Snoopy will be on hand for the dedication ceremony of the new Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center at Sonoma State University. The festivities take place on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at noon on the University campus.
A ribbon cutting ceremony follows words of support from Jean Schulz, alumna, who along with Charles Schulz, Peanuts creator, donated $5 million to the operation of the center. Charles Schulz passed away earlier this year.
The public is invited to attend this event for the state-of-the-art Information Center which combines traditional library services with technologies required for educating students in the 21st century. For example, tables with Internet connections are placed throughout the library, ensuring students can "hook-up" and work online almost anywhere in the building.
A three story Automated Retrieval System logs and has the capacity to store almost a half million volumes that can be called forth via the computerized catalog system (named Snoopy). A student can be on his computer in his residence hall room, log onto the University Library website, locate a book through the Snoopy system and call it for its retrieval. The student can then grab a jacket, his backpack, walk through the library and pick up his book on his way to class.
Also on Oct. 10, the University Library Art Gallery's opens with the inaugural exhibit "Peanuts Goes to College: The Work of Charles M. Schulz." The exhibit presents a selection of original cartoon strips in which Schulz takes an affectionate and sometimes pointed look at libraries and the institution of higher education. The exhibit curated by Michael Schwager and Ruth Begell, the executive director of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, runs through December 15, 2000.
The SSU Center for Performing Arts presents the play "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" from October 6-14, as a tribute to the cartoonist and his characters.
Information on tickets is available by calling (707) 664-2353 or by visiting www.sonoma.edu/depts/performingarts/cpa/cpa.html.
The dedication of the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center comes just one week after the 50th anniversary of the day the late artist's cartoon strip, Peanuts, first appeared (Oct. 2, 1950).
Editor's note: Hard copy and electronic versions of the Schulz Information Center photo are available by calling (707) 664-2122.
