Last November, the most recent album in the Bob Dylan Bootleg Series, More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14, was released. The album’s deluxe edition is $105.74 on Amazon and includes a hardcover book consisting of posters from the original Blood on the Tracks album cover, ticket stubs, and photos from Dylan’s famous red notebook. Days after the album’s release, Professor Charles Hartman–who was teaching a course on Bob Dylan that semester at Cummings Arts Center–requested this book, and it arrived in Greer Library, located in the basement of Cummings. As I flipped through this text for my annotated bibliography for the course, I felt grateful that I had access to this updated information on the mysterious Bob Dylan.
There has been speculation among the student body that Greer may be closed in the future. However, W. Lee Hisle, Vice President for Information Services and Librarian of the College, stated in an email to the Voice that “there are no plans to close the Greer Music Library.” He went on to explain that “last fall, the president appointed a Greer Music Library Task Force to discuss how the music collection and excellent services of the Greer Music Library could be best utilized by the broader campus community.” This task force, comprised of the Dean of Faculty, the music librarian, and faculty from the music department, “has prepared a summary of their findings, which we are reviewing. According to Hisle, no decisions have been made.” Jozette Moses ‘21, a former student employee at Greer during Fall of 2018, corroborated this statement. She observed that during some of her shifts, Carolyn Johnson–the head librarian at Greer–met with Information Services staff and faculty to discuss “the assessment of Greer.”
My interactions with Greer have been short, but they are always helpful. In the spring semester of my freshman year, I enrolled in free piano lessons which are available to all Conn students. New to complex concertos and music theory terms that went beyond my simple piano lessons in high school, Greer was a safe haven where I found free blank music staff paper that fit my needs. Flash forward a semester, and I was back again in this intimate space picking out books to read for my final on Bob Dylan.
My previous interactions showcase Greer’s vast resources. Almost like a miniature version of Shain Library, Greer offers study spaces and collaboration rooms for students, desktop computers, and various technology accessories including disk drives, headphones, extension cords, VHS/VCR tapes, and record players–not to mention the hundreds of musical scores, magazines, CDs, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and biographies. Patrice Newman, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music at Conn, constantly uses Greer to find the right music for her students. In fact, she stated in an email that she has “a towering stack of music from Greer in the piano studio because there is so much music in the collection to be curious about and to investigate!” Recently, Moses and Johnson spent time going through Greer’s materials. Moses explained that materials relevant to Greer’s collection are being categorized in Shain, as opposed to being categorized in Greer as done in previous years. Moses speculates that these resources, which would normally be kept in Greer, would instead then be shelved in Shain.
While changes to Greer are still under consideration, it would be devastating to lose this space. Newman describes it as “a treasure trove (which) vitalizes the depth of music investigation and music-making at Conn.” It is important that Greer remain in Cummings as this location “maintains an integrated vitality that was visionary when Cummings Arts Center was conceived, designed and built and remains visionary in the dynamic arts world at Conn today,” according to Newman. Separating Greer and its collection from Cummings would diminish this harmony. More logistically speaking, where would Greer’s collection go? Shain is already stocked with a vast collection of its own, leaving only room in the basement for music related items and resources. This option would not be viable as the basement of Shain is devoted to the IT desk and student study spaces. Hisle stated in an email that “a number of options are under consideration, including combining some operations with Shain Library.” However, Hisle explains that the Task Force is in the beginning phase of this assessment and that the goal of the Task Force “is to ensure that students, faculty and staff continue to have access to a robust music collection and the suite of services that have long distinguished the Greer Music Library.”
Johnson is currently the only full time employee at Greer as the assistant to the librarian position has been unfilled since the retirement of the previous assistant on June 30, 2018. Moses finds this situation bizarre, as do I, because if this position were filled it would signify “an ongoing relationship between Greer and the school.” Additionally, there seems to be subtle budget cuts to Greer. Johnson can only take work study students and when working on her own in contrast with Shain, which hires some non-work study students. Most students have hours in the evening and on weekends, so Johnson often did not have another student at the desk area even if the extra help would have increased her productivity. This statement speaks to Johnson’s character as she devotes considerable time to Greer. Whether this is a result of the hiring freeze Conn instituted last spring, one can only feel saddened at the thought that Johnson may one day be removed from her role as librarian.
