On Saturday night, the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library presented the 13th Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award to TransAtlantic author and National Book Award winner Colum McCann. It was an extraordinary evening, with record-breaking attendance (250!), a deeply moving address by McCann, and a steady stream of Irish humor from our master of ceremonies, Msgr. Joseph Quinn.
But McCann’s visit was not the only cause for celebration: this year’s event also marked the 20th anniversary of the Friends of the Library. In his remarks, Dean Charles Kratz thanked the many Friends who have supported us throughout the years, recognizing especially the attendees of the very first Friends meeting in June 1994 (pictured above in selections from our digital collections). This year’s award honorarium was donated in memory of Judith L. Weinberger, who had served on the Friends Board, and a special appetizer of grilled cheese and tomato soup was served in her honor.
In addition to the Distinguished Author Award, the Friends support the Weinberg Memorial Library throughout each academic year by organizing fundraisers (like our Book and Plant Sale and the annual Leaves of Class raffle), contributing resources to the Library collections, and sponsoring programs of interest to the community.
During the past twenty years, the Friends have made an enormous impact on the Weinberg Memorial Library and the students and scholars we serve. We are truly honored by your support, and we cannot thank you enough.