n July 19th City College hosted a delegation of visitors from Shimoda, Japan as it has done  yearly for over a decade.  Members of the administration, faculty, and Public Relations Office staff were on hand to greet the visitors and videotape the proceedings.  The delegation came to City College after a trip to Green-Wood Cemetery to visit the grave of the founder of the Free Academy (now City College) and the first American diplomat sent to Japan in 1856 stationed in Shimoda, Townsend Harris.  Each summer since his grave was re-dedicated by a Shinto priest in 1986, a Shimoda delegation has visited the college to re-affirm their common connection through Harris in the areas of education, diplomacy, and commerce.

The Chairman of the Shimoda City Assembly, Mr. Yasuhide Inoue, headed the delegation of thirteen. Acting archivist Sydney Van Nort, with the help of an interpreter, made a presentation on the diplomat’s life and career illustrated by documents and memorabilia from the Townsend Harris collection.  Among the items on display were the silk American flag made for Mr. Harris in Japan in 1857 for his presentation to the court of the Shogun in Edo (now Tokyo) to open the official trade treaty negotiations, his diplomatic passport and pouch, and volumes of his journals and letterbooks.  At the reception following, words of greeting and gifts were exchanged, including a framed kite presented by Mr. Inoue to Interim President Sanford A. Roman Jr.. The visitors expressed their appreciation for the wonderful afternoon spent at City College.

 

Sydney Van Nort
Archivist
sunny57@hotmail.com
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Archival Appointment

Sidney Van Nort, who has been overseeing the library’s Archives and Special Collections Division as an adjunct for the past year,  was appointed that division’s full-time chief effective in September.

Reference Adjuncts

• Grace-Ellen McCrann

Bringing strong web searching skills to her part-time role here, McCrann is also the current Special Collections Librarian at the New Jersey Historical Society.  During her career she has worked in a number of college libraries and was also for a decade the Director of Client Relations for WOR radio.  Skills honed there will no doubt be useful at the Cohen Reference Desk!
 
• Anthony Todman

A reference pro from St. John’s University Library where he’s been on staff since 1992, Todman’s reference specialties are African-American studies, communications, and journalism.  He can assist in all subject areas, however, and is skilled in CD-Rom and Web searching, and has special expertise in instructing freshmen in basic research skills.
 
• Marian Weston

Long-time reference librarian at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Weston too is skilled in both traditional and electronic research in an academic setting. Additional part-time reference work at NYU has honed her skills in many subject areas, and she’s well prepared for patrons’ questions.

The City College Library welcomes Jeffrey Clapp as its new Director of Instructional Media.  Jeffrey hails most recently from CUNY’s York College where he was the Educational Multimedia Developer since 1993. He holds an EdM from Columbia University’s Teachers College, an MA in communications, computing, and technology, and a BFA in film and theater arts both from SUNY/ Purchase. As director, Jeffrey will work with college faculty to support the integration of media and technology into their teaching.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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