate New Library and Information Technology Center

Hartford, Conn., August 21, 2003— Symbolizing the integration of hard copy and high-tech information resources, the Trinity College Board of Trustees will cut through satin ribbons and laser beams when they dedicate the new Raether Library and Information Technology Center on Friday, October 17.  Named in honor of College alumnus and Board of Trustees Chairman Paul E. Raether ’68, the new facility represents the $35 million transformation of the College’s former library facility into a state-of-the-art information headquarters for teaching and learning.

“Given Paul Raether’s longtime commitment to the College, to academic excellence, and to student life,” said interim president Borden W. Painter, Jr., “we are delighted that he has accepted our request to express Trinity’s appreciation for his support in this visible way.  It is a fitting tribute to someone who has quietly given of himself over the years to advance the college that is both his alma mater and that of his three daughters.” 

Conceived by the internationally acclaimed architectural firm, Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects of Toronto, in conjunction with guidelines set forth by a team of students, faculty, and library professionals, the 171,800 square feet facility serves as a centralized point for technology, integrating many resources formerly dispersed across the campus, and expands the library building that was constructed in 1952 into a facility suitable for one of the world’s great print collections. In addition to housing the Trinity College library’s impressive book collections, the new facility serves as home to the noted Watkinson Library with its rare book collection of roughly 170,000 printed volumes and select manuscript holdings.  

“The Raether Library and Information Technology Center was designed to invite students and faculty to come together for the serious work of scholarship,” said Thomas Payne, KPMB partner-in-charge. Facility highlights include easy access to online resources, technology and appropriate expertise, and the new Music and Media Center, which combines staff expertise, a vast audio and video collection, and access to the latest technology. 

Public spaces within the building, including a cappuccino bar, are designed around the principle that teaching and learning often take place when groups of students and faculty come together, typically needing access to both print and electronic resources.  The café, reading rooms, study lounges, and group media rooms are designed to accommodate such collaborative learning. According to Dean of Faculty Miller Brown, “conversations between students and faculty are at the heart of a liberal arts education, and the Raether Library and Information Technology Center is a place where members of the College community can meet, discuss, and debate outside of the classroom.”

A member of the class of 1968, Raether has received the highest honors presented by the College -- the Eigenbrodt Cup, the Gary McQuaid Award, and the President’s Leadership Medal.  He has served on the Trinity College Board of Trustees since 1989, and was chairman of the physical plant committee during the design development and building of the facility. He is a general partner at Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Company in New York City, and serves on the boards of IDEX Corporation, Shoppers Drug Mart, and KSL Recreation Corporation, as well as the Board of Overseers of the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College.