Kent State Unveils Marantz Picturebook Collection
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By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 1/7/2009 2:00:00 PM
More than 300 people, including author and illustrator David Macaulay, recently gathered at Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science to celebrate the opening of the Marantz Picturebook Collection in the Reinberger Children's Library Center.
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From left: Ken and Sylvia Marantz, David Macaulay at the opening of the Marantz Picturebook Collection at Kent State. |
Catalogued by illustrator rather than author, the collection will be open for students, scholars, artists, and all who are interested in exploring picture books and their impact in literature and art.
With the help of a $249,000 grant from the Cleveland-based Reinberger Foundation, the new Marantz Picturebook collection occupies 1,800 square feet of newly renovated space and features compact shelving, display areas for rare books and collections, distance learning classrooms, storytime area, and private study locations.
Macaulay, the keynote speaker and a long-time personal friend of the Marantz's, says the couple's passion for children's literature is "pretty obvious." "When they were talking about names for the new home of the collection, I had suggested 'The Kenneth and Sylvia Marantz Passion Pit,'" he joked, adding that he "couldn't be more proud" that some of his own works are part of the collection.
“The Marantzes and their collection 'are a fabulous reflection on our profession,'” Macaulay says, referring to the collection's new home as “friendly and warm” and “just so darn pleasurable.”
The Marantzes have spent more than 50 years studying, reviewing, and collecting picture books. Ken, professor emeritus of art education at Ohio State University, has offered his perspective of the picture book as an art through thousands of reviews, courses, lectures, and articles for educators. Sylvia has had a career as a librarian, book reviewer, and author. Together they have authored eight reference works on the picture book.
