EIU Media Relations

Perry, Tours and Library Cards Await Visitors to EIU

Meet the president. Tour the newly renovated Blair Hall. Apply for a free library card.

Community residents are invited to do all this and more as Eastern Illinois University continues its series of pre-inaugural events planned to commemorate President William L. Perry's formal oath of office, planned for later in the week.

Interested persons -- including university faculty, staff and students -- are invited to visit with Perry and his wife, Linda, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, in Cougill Foyer, located in Eastern's Old Main (the "Castle"). Attendees will be able to view the president's office, see the portraits of Eastern's former presidents and participate in walking tours of portions of campus.

Ample parking will be available in the lot just east of Old Main.

Student ambassadors plan to introduce participants to nearby Blair Hall, which was nearly destroyed by fire in April 2004. Those who are Illinois residents over the age of 18 can also visit Booth Library, where they can apply for a Community Patron Library Card, entitling the user to on-site borrowing of EIU circulating material.

Residents seeking to acquire a card will have to present a photo identification at the time application is made. The card is then mailed to the resident's home address.

The loan period for books, government documents and the juvenile collection is four weeks. Periodicals and videos (DVD, VHS) can be checked out for one day. Current best-sellers and audio compact discs can be checked out for one week.

All patrons to Booth Library have free access to Reference Desk services, computer labs, wireless Internet throughout the building, and assistance from the library staff.

In addition, workshops related to many popular Microsoft products and internet applications are free and open to the public. (Visit the library's Web site [ http://www.library.eiu.edu ] for information/registration.)

Also available are "Find Information Fast" workshops that are specifically designed to help library patrons understand the fundamentals of using the library and online electronic resources.

All university/community residents are invited to attend the Presidential Inauguration, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, in Eastern's Grand Ballroom, located in the MLK Jr. Union.