Library history timeline
  • 1916With the opening of the university, the library occupied space in Webster Hall, the original administration building.
  • 1918June - the collection is up to 5000 volumes
  • 1920A card catalog was begun by Sr. Ann Frances McArdle, Head of the Education Dept. and Librarian.
  • 1969June — Webster College and Eden Seminary sign five-year contract for a cooperative program establishing the Webster-Eden Library on the campus of neighboring Eden Theological Seminary. The two institutions shared space, resources, and staff in the Luhr Reading & Reference Library which had been constructed two years earlier.
  • 1993The library card catalog is replaced with an online public access catalog.
  • The library barcodes the collection.
  • 1995First generation library Web site comes online.
  • 1996The library Web site is branded Passports to reflect that the Web site is international in scope and it represents "Passports to Knowledge".
  • 1998The joint library collection reaches 248,000 volumes and 1,200 periodicals subscriptions. Webster University announces it will build a new library building within 5 years.
  • 2001June — Webster-Eden Library System is online with MOBIUS giving the the library system the ability to borrow and loan materials from other higher education libraries, public libraries and other institutions that are MOBIUS members statewide.
  • August — The library installs eReserves which gives users of the Webster-Eden Library system access to electronic reserves via the Internet.
  • September — Cataloging of the Community Music School collection begins with the university's purchase of the school.
  • October 30 — Ground is broken for the new library.
  • 2003Emerson Library is completed. In addition to the library facilities, the new library includes multi-media facilities, an electronic commons, and electronic classroom, and 24-hour Cyber Café.
  • April — Eden Seminary and Webster University guarantee future library cooperation by signing an "Agreement Concerning Library Cooperation" on April 3 forming the Eden-Library System.
  • June 30 — Seven hundred volunteers form a book chain to transfer the remaining books that are to be shelved at Emerson Library.
  • July 1 — Webster University Emerson Library is open for business.
  • September 22 — Emerson Library is dedicated.
  • 2009The library removes Passports from this years redesign of the Web site.
  • Library creates a Facebook presence.
  • December — It is announced that the joint Webster-Eden Library System is entering a new phase in its 40+ year history by increasing library collaboration. In the coming year, the active collection in Eden's Luhr Reading & Reference Library will move to Webster's state-of-the-art Emerson Library to be consolidated into one joint collection.
  • 2010Library creates a Twitter presence.

Return to Emerson Library history

Webster Hall - 1920
Luhr Reading & Reference Library 1969
Early Passports screen
Student access eReserves
Book chain Emerson Library 2003
Dedication of Emerson Library

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