eNews Edition: Winter 2014
Winston Churchill, one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, once said that “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” I think what he meant by this statement was that the act of giving to people and organizations dear to our hearts enriches not just the recipient but also the giver. Generosity allows us to see more clearly that the world is much bigger than ourselves.
This Winter 2014 edition marks the beginning of our third year for the Oviatt Library eNews. In a short time, the eNews has provided us an opportunity to communicate a great deal of information about the Library’s exciting transformation. Some of the changes that we’ve written about in these pages include the opening of the technology rich Learning Commons, a redesign of the Teacher Curriculum Center, the establishment of a Creative Media Studio, and the rededication of the Robert and Maureen Gohstand Leisure Reading Room.
The winter issue of the Oviatt Library eNews has quickly established itself as our giving issue. We recognize that the Oviatt’s ongoing transformation is due in large part to the continued support and generous gifts from so many members of our extended Oviatt family, including CSUN alumni, Friends of the Library, supporters from the CSUN campus, retired faculty and staff, and donors from the community. To all of you who have given so much, Thank you!
In this – our third holiday issue – we are happy to highlight stories about the unique and thoughtful ways in which some of the people that we know have chosen to give. These include a generous endowment of thousands of dollars for rare materials; a much-needed collection of paper goods for a local mission; the priceless inspiration of a carefully chosen book; and a bowl of cat food, which is modest but also life-sustaining and compassionate.
These are all well-considered and valuable gifts, which nurture our community, renovate our spaces, and provide CSUN students with important educational resources. These stories remind us why it is so important to give. It is not simply to transform a building, although that certainly is crucial to the enterprise of higher education. But even more importantly, we tell these stories because we believe that what happens in this building, on this campus, and in this community has the power to transform lives.
To learn more about some of the many ways in which you can join in the transformation, please click one of the giving links in this newsletter, or visit our Ways to Give.
I wish you all a joyous holiday season, and a New Year full of health and happiness.
Mark Stover, Ph.D.
Dean, Oviatt Library