Kent Library begins Athenaeum series

Staff at the Southeast Missouri State University's Kent Library hope it will be a center for scholarship and culture on campus and in the greater community. To make that happen, the library is hosting a series of scholarly and cultural events on a regular basis for the first time.

On Wednesday, the library will begin its Athenaeum (pronounced Athe-knee-um, with emphasis on the "knee") Fall Series with a concert by the Southeast Baroque Ensemble at 12:30 p.m. Events take place at Sadie's Place, a coffee shop on the library's main floor.

"The idea and the rationale behind it is ... in an academic setting, the library, its sole purpose is to support the curriculum of the university," said library director Ed Buis. "We've never served as a neutral site for celebrating what we're supposed to do: scholarship, learning and the arts."

The library is a place where such events can take place without being tied to one specific school at the university, such as art or business, and made available to the university community as a whole, Buis said. Members of the public are also invited to attend the events.

Buis said creating and hosting the Athenaeum series -- named after a Greek tradition -- was a collaborative effort by all 39 members of the library staff to enhance the library's services.

Throughout the fall, the library will host musical performers, art exhibitions and talks by university professors on subjects such as immigration from Mexico, evolution and religion, the environment and anti-Americanism in Europe. The first scholarly event takes place at 4 p.m. Sept. 27 with a discussion of the importance of environmental health by environmental science professor Dr. John Kraemer.

Buis said library staff has already seen an interest in the series, and he hopes for a crowd of about 50 people when the series starts Wednesday. If the fall series goes well, a spring series might be planned, he said.

msanders@semissourian.com

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