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“Any Person, Any Study” Fieldwork Fair @ Mann Library

Mon Oct 2, 2017
Fair at Mann Library
Photo by Jenny Leijonhufvud

Some happened to be passing through at the right time, and others made a beeline to the Mann lobby following their afternoon classes. But all who found their way to the Mann Library between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. last Thursday got a chance to browse some of the rich variety of experiential learning experiences available at Cornell on display in the Library’s first-ever Fieldwork Fair.

Over two dozen organizations, programs, departments and other groups participated in the Sept. 28th event, bringing materials and a readiness to talk to Cornell students about the hands-on learning possibilities they offer. Opportunities ranged from internships and expeditions in faraway places–through programs such as the Macaulay Library of Sound, the Shoals Marine Lab and the Tata-Cornell Institute–to the chance for some on-the-ground involvement in gathering data about local roads in Tompkins County or about school nutrition in Ithaca area schools, with lots more in between in the way of field experience possibilities for any person in any study.

We were pleased to see lots of lively conversations taking place during the Fair, and, by closing time, many a program sign-up sheet filled with names of interested parties looking forward to getting more info. For a few visual highlights, see our Fieldwork Fair slideshow, and if you missed the event but are interested in learning about the programs featured, the list below tells you who was there–click on the given links for the information you need about contacting the programs directly.

Mann Library’s Fieldwork Fair was organized in conjunction with the our ongoing special public programming focused on exploration in the field. Recent events included collaborative exhibits and special lectures by Mike Webster (Macaulay Library of Sound / Cornell Dept. of Neurobiology & Behavior) on media specimens and modern ornithology and Leslie Overstreet (Smithsonian Institute Libraries) on the seminal work of 18th century naturalist Mark Catesby). Also stay tuned for the new exhibit, “Island Immersion: Diving Into Discovery at Shoals Marine Laboratory,” to open in the Mann Gallery on October 20, 2017.