The Once and Future Library

In Arthurian legend, the powerful magician Merlyn is best known as young Arthur’s tutor and mentor.  He helps prepare Arthur for his future role as King by advising him to “learn why the world wags and what wags it.” Merlyn’s belief that learning is “the only thing that never fails” is at the very core of American higher education.

In this presentation, Anne R. Kenney, Carl A. Kroch University Librarian, will trace factors that have transformed higher education and the research library during her tenure. In offering observations on the occasion of her impending retirement, she will affirm that learning – through formal education, research, and lifelong experiences – is at the heart of what “wags” Cornell’s library now and in the future.