The Engel Gifts

RICHARD H. LOGSDON
 

^ OLUMBIA UNIVERSITY has few alumni more gen¬
uinely helpful and devoted than Mr. and Mrs. Solton
Engel. Over many years the Engels have contributed
substantially in various ways. More recently, as Friends, they have
been particularly generous to the Libraries, and scarcely an issue
of LIBRARY COLUMNS has appeared without a notice of some dra¬
matic gift from their unique collection of books. These notices
have failed in their purpose if they have not shown the depth of
our gratitude for this continued thoughtfulness.

We wish to take special note here of yet another evidence of
Mr. and Mrs. Engel's generosity. Over the past few months they
have made it possible for us to renovate and modernize the exhibit
cases on the third floor of Butler Library, as well as to establish a
full-fledged exhibitions program for the coming year. The useful¬
ness of the existing cases had been much impaired by several faults.
Not only was the incandescent lighting of the cases inadequate,
but it caused temperatures detrimental to fragile materials to build
up within the cases. The installation of fluorescent fixtures has en¬
tirely removed this fault. Moreover, after twenty years of use, the
monks-cloth linings of the cases had become soiled and shabby.
These have now been replaced with new linings of dark fabric
which dramatize the exhibits. Last, and most welcome of all, the
double doors of the cases have been replaced by single-panel doors
of heavy plate glass.

Mr. and Mrs. Engel have also made possible the appointment
of an exhibitions assistant, who will devote his full attention during
the coming year to the preparation and installation of a series of
library displays. Not the least of these—and certainly the most
fitting—will be a special exhibition of some of the rarities which
the Engels have presented to the Libraries over recent years.

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