50th Anniversary of Christ Chapel’s Move to Boise State

The fiftieth anniversary of the move of Christ Chapel to the Boise State University campus occurs this year. On July 8, 1963, the church was moved to its current location on the university campus between Bronco Stadium and Broadway Avenue, then known as Boise College.

The church was built in 1866 on the corner of Seventh and Bannock Streets in downtown Boise. The cost of the building was $1500 in gold, and the money was raised mostly by church women who held ice cream socials, bazaars where quilts and fancy work were sold, and home talent shows.

Throughout its existence as an Episcopal church, the structure saw many services and activities. The Christ Chapel Historical Society of Idaho was founded in 1963 to oversee the chapel and decided to move the chapel to the university campus after it was determined it must be moved from its original site. Before its move, the church was deconsecrated as an Episcopal house of worship. After the move, it was rededicated as a non-denominational structure in a ceremony on May 17, 1964.

The Christ Chapel Historical Society created a policy to restrict the chapel to nondenominational use and stated the university would handle maintenance and scheduling of the building. The chapel still stands on campus today and is the oldest protestant church in Montana, Utah, and Idaho.

Julia Stringfellow
Librarian/Archivist and Assistant Professor

Library closed for Memorial Day

The Library and the rest of campus will be closed on Monday, May 27th for the Memorial Day holiday. Find online resources at our website at http://library.boisestate.edu/ and library hours at http://library.boisestate.edu/about/hours.php  

Student illustrator: Perry's Secret

Book cover used with permission by the author.

Alyssa Guy is a student majoring in Psychology at Boise State, a work study student helping process inter-library loan requests at Albertsons Library, and, as of May, also a published illustrator of a children's book. The book, Perry's Secret, was written by Jill Roberson-Blatt and published by Panacea Press in Tennessee.

The book's author, friend of a family member, connected with Alyssa after seeing her work on her Facebook page and deviantART, a sort of social media site for artists and art enthusiasts. Alyssa has been a fan of Japanese illustration styles in anime and manga, and the influence shows in her work, but for Perry's Secret she went for a slightly more realistic look for the pen and colored pencil drawings.

Perry's Secret is the second in a series of children's self help books by Roberson-Blatt. Alyssa has already been contracted to do illustrations for the next book in the series and hopes to begin work this summer. Perry's Secret will be available in the Curriculum Resource Center of Albertsons Library, and in Special Collections.

Elizabeth Ramsey
Assistant Professor, Reference & Instruction Librarian

New Digital Collection: Boise Development

Are you interested in the history of economic development, urban planning, or transportation in Boise? Special Collections and Archives created a new collection of historical documents and photographs related to Boise’s development. This set of historic reports, brochures and plans covers topics like urban renewal, bicycle lanes, greenbelts, shopping malls and more.

Urban Renewal

In 1965 Idaho introduced an urban renewal laws that ushered in an era of building demolition in the downtown corridor. The city council created the Boise Redevelopment Agency with the mission of revitalizing downtown Boise. This agency oversaw many projects that were intended to bring new business and buildings to Boise. This digital collection showcases some of the plans and reports generated through the planning process to help researchers understand the ideas behind urban renewal in Boise.

The Greenbelt and Bicycles

This digital collection also includes several proposals, maps, and reports on the development of a greenbelt along the Boise River and increased bicycle paths and bicycle lanes for commuters and recreation.

A Shopping Mall for Boise

One interesting set of documents from the 1980s deals with the process of deciding the location of Boise’s modern shopping mall. Besides its ultimate location near Franklin street and Milwaukee avenue, other plans called for a shopping mall in the heart of Downtown, others proposed construction near 30^th street by the Boise River. By reading these documents researchers will see how parking, traffic, and urban sprawl factored into the final decision.

Items in the collection range from 1905 to the 1989, with plans to add more content in the future. Browse or search the collection again.

Jim Duran,
Special Collections & Archives

Library Summer Hours

Now that the Spring 2013 semester is over it's time to gear up for Summer classes. The Albertsons Library will be closed Saturday, May 18th (Commencement!) and Sunday, May 19th. Library Summer hours start on Monday, May 20th and we will be open:

• Monday thru Thursday: 7AM - 7PM
• Fridays: 7AM - 6PM
• Saturdays & Sundays: 10AM - 6PM

Find library hours at http://library.boisestate.edu/about/hours.php . And don't forget: our online resources are available 24/7 at http://library.boisestate.edu/ .

Have a great Summer!

Extended library hours & Finals Week

Ready for finals? We are! The Albertsons Library will be open extended hours starting Monday, May 6th (open until 2AM), and open 24 hours for Finals Week. During the late night hours, staff will be on hand to answer questions and check out first-floor reserve materials.

The second floor will be open as well, which includes the library's computer classroom, L203 with its 30 additional computers. Extended and Finals Week hours are:

• Sunday, May 6th through Thursday, May 9th: 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM
• Friday, May 10th: 7:00 AM to midnight
• Saturday, May 11th: 10:00 AM to midnight
• Sunday, May 12th: open 24 hours until Thursday, May 16th
• Friday, May 17th: 8:00 to 5:00 PM
• The library will be closed Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th

 

During Finals, free coffee and treats will be provided each night (while supplies last!) by the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU). An officer from the Boise Police Department will be on duty in the library all night and can provide escort service as needed.

For a complete list of holiday hours go to http://library.boisestate.edu/about/hours.php. You can also access our online resources via the web or your mobile device at http://library.boisestate.edu/.

Scarlet Macaw to fly away for the last time!

Have you found the Scarlet Macaw? Our dear friend, Sebastian the Scarlet Macaw, is about to fly away for the last time. He has spent the Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters here at Albertsons Library as an ambassador for the Campus Read selection, but now the semester is coming to a close.

Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw, by Bruce Barcott, is a non-fiction work that recounts the story of Sharon Matola. She became embroiled in a crusade to stop the construction of a dam that would flood the nesting grounds of the only scarlet macaws in Belize. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service macaws are listed in the “Least Concern” category of the endangered species list, they are at risk of extinction in Belize due to habitat destruction.

Sebastian’s life here at the library has not been quite so dramatic, but he has certainly done his share of migration. He has traveled to the 4th floor to find out more about his fellow birds. He has traveled to the 3rd floor and perused the works of Shakespeare, Dickens, and Austen. He has visited the Curriculum Resource Center on the 2nd floor and listened to music from Coltrane to Bach. Some days, he has simply perched atop the New Books section and watched students come and go through the library entrance.

Each time he has been returned to the Circulation Desk by a keen-eyed student who subsequently received an entry into a prize drawing! The drawing will occur Thursday, May 9th at 1:00 p.m., which means there is not much time left to find the Scarlet Macaw!

Prizes will include Sebastian himself, as well as copies of next semester’s Campus Read selection Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. So keep your eyes peeled! The Scarlet Macaw could be on any floor of the library, even in plain sight. Return him to the Circulation Desk for your chance to win; there is no limit to the number of times you can enter!

Heather Grevatt,
Access Services