The library moved from Sheldon Hall to then-Penfield Library (now Rich Hall) by a “bucket brigade” of books in April 1961. President Foster Brown (fourth from left) even stopped by to lend a hand.

An ex-military officer, the “strong, forceful” Hagger, dubbed “the sergeant in charge” by Philomena Camesano Mark ’61, required every student, faculty and staff member to take part in a “book brigade,” passing books hand to hand across the short distance between the two buildings. Once they arrived in the new library, volumes were shelved in exactly the same order in which they came off the bookcases in Sheldon Hall.

“When we walked in the next day, it was as if it had never moved,” said Judy Driscoll Skillen ’61, who took part in the landmark shift.

The 1961 building, designed by famed architect Lorimer Rich, who drew plans for the Tomb of the Unknown soldier as well as Oswego’s lakeside buildings, included seating for 800 students. More than 150,000 books could fit on its shelves and other amenities included a music listening room and microfilm viewing booths.

The library collections would move one more time, into the newly constructed Penfield across from Hewitt Union in 1967, but the 1961 odyssey would forever become a memory for the students lucky enough to take part in the unique form of transport.

This summer, Oswego began a project that will provide wind power for the electrical system of a building regularly exposed to Lake Ontario’s blustery weather.

Turbine on top of Lee Hall

The project aims to use a wind turbine with a small footprint to provide an estimated 40,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year from atop the campus heating plant in Lee Hall.

John Moore, the college’s director of engineering and sustainability, pointed out that most wind turbines need a wind speed of 7 mph to generate electricity. This unit, though, can produce power in wind of less than 3 mph, and start turning at 1 mph.

Moore estimated the turbine, which was installed in July, will produce enough energy in less than 12 years to pay back the estimated $50,000 initial investment. The college will look for federal and state funding for small wind projects to help fund the purchase.

As with the geothermal project that will help heat and cool the college’s future sciences complex, Moore emphasized the educational benefits of monitoring and studying this alternative energy project.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Moore said. “Our earth sciences faculty are excited.” l

— Jeff Rea ’71