March 2012

The Center is grateful for and heartened by the hundreds of letters, emails, and calls that have been received in response to the interim Provost’s recommendation, within the campus-wide Columbia College Prioritization Initiative, that the CBMR be eliminated. The CBMR staff remains hopeful that the recommended elimination will be reversed during the remaining stages of the year-long Prioritization Initiative. The Academic Team’s assessment and recommendations, which were compiled subsequent to the Provost’s report, were released in mid-March and are very supportive of the CBMR. The Provost’s and Academic Team’s recommendations have now been submitted to Columbia College President, Dr. Warrick Carter, and he in turn will make final recommendations to the Columbia College Board of Trustees. These recommendations will be voted on and the Board will make final decisions in late June 2012.

Please feel free to call 312-369-7559 or write cbmr.contact@colum.edu with questions about the CBMR. Your inquiries will be forwarded as appropriate.

Media Inquiries related to and additional questions about the Prioritization process can be directed to Diane Doyne, Associate VP of Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising at Columbia (phone 312-369-7524, email ddoyne@colum.edu).

Thank you for your interest and support.

Because of the renovation of the facade at 618 S. Michigan Avenue, the Center's Library and Archives will move its reading room next door, to the sixth floor of 624 S. Michigan, during the week of April 23, 2012. Service may be interrupted during the move. We expect to occupy the temporary space during the summer months, and then move back to 618 S. Michigan by early fall when the construction is finished.

Only the book collection will be moved to the temporary space. The archival collections and sound recordings will stay in their current stacks, but all research will take place in 624 S. Michigan. Therefore, to minimize delays in retrieving materials, the library staff requests that researchers who want to use archival collections or sound recordings contact us in advance at cbmrref@colum.edu.