Unfortunately, students do not utilize Greer’s resources enough–including myself. Moses stated that Johnson would have student employees track the number of students entering Greer every half hour during their shifts; “the most Moses ever printed was four people other than [herself].” Maria MacNeill ‘21, who has taken music theory classes and is a member of the Connecticut College Orchestra, explains that “most people probably don’t know about [Greer’s collection of resources],” however, “the staff there would be happy to explain all the resources available to anyone who asked.” Unlike Shain which has three floors and is constantly swarming with students, Greer offers a smaller space with librarians who are readily available to help you. Abigail Schmitt ‘21, a flute player in multiple Music Department ensembles, observed that Greer has been closing earlier than normal: she was studying there earlier this week and a student employee informed her that the library would be closing earlier that day.
Greer is more than a library; it is a place for music students to gather between rehearsals and study when more popular spaces on campus such as Shain or the coffee shops become too rambunctious. Similar to MacNeill, Schmitt uses Greer as a quiet study space for both her music and other studies. Schmitt relies on Greer “to check out and view scores and CDs before actually purchasing the music.” In between orchestra rehearsals, Schmitt and her friends will go to Greer to study, having no other location nearby that doesn’t require walking a long distance in the dark and cold. Cummings does not have another study space on the same level as Greer, only a few small tables and a coach in the lobby area. On a busy day, studying in Greer is the best option for Schmitt: “by the time I would pack up my instrument from one rehearsal and walk to Shain and settle down, I wouldn’t have much time to actually complete any assignments. Without Greer, South Campus only has The Walk-In, Coffee Closet and common rooms for true study spaces.” Fiona Ocain ’19, another flute student and student employee at Greer stated in an email that “Greer is an incredibly valuable and unique resource.” She declined to comment on the exact plans for the future of Greer. Schmitt believes “if the space were to be removed, it would be a tragedy to the music department and all the students who utilize the space.”
Greer is considered the ‘Music Library’ on campus, but Schmitt explains that this space can be used by non-music students. She goes on to explain the benefits of students utilizing this space more often: “I often hear the complaints that Shain is way too busy, especially the collaboration rooms, which is why students should go to Greer. The rooms in the back act as bigger collaboration rooms with a printer. The staff is super welcoming and nice, and during finals they often leave out snacks.” Schmitt wants more students to use the space but also realizes that if Greer were to become as busy as Shain, it wouldn’t be the same library. All the same, she feels offering snacks or drinks could attract students to use Greer as there aren’t a lot of options available to students in this area on campus. MacNeill appreciates Greer’s location because it is near where music students practice and is “a common study space on the south side of campus, which is really convenient for students living near there or students who have classes there.” Hisle stated that “It is precisely because the quality of [Greer’s] services and resources are so exceptional that we want to broaden access for everyone—and build on its success.”
For the students who use Greer on a daily basis, it is a hallmark of their education at Conn. MacNeill is grateful to have Greer, she remembers “being surprised and excited just by the concept of a music library when [she] first came to Conn.” It has been a recent trend for the College to select music related spaces, such as Greer and the Barn, as spaces to reduce funding. Moses, although not a music student, stated that “there are a lot of cool things in Greer that you are not going to get anywhere else and people donate amazing things all the time. The space doesn’t get the attention that it deserves.” One has to wonder why exactly this is, who is at fault, and more importantly how we can save Greer. Moses wonders whether Greer is highlighted on campus tours of the College and during orientation; perhaps making Greer more known around campus would increase its use. Or, the problem may run deeper than ignorance of one student building, but rather ignorance of what it means to be a liberal arts college: incorporating all disciples into a well-rounded education.
After all, the plaque outside the Toor Cummings gallery, which explains the intent of Cummings Art Center, states the following: “to house art and music studios, a darkroom, galleries, a music library…” •
