Attention: Due to planned electrical repairs, Hunt Library will be closed from June 17-21. The building will reopen for normal hours on June 22. Sorrells Library will be open as usual on June 17-18, and closed for the Juneteenth holiday on June 19.
In a quiet lab inside the newly renovated Posner Center for Special Collections, a rare book rests in a custom cradle. Once positioned, it barely needs to be touched again. Two high-resolution cameras hover above, capturing each page simultaneously. The spine is supported. The lighting is calibrated. The image is preserved at the highest possible quality.
Related: About us, Archives and CMU History, Special Collections
At the University Libraries, faculty and staff bring diverse backgrounds and interests to their roles, elevating the Libraries’ culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and lifelong learning and curiosity. We asked Digitization Projects Manager and Data Deposit Coordinator Ann Marie Mesco a few questions about her work, to find out more about the inspiration behind her contributions to the campus community.
Related: About us, Special Collections, Archives and CMU History
At the University Libraries, faculty and staff bring diverse backgrounds and interests to their roles, elevating the Libraries’ culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and lifelong learning and curiosity. We asked Digitization Technician Joseph Mesco a few questions about his work, to find out more about the inspiration behind his contributions to the campus community.
Related: About us, Special Collections, Archives and CMU History
In October, Carnegie Mellon marked its 125th anniversary by launching a partnership with Bloomberg Connects that helps our storytellers reach audiences beyond the campus.
Related: Using the Libraries, Archives and CMU History
The University Libraries is proud to announce the installation of Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections Julia Corrin as the inaugural Michael and Lonna Smith University Archivist, an endowed position made possible through the generosity of two longtime friends and supporters of Carnegie Mellon University, Michael and Lonna Smith.
Related: Archives and CMU History, About us, Events and Exhibits
Henry Hornbostel was an influential architect in the early twentieth century, who designed landmarks like the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City and the Harding Memorial, US President Warren Harding’s elaborate tomb. “Time Well Spent: An American Architect in Europe, 1893,” a new October 2025 release from Carnegie Mellon University Press, brings to life Hornbostel’s formative 1893 journey to Europe as a young man. This journey influenced him for the rest of his life, as he designed famous buildings across the country – and in Pittsburgh, where he built nearly half his works and designed Carnegie Mellon’s campus. “Time Well Spent” includes reproductions and transcriptions of Hornbostel’s sketchbook and journals, and contextualizes them with essays about the significance of travel in architectural education.
Related: Archives and CMU History, Research Assistance, Using the Libraries
On Thursday, October 9, Carnegie Mellon University Press celebrated the launch of “Time Well Spent: An American Architect in Europe, 1893,” a new book by School of Architecture Assistant Teaching Professor Francesca Torello that brings to life the extraordinary travels and experiences of young Henry Hornbostel. Hornbostel went on to become an influential Beaux-Arts architect, designing several bridges in New York as well as Carnegie Mellon’s original campus — including the College of Fine Arts building, where the book launch was held.
Related: Archives and CMU History, Events and Exhibits
From First-Year Writing support to workshops and consultations, the Libraries delivers instruction across campus in a variety of ways. In the University Archives, Collections Archivist Emily Davis, Community Collections Processing Archivist Crystal Johnson, and Robotics Project Lead Archivist Kathleen Donahoe have introduced students of all levels and disciplines to archival research through a variety of class sessions across CMU and the wider Pittsburgh community.
Related: Archives and CMU History, Teaching Assistance
Woodland Hills High School Library Media Specialist Kevin McGuire teaches a library science internship class, working with students in grades 9 through 12 to introduce them to a variety of library-related skills: cataloguing, processing books, and even archiving materials. Each spring, his students visit the Carnegie Mellon University Archives to dive into the materials and explore what archivists do during a day at work.
Related: Archives and CMU History, Solutions Stories, Using the Libraries
On Sept. 9, more than 125 students gathered in IDeATe Studio for Hands-On: Pizza & Pennant Making, kicking off the University Archives' 125th Anniversary exhibit, “Room to Imagine.” Participants traded screens for fabric, glue guns, and plenty of pizza, diving into the tactile joy of creating colorful banners inspired by the vintage pennants, which are some of Crystal Johnson's favorite pieces in the archives.
Related: Archives and CMU History, Events and Exhibits
