By Bill Hancock 88th Air Base Wing, Public Affairs
Originally published in the 16 Sept 16 Skywrighter, page A10
Col. Thurman Bane, the first commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology, penned a letter to the director of Military Aeronautics in Washington, D.C., expounding the necessity to establish an Air Service School of Application at McCook Field, stating, " No man can efficiently direct work about which he knows nothing."
The school was established in the following year in 1919, along with its library.
On May, 1, 2009, the Air Force Institute of Technology Academic Library and the Air Force Research Laboratory Technical Library, merged and became The D'Azzo Research Library