USD Magazine, Fall 1995

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3 . & 4. THE LIBRARIES OF NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY IN NOTRE DAME, IND., AND GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. "These two libraries at Catholic universities are members of the prestigious Association of Research Libraries." 5. THE LIBRARY OF THE SPERTUS INSTI– TUTE OF JEWISH STUDIES IN CHICAGO. "There are several libraries of Judaica in the United States. I have used this one many times; its collection is a model for the development of a similar library for Catholic studies." 6. THE FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY IN WASH! GTON, D.C. "This contains an enormous collection on the Renais– sance, one of the most interesting periods in Western history." NATIONALE IN PARIS. "Both of these great national libraries were begun hun– dreds of years ago and contain virtually all the books of Western civilization." 9. THE VATICAN LIBRARY. "This has the largest collection of books from ancient civilization and many of the great texts of the Bible, including the Codex Vaticanus from the fourth century." 10. COPLEY LIBRARY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DtEGO. "This is a beautiful library, with books dating from the 14th century through September 1995. But its people are its strongest asset. I like coming here to work every day. So do 1,200 students." 11. (Bonus) THE LIBRARY IN ANYTOWN, U.S.A. "Find the public library in a small town or village. Always a fascinat– ing place, packed with books, and a high circulation rate among locals. Usually includes some books on local history and buildings. We are actually a very literate nation." 7. & 8. THE BRITISH LIBRAaY IN LONDON AND LA BIBLIOTHEQUE

Bancroft Ranch House in Spring Valley. And there's the mysterious man who walks the halls of the Wells Fargo Bank in downtown San Diego. In addition to telling the stories of these and other ghosts in San Diego, White includes in each chapter a history about the inhabited building or area. The self-published book, now in its third printing, has established White as an expert in ghostly matters and has pro– duced some interesting reactions. "I've had a couple of people call and tell me, 'I've read your book. Who can I call to get rid of the ghost in my house?"' White says. "I have to laugh because I guess I'm considered a local authority and I have no idea how to get rid of a ghost." One of her most memorable encoun– ters with readers happened one day as she was checking her book's stock level in a local store. "A lady was reading the first chapter out loud to her friends, who were all gathered around her," White says. "I just had to hang around to lis– ten. She read the opening to the Whaley House chapter and said, 'This place is just across the street. We have to go there!' I introduced myself to them and they had me sign the book. That was a big thrill for me." Though White acknowledges that many people are skeptics - she admits to being one herself at times - she has one important tip for ghost hunters. "Keep an open mind," she advises. "I'm convinced that there are things out there that we just can't explain. If you're open to it, I think you have a better chance of having an experience." Optimism like that undoubtedly is shared by the hundreds who flock to the Horton Grand's Room 309 each year. I've survived a night on my own in the infamous Room 309. Though I feLt a bit uncomfortable about the legend at first, I'm now terribly disappointed that Roger didn't make his presence known to me (though the phone did mysteriously ring once at 9:30 p.m.). Perhaps next time I'll be more fortunate. I'll definitely be back! Janet Jan. 19, 1995

THE 10 BEST LIBRARIES ON EARTH

It's fall again and time to start hitting the books, either for school or pleasure. For this edition of the USD Top 10, Ed Starkey, USD university librarian and associate professor, shares his personal list of the best libraries in the world. Starkey holds a B.A. from Stonehill College, an M.A. in English from the State University of New York at Albany, an M.S. in library science from the University of Kentucky and an M.A. in religious studies from the University of Dayton. He also pursued studies in theology at Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. Starkey was an English teacher from 1968 to 197 5, and has since worked in university libraries in a variety of capaci– ties. He has headed USD's Copley Library since 1988. 1. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. "lt is, quite simply, the best there is. Its core collection was put together by Thomas Jefferson. When you're in Washington, D.C., visit it." 2. THE HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY IN CAMBRIDGE, MA . "The greatest aca– demic collection in North America and the model for research universities."

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