What's the perfect birthday gift for a library?

A fire-suppression system, according to Anne R. Kenney, the Carl A. Kroch University Librarian, who spoke at John M. Olin Library's 50th birthday celebration June 10 in Libe Café. (Kenney also noted that until the 1990s, you couldn't eat or drink in Olin, but patrons were allowed to smoke -- and that the newly installed fire-suppression system cost almost twice the amount of the original building's construction.)

Nearly 200 people turned out during Reunion to kick off a major exhibition tracing the history of Olin, which first opened its doors in 1961. The celebration featured two birthday cakes and remarks from Kenney and Isaac Kramnick, the R.J. Schwartz Professor of Government. Among the attendees were two Cornell alumni -- Joel Wiener, Ph.D. '65, and Suzanne Wiener '61 -- who first met in Olin's stacks in May 1961 and have been married for 50 years.

Visit "Olin @ 50: Inspiration since 1961" in Olin and Uris libraries through the end of the year, or check out the extensive online exhibition at http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/olinat50.

Gwen Glazer is a staff writer for Library Communications.