Posted: 1-15-2009
Vimla and Indra Vasil Library and Reading Room dedicated in Fifield
The University of Florida’s horticultural sciences department now boasts its own library and reading room, thanks to funds and books donated by Indra Vasil, a graduate research professor emeritus with the department, and other faculty members.
The department officially opened the Vimla and Indra Vasil Library and Reading Room with a dedication ceremony Jan. 9 at Fifield Hall on the UF main campus. The event included a seminar by Purdue University’s Jules Janick, the James Troop Distinguished Professor in Horticulture, on art as a source of information on horticultural technology.
The library and reading room is named in honor of Indra Vasil and his wife Vimla, a scientist emeritus with the department. The department already has an endowed professorship—the Vasil/Monsanto Professor—named after Indra Vasil.
Dan Cantliffe, chairman of the department, said the library will be of great benefit to faculty members and graduate students specializing in horticultural sciences, botany, genetics and biotechnology.
“We have a large collection of books and journals, many of which are not available elsewhere at UF,” Cantliffe said. “We’ve been amassing materials for 10 years, starting with a large collection of deceased former faculty member Jim Soule.”
The library, located in 2546 Fifield Hall, includes books, journals, master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. It features three study carrels with computer terminals and a copy machine. A librarian is available part time to assist with library use and research.
The project originated as Vasil prepared to retire in July 1999. During a half-century of academic life he’d accumulated a huge personal library. He agreed to donate the entire collection to the department to help launch a library. This was matched with large collections from faculty including Soule, Cantliffe, Janick and many others.
Finding the right place to house the collection proved challenging, Cantliffe said, but the wait paid off.
During the recent renovation of Fifield Hall, air handlers in a second-floor room were moved to the exterior of the building, providing a space for the library. Funding to renovate the room was provided by Vasil and then matched by the state; funding for bookshelves, desks, computers and other furnishings was contributed by Sal Locascio, a professor emeritus with the department.
Besides Vasil’s collection, the library also houses publications donated by Cantliffe, Tom Humphries, Janick, Paul Lyrene, Daryl Pring and Soule. The families of deceased former faculty members Herb Bryan, C.B. Hall, Norm Haslip and Bill Wiltbank have donated materials as well. Anyone interested in contributing publications to the library may contact Cantliffe at djcant@ufl.edu or 392-1928, ext. 203.
Learn more about Indra Vasil here
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