Van Wylen Library

Van Wylen Library users have probably noticed the marble bust directly to the left of the main entrance of the library. This exquisite piece of art depicts Laetitia Mathilde Frédérique Aloissia Elizabeth Bonaparte, the niece of Napoleon, though around the library she just goes by Mathilde. Hiram Powers, an American sculptor from Vermont, formed the bust in Florence, Italy in 1846 out of Italian marble. How did this bust, made 20 years before Hope College was chartered, arrive at Van Wylen?

Powers received the commission for the sculpture of Mathilde in 1845 from her husband, Anatole Nicolaevitch Demidoff. Though the two had separated by the time the bust was completed, Demidoff kept it, and it descended through his family for three generations. In 1969, the bust was auctioned off through Sotheby’s, an international art auction company. At this sale, Richard Wunder came to own Mathilde.

Richard Wunder was an art scholar who was particularly interested in Hiram Powers, the sculptor of Mathilde. In the mid-1960s, Wunder served as a guest curator at the University of Michigan. It was there that he met John Dryfhout, a 1964 Hope alum who was doing graduate work at the University of Michigan. As their professional paths crossed in later years, the two became friends. In the 1980s, Wunder expressed concern to Dryfhout about what would happen to his personal library, which he had placed in storage after moving from a house to an apartment. Dryfhout suggested he donate his materials to Hope. Wunder donated several thousand of his books to Hope beginning in 1984. Hope also received many more materials in 2002 after Wunder’s death. In all, Wunder left 15,000 books to Hope, in addition to clothing, furniture, and Mathilde.

Van Wylen has both volumes of Hiram Powers: Vermont Sculptor 1805-1873, the biography Wunder wrote about Powers. Van Wylen also has all of the research materials Wunder used to write this biography, including letters, receipts, and many other archival resources. Several other books written by Wunder are also in the library’s collection.

— Bethany Stripp, Library Student Blogger

The Reference and Instruction department of Van Wylen Library performs an integral role in the library mission. In addition to helping students and faculty individually with research, the reference and instruction librarians work with many different Hope classes, including every First Year Seminar, all sections of English 113, and numerous upper-level courses.

Priscilla Atkins is the Head of Reference and Instruction at the library. When she first graduated from college she taught elementary school, and although she enjoyed this experience, she learned that she wanted to work with college level students. After she received her Masters in Library and Information Studies at the University of Hawaii in 1990, Atkins served at Ball State University Libraries before coming to Hope 1994.

“I love working at a college this size so I can get to know faculty and students from all the disciplines,” Atkins said.

That variety helps contribute to what Atkins feels is the best part of her job. “I come to work and I don’t know what questions I’ll receive that day,” she said. “Interacting with students is the best part of the job for me.”

The Reference and Instruction staff also includes Rachel Bishop, Todd Wiebe, Jessica Hronchek, and David O’Brien. They are ready and willing to aid you in whatever research you might need to do.

“We love helping people,” Atkins said.

Make a reference librarian’s day and stop by the reference desk if you ever need help or guidance with your research!

— Bethany Stripp, Library Student Blogger

The Fall 2009 portion of the annual Jack Ridl Visting Writers Series wrapped up on Thursday with a reading by novelist Susan Choi. In addition to having authored the Pulitzer Prize finalist novel American Woman, Choi has written two other full length novels, The Foreign Student and Person of Interest. She has also been published in Vogue, O, and The New York Times.

Interested in reading some of Choi’s work? Van Wylen has both Person of Interest and American Woman in their collection. You can read several reviews of her novel The Foreign Student in Literature Criticism Online. Additional criticisms of other writings of hers are also available through the database OneFile PowerSearch.

Keep watching the library’s blog for more information about the remaining writers in the 2009-2010 series, Melissa Delbridge, Terrance Hayes, and George Saunders.

— BJS