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The collection includes the copper time capsule and the published materials that composed its contents, which were sealed inside the 1969 Central Michigan University Park Library building cornerstone until they were extracted during the 1999-2001 building renovation.

The collection includes the copper time capsule and the published materials that composed its contents, which were sealed inside the 1969 Central Michigan University Park Library building cornerstone until they were extracted during the 1999-2001 building renovation. These publications mainly document the history of the Park, Mr. Charles V. Park, for whom the library building is named, sources of the library’s collection development activities, CMU courses, CMU President William B. Boyd, student protests against the Vietnam War, both on campus and nationally, international relations, and President Richard M. Nixon. Except for the newspapers, which are quite acidic, the collection is in very good condition. Materials are organized by size and format, alphabetically and chronologically. Published items in the collection are under copyright.

Researchers may be interested in other Clarke collections documenting the CMU Libraries, President William Boyd, Mr. Park, and student protests against the Vietnam War.

The collection documents the reconstruction and new addition of the CMU Park Library building, as well as ongoing life in the new building.

This collection documents the reconstruction and new addition of the CMU Park Library building, as well as ongoing life in the new building, located on the corner of Preston and Franklin Streets in Mount Pleasant, through photographs, webpages, clippings (copies), publications, and other materials. This collection was kept separate from prior Park Library collection due to its timely nature and for ease of retrieval, as requested by the Dean of Libraries.

Included here are various publications of exhibits and events, news articles, website pages, and brochures generated since 2002 documenting ongoing events in the building. Of particular note is Library needs of faculty in a changing environment: report of findings, a report based on a survey, written by Professor Mary A. Senter, December 2006. Also included are two CD-Roms, one of the library’s opening, January 9, 2002, and another of the 50th anniversary of the library’s federal depository program, January 24, 2008.

Later additions to the collection from the Dean’s Office include materials used to plan the new building, 3 CD-Roms of photographs of the construction and dedication. The collection is ongoing. A 2023 addition from the Libraries Business Services legacy files includes photographs of the interior construction and completed building exterior, and a Michigan Construction journal featuring the new building, and a questionnaire asking for construction details which were included in the article (see Box 1 Exhibits/Events Brochures folder).

Reference Point, the Park’s newsletter, is separately cataloged and housed as a periodical in the Clarke’s collections.

For additional information about the Park, see other, related collections documenting the history of the Park Library in the Clarke Historical Library.