Miles away, worlds apart

Miles away, worlds apart

By Michael Howerton

Containing extensive collections of 17th- and 18th-century
literature, fine book printing and the world’s best public
collection of Oscar Wilde material, UCLA’s William Andrews Clark
Memorial Library draws scholars from around the world.

However, while part of the university, the Clark Library is in
the West Adams district, far from the Westwood campus ­ closer
to USC than UCLA.

The two upstairs library rooms, two-tiered with upper case book
cabinets and a lower reading area with rich dark wood panels and
elegant furnishings remain very much the way they were in Clark’s
day. Ornate ceiling design and intricate Persian rugs that line the
floor give a glimpse of the library as Clark envisioned it.

These rooms are now used for public events and seminars, unable
to be used as study rooms due to the lack of supervision. Rather, a
reading room and extensive book annex have been constructed on the
lower level, where readers can use the materials.

Between the two upper library rooms is an arch-ceiling hallway
that John Bidwell, the Clark librarian, refers to as "our little
Sistine chapel." Painted by American artist Allyn Cox in a
Michelangelesque fresco-type style, the ceiling shows classical
images of Apollo and Leto with various muses and allegories
signifying Clark’s pre-eminence as patron of the arts.

Peter Reill, the current director of the Clark library and the
UCLA Center for 17th- and 18th-century studies, said he intends to
make the library more accessible to the campus community, many of
whom have no idea that the library exists or that it is open to the
general public.

Created in 1986, the Center handles the administration of the
Clark library and assists in formulating programs through the
library and on campus concerning those centuries.

"The center exists to establish ties between the library and the
academic life on campus," Bidwell said. "The Clark Library
functions as a UCLA library, with all the material on ORION."

Reill, who has directed the center and the Clark library since
1987, said he wanted to emphasize that the Clark library and the
programs it offers are open to everybody, not just graduate
students and professors, as is sometimes perceived.

"People get that idea because the library is so specialized and
it’s off campus," said Bidwell. "But it is designed to provide
material to anyone who has a serious scholarly interest."

Reill also said that he hopes to find ways to reach out to the
undergraduate population at the university. One of the ways in
which he hopes this can happen, he said, is by setting up an
undergraduate internship program that would be tied to a specific
course and come with a stipend.

"The Clark is one of the unknown treasures of Los Angeles and
UCLA," he said. "Undergraduates should know more about it."

In addition to the ever-growing collection, which is now at
90,000 books and 25,000 manuscripts, the library offers many
programs and research grants every year.

The collection focuses on four main areas of study: the 17th-
and 18th-century material, which was the original focus of the
library at its inception, the Oscar Wilde material, fine book
printing and artwork and western Americana, focusing primarily on
Montana.

Each year there is a main topic around which various lectures
and seminars are focused. These lectures are given by UCLA
professors.

This year’s theme has been Life Studies, examining
autobiography, biography, and portraits in the 17th and 18th
centuries. Next year’s programs are now being formulated around the
theme "The Challenge of the Enlightenment."

"The library has expanded in many directions over the years,"
said Norman Thrower, who was director from 1981 to 1987. "One of
the ways is that now more young scholars are included in these
seminar type settings. While previously, the programs were mostly
well-known professors in lecture type format."

Music is another way they have expanded the programs, with a
two-year concert series featuring chamber music performances. So
far, the music events have been more successful than imagined,
selling out immediately.

Expanding to include music is appropriate to the Clark spirit,
explained Thrower, since Clark was an avid patron of music. He
entertained his visitors by playing one of his prized collectibles,
Thomas Jefferson’s violin, in the library’s chamber hall.

The concert programs are performed in the same room, still
decorated as it was in Clark’s day, with portraits of the literary
greats of the 17th and 18th centuries on the walls.

The concerts also serve to compliment the large music holdings
of the library, Bidwell said.

Since the library is completely financed by Clark’s endowed fund
and donations from organizations such as the Getty and the Ahmanson
foundations, the library has been able to continue providing
generous stipends and living quarters to scholars as well as
vigorously pursuing acquisitions despite the budget cuts that have
plagued UC supported libraries, Reill said.

"These are different times than when I was there," Thrower said.
"The university is pressured to make cuts. However, we are very
lucky to have our own endowment and grants."