Category Archives: Features

A collection of articles that are not news.

Volunteer Spotlight: Sallie Alger

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Recently I talked with Sallie Alger, a retired library faculty who is volunteering at the Center.

Why do you volunteer?
I am a high energy person who likes to be involved in campus, church, and community programs and I derive a sense of satisfaction by contributing to all. I believe that we have a responsibility to give back to our church and community as our time, talents, and funds allow!
To that end, I have volunteered at the local community library for approximately 25 years and with the Optimist Club of Berrien Springs for about 15 years, serving as president for one year, vice-president several times, and currently as a director. I have also held several offices at the Pioneer Memorial Church and have been a PMC Elder for 10 or 12 years. I just finished a two year volunteer position at Adventist Frontier Missions where I cataloged their library of 800 books and also served as a development representative—visiting and contacting donors in a five state region. I have also served on the local REACH board for approximately 10 years.
Hobbies and Activities
Reading, exercise, travel and, most importantly, our grandsons—Carter, 11, and Boden, 7 who live in Grand Rapids with their parents, Christopher (our son) and Jean (our lovely daughter-in-law)!

Sallie Alger is a retired library faculty who is back volunteering at the Center for Adventist Research cataloging the backlog of over 3,000 Seventh-day Adventist periodicals! She worked at the James White Library for 20+ years in various departments and capacities and ended her career there as Head of Bibliographic Services/S.A.I.L. Departments.

Katy Wolfer, Special Projects Manager / Hopes spring is near as she learns all she can about permaculture and no-till gardens.

Lantern slide. A washed-out looking view of a clearing with a few shrubs, bushes, and train depot with larger trees in the background. In the distance is the Loma Linda Sanitarium, a long building with a tower.

Lantern Slides

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We recently began a new project in the digitization area of the Center – scanning the thousands of lantern slides in our collection. Lantern slides were first introduced ten years after the invention of photography, and allowed images to be viewed by large groups. This was much like slide transparencies of a few years ago. The Center has an extremely large quantity of these slides, and none of them have been cataloged before now. The small box of 31 lantern slides we began with contained photos and drawings of Adventist institutions and images used for evangelistic sermons on Daniel and Revelation. We scanned the slides at our standard photograph resolution (600 dpi), which will allow printing of the image up to letter size without loss of quality. We have archived these images and we have made a web version available for electronic use which you can view and download on our website (click on the Lantern Slides album). We only have 31 images now, but there will be many more coming in the next few years!
Juliette Johnson, Digitization Manager / Enjoys digitizing her father’s slide collection from their missionary days in her spare time.

Model of home

Andrews Treasures Exhibit September 27, 2013

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Be inspired by God’s leading of His church as you view the original trunk that J. N. Andrews used on his historic mission trip, Uriah Smith’s desk, artifacts from Battle Creek and a display outlining the 150-year history of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In addition, the Center’s collection includes rare books, a handwritten Bible, Torah scrolls, and Sire Isaac Newton manuscripts.

Recently, CAR transferred old 16mm film of our campus into a digital format, which is now available for your viewing pleasure as part of our Andrews Treasures exhibition. The footage provides a vivid glimpse of life on the Emmanuel Missionary College campus, including 1940 Founders Day, 1941 graduation, construction of Nethery Hall, scenes from the campus farm and dairy, College Press, campus buildings and classroom scenes.

Model of home

Model of Ellen and James White’s home on Wood Street in Battle Creek, Michigan

Andrews Treasures Exhibit September 27, 2013

Dr. Burt, director of the Center for Adventist Research, giving an introduction to the Center.

Andrews Treasures Exhibit September 27, 2013

Poster of the Andrews Treasures Exhibit

Andrews Treasures Exhibit September 27, 2013

Alumnus of Andrews University viewing the exhibit “The Bible Through the Ages” at the Center for Adventist Research

Andrews Treasures Exhibit September 27, 2013

Alums looking at the Andrews Treasures exhibit at the Center for Adventist Research

Andrews Treasures Exhibit September 27, 2013

Two visitors at the Andrews University alumni weekend event “Andrews Treasures” view an original 1843 Millerite Prophetic chart on display at the Center for Adventist Research.

Andrews Treasures Exhibit September 27, 2013

Two visitors talk with Dr. Burt, director of the Center for Adventist Research, while viewing the Sir Isaac Newton manuscripts on display.

 

Tapestry found at the Center for Adventist Research.

A peek into the Archives

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In preparation for the 75th anniversary of the James White Library the Center for Adventist Research has been sifting through our artifacts to find items from our collection that don’t often get displayed because of the logistics of doing so securely and in a way that will preserve the item.

One such item is a tapestry that was donated to the Center some time ago. It is fragile condition and would require special care to display.

Detail from tapestry found at the Center for Adventist Research. It is a close-up of a man in armor looking up intently.

Detail from tapestry found at the Center for Adventist Research.

The centuries old cloth fibers have faded over time. As we opened up the tapestry we could smell the dust and decay. The muted colors of yellows, browns and greens blended together at first glance the central artwork with its border.

Detail of tapestry at Center for Adventist Research

Detail of tapestry at Center for Adventist Research

Then details soon called for attention. The intricately woven leaves in the border embraced musical instruments and flowers. Each graphic element representing some idea or thought. With an experts review we could learn their significance. The workmanship was evidenced in the nuanced expressions on the faces of the people featured in the tapestry. Scene is a moment of action frozen in time. One man is about to mount his horse.

Detail of tapestry at Center for Adventist Research

Detail of tapestry at Center for Adventist Research