Closing at 6:00 pm Sunday, 01/08/17

The library will be closing at 6:00 pm tonight, January 8, 2017.

Closed Saturday, January 7, 2017

The library is closed today, January 7, 2017.

The (Very) First Day of Classes - Jan. 3, 1842

Welcome back everyone!  For those of you taking classes during Jan Term this year, you have an extra something in common with a special set of Samford students!

The school's original nine students -- John Thomas Barron, Thomas Booth, "Aleck" Miller, Thomas Cravens, William King, William Blassingame, Samuel Goree, Thomas Anderson, and Thomas A. J. Oliver -- started classes on this very day in 1842.  President Samuel Sterling Sherman logged their names into the official matriculation (enrollment) record.

Image courtesy of the University Library Special Collection

The original matriculation record is housed in the University Library's Special Collection department as a part of the University Archives.

Click here for more information on Howard College's "original nine."

Library Hours -- Jan Term 2017

Happy New Year everyone!  We here at the library hope that you're enjoying the last day of the holiday break and we want to let you know that when we open back up tomorrow we'll be ready to help you with all your research needs throughout 2017.

Speaking of opening back up tomorrow, when we do so the library will be operating under our Jan Term hours:

• Monday through Thursday -- 7:30am-8:00pm
• Friday -- 7:30am-5:00pm
• Saturday -- 10:00am-5:00pm
• Sunday -- 1:00pm-8:00pm

The library will also be CLOSED on Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

We will resume regular library hours on Monday, January 23rd.  You can find more information about the library's hours of operation on our website by clicking here.

December 29th, 1841 - Howard College Incorporated

Although the celebration of Samford's 175th anniversary has been in full swing for a little while now, it was on this day in 1841 that the state of Alabama officially recognized Samford University as a corporate institution of academic learning. The school was incorporated as Howard College in Marion, Alabama under the leadership of 15 trustees.  Happy Birthday, Samford!

Image courtesy of the Samford University Library Special Collection

Want to find out more? Check out this selection from the Special Collection Treasures collection.

December 19th, 1871 -- Birmingham is Incorporated

On this day in 1871, The city of Birmingham was incorporated by an act of the Alabama state legislature that authorized the governor to appoint a mayor and eight aldermen.  This act also authorized the mayor to require that all males between the ages of 18 and 45 be required to work five days a year on the streets and avenues of the city.

Image courtesy of the University Library Special Collection

The full text of the act that established the city of Birmingham may be found by clicking here.

A view of Birmingham in 1873. Image courtesy of the University Library Special Collection

The city grew to over 26,000 residents by 1890, earning the name "the Magic City" for suddenly appearing where seemingly nothing had been before.

More information about Birmingham's early years -- including a list of the buildings shown in the above photograph -- may be found by clicking here.

Happy birthday, Magic City!