On May 16th, the Libraries proudly dedicated the Caroline A. Laudati Conference Room in Langson Library in recognition of a major gift by Dr. Rosalyn Laudati.

Plaque at conference room dedication.

Dr. Laudati's generous gift supports the Libraries highest priorities and the important work of Special Collections and Archives. In particular, it will provide much needed funding to process and enhance access to materials in the Libraries' preeminent Critical Theory Archive.

At the Dedication event, friends of Dr. Laudati, along with library supporters, friends and staff, enjoyed a cocktail reception before hearing remarks from Interim University Librarian Lorelei Tanji, former Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Michael Gottfredson, and from Dr. Laudati who shared the reasons she made the gift before unveiling the new room plaque to much applause.

Dr. Laudati has been a generous supporter of the Libraries for many years, having made two previous significant gifts. She chose to make her third major gift in support of Special Collections and Archives knowing it is one of the Libraries' highest priorities. As a collector of rare books, she appreciates the value of rare and archival materials, as well as the important role of Special Collections and Archives in preserving and providing access to them for scholarly research.

The gift will most immediately benefit the Libraries' Critical Theory Archive, as the funding will be used to hire a temporary archivist to process, organize, and make accessible these important materials. The Critical Theory Archive holds the scholarly archives of a number of major critical theorists, such as Jacques Derrida, Wolfgang Iser, Paul de Man, Stanley Fish, Richard Rorty, J. Hillis Miller, Rene Wellek, and Murray Krieger. Due to budgetary challenges, a number of these highly prestigious manuscript collections are not yet processed, and therefore are not readily available to students and scholars for research.

Guests enjoying the reception on the
5th floor patio of Langson Library.

"I couldn't be more proud of the commitment Dr. Laudati has made to the Libraries and the value she places on the work that we do," said Tanji. "Her support of the Libraries will be recognized for years to come by the students, faculty, administrators, and community members who use the room, and more importantly, by the students and scholars whose research is enhanced through her gift."

The Laudati gift follows a number of other special gifts and acquisitions received by Special Collections in the last few years, including the prestigious F. Sherwood Rowland Papers, the Raymond Watson Library Fund in support of the regional history collections, and the Vietnamese American Community Ambassadors (VACA) fundraising initiative benefitting the internationally recognized Southeast Asian Archive.

The Caroline A. Laudati Conference Room is located on the fifth floor of Langson Library in room 570. The room has a wonderful view and is used heavily for library meetings, special events, instructional classes , and for meetings of campus leadership. These attributes broadly reflect the work and interests of Dr. Laudati's late aunt, Caroline A. Laudati, who was an educator and administrator in Rhode Island for 46 years.