By Alexandra Brewer | Arts & Life Intern
Sunlight glistened through the stained-glass windows and bathed the Armstrong Browning Library in color as students, faculty and benefactors filled the Treasure Room on Thursday afternoon to honor those who help preserve its stories and artwork.
Benefactors Day, first observed in 1999, is an annual event that honors the donors who sustain the library’s acquisitions, programming, and student opportunities. Jennifer Borderud, the library’s director, said the majority of the library’s funding comes from generous donors, which enables the library to expand its collections, support scholarly work, and provide students with unique learning experiences.
“The majority of our budget that we use to purchase collection materials comes from donors, and it’s absolutely necessary for us to buy new things,” Borderud said.
Thursday’s program featured undergraduate students presenting their original research using the library’s collections. The presentations demonstrated the library’s role not just as a repository of knowledge, but as a dynamic space for student discovery and academic growth. Waco senior Haydin Davis said she found the works displayed very significant to her.
“We know that it was part of a greater story, and this really showcases the importance of the work and how this is an important segment of Baylor’s art collection,” Davis said.
The Armstrong Browning Library is unique in its extensive range of manuscripts, letters, books and works of art. It provides an environment where literature and history can be explored firsthand, allowing learning and research to come to life. Its collections not only preserve the legacies of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, but also offer students and scholars the opportunity to engage directly with rare materials and develop critical research skills.
“We have the world’s largest collection of materials relating to the Victorian poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning,” Borderud said. “We also have a collection of 19th-century materials to support research on the time period in which they lived.”
After sharing their original works, the students had a brief panel for any follow-up questions about their projects. A light refreshment ceremony followed in suit. The gathering finished in a similar manner to how it began, with the library filled with sunlight, bright color and an appreciation for all those who make the Armstrong Browning Library the learning resource that it is.
