The College of New Rochelle to Rededicate Newly Renovated Mother Irene Gill Library

    NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The College of New Rochelle
 (CNR) will rededicate its state-of-the-art Mother Irene Gill Library in grand
 style on Thursday April 11, 2002, following a two-year, multi-million dollar
 renovation. The rededication will begin at 10 a.m. with an academic
 convocation and conferral of an honorary degree on His Eminence Edward
 Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, in the Holy Family Chapel. Immediately
 following the ceremony, the Cardinal will formally bless the library.  Remarks
 will be made by CNR alumna Lieutenant Governor Mary O. Donohue (SAS '68).
     "For more than six decades, Gill Library has been at the epicenter of
 intellectual discussion and scholarly research. Now, having renovated this
 historic building into a technically advanced facility, faculty, students, and
 the surrounding community have the unique opportunity to utilize this creative
 environment for lifelong learning," said Stephen J. Sweeny, Ph.D., President,
 The College of New Rochelle.
     First opened in 1938, Mother Irene Gill Library has served as an important
 resource to the College's students and faculty and the community-at-large in
 the City of New Rochelle and Westchester County for more than 60 years. After
 undergoing two years of complete renovation of its interior -- utilizing funds
 raised during the College's last capital campaign and the assistance of a
 $1 million grant from New York State for technology -- the newly renovated
 library has taken a bold step into the 21st century while retaining its
 architectural integrity. A few highlights of the new library include: over
 200 new data ports to access Gill's extensive online databases and the
 Internet; dozens of computer workstations throughout the library; a
 computerized Instruction Room to enhance research ability using the latest
 information technology; an extensive collection of over 200,000 volumes,
 including rare books collections of James Joyce, Thomas More and the Ursuline
 Order - founders of CNR; soft comfortable seating; spacious private study
 rooms; and a new refreshment lounge. Architects for the project were The
 Hillier Group in Princeton, New Jersey, and construction was conducted by
 Calgi Construction.
     "The goal of the renovation," said Joseph G. Tattoni, AIA, ALA, Associate
 Principal and Principal in Charge/Design, Hillier Group, "was to transform the
 library into an open, modern library with a magnificent two-story atrium. As a
 result of this renovation, the library is able to better accommodate new
 technology for students as they prepare to meet the challenges they will face
 in the 21st century."
     Since reopening to the College Community in January, the response to the
 new library has been extremely positive. "The students are enjoying the fact
 they have a place to study -- a place that they can be proud of in terms of a
 modern facility," said Jim Schleifer, Dean, Mother Irene Gill Library. "The
 faculty are very impressed with the library. They think it's architecturally
 very successful. The impact has been very positive."
     In bestowing an Honorary Degree on Edward Cardinal Egan, The College of
 New Rochelle recognizes the remarkable contribution that the Archbishop has
 given to Catholic education as Pastor of New York since his installation on
 May 11, 2000, at Cathedral of Saint Patrick.
     The former Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Edward Cardinal Egan has
 been a Catholic priest for over 45 years. He was consecrated a bishop in 1985.
 In January 2001, Pope John Paul II named him a member of the College of
 Cardinals.
     Educated in the United States and in Vatican City, Cardinal Egan graduated
 Summa Cum Laude in 1964 with a doctorate in Canon Law from Rome's Pontifical
 Gregorian University. In presenting Cardinal Egan with an honorary degree from
 The College of New Rochelle, President Sweeny said of the Cardinal, "he has
 been described as a champion of Catholic education, a man of learning and
 culture, who has upheld the highest standards in schools and educational
 programs. His approach to education is grounded in the liberal arts, and he
 has sought policies and procedures that respect and promote the dignity and
 worth of each individual."
     Today, Cardinal Egan serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Sacred
 Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, Thomas More College in Merrimack,
 New Hampshire, Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., the
 National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and the
 Ratisbonne Institute in Jerusalem.
     Cardinal Egan has received honorary doctorates from Saint John's
 University in New York, Thomas More College in New Hampshire, and Western
 Connecticut State University.
 
     The first Catholic college for women in New York State, The College of New
 Rochelle was founded in 1904 by the Ursuline Order. Today, it comprises the
 all-women School of Arts & Sciences, and three schools which admit women and
 men: the School of New Resources (for adult learners), the School of Nursing
 and the Graduate School.  The main campus of the College is located in lower
 Westchester County, 16 miles north of New York City.  The College maintains
 six other campus locations in New York City. Visit the College's website at
 http://www.cnr.edu .
 
     The Hillier Group was founded in 1966 by J. Robert Hillier, FAIA. It is
 the fourth largest architecture firm in the nation skilled in areas of design
 specialization, which it calls "practice groups" for industry-focused or
 service-oriented organizations, including Higher Education, Historic
 Preservation, Corporate, Healthcare, Hospitality, Science and Technology, Land
 Planning, K-12 Public Education, Historic Preservation, and Graphic Design.
 
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SOURCE  The College of New Rochelle