The Dag Hammarskj?ld Library recently welcomed colleagues from the for a tour of the Library. The group of 15 librarians, led by Gwen Mayhew, were interested in a wide range of Library operations, including the mass retrospective digitization programme; the ; client services, online resources including the and ; systems and standards used for cataloguing, indexing, classification, and authority work; as well as the UN System consortium that coordinates the subscriptions to electronic databases and resources for UN Libraries, offices and agencies around the world.
The tour of the Library focused on its turbulent history, the early 1960s architecture of the building, as well as its spectacular interior design and the exquisite furnishings made by American, Danish, French and Swedish master craftspeople.
At the conclusion of the tour, the colleagues from the Metropolitan Museum enjoyed the view from the Library’s Second Floor Reading Room. With its stunning curved ceiling of Idaho white pine and its enormous custom-built card catalogue of African wenge wood, it is considered one of the most beautiful and serene spaces on the UN Headquarters in New York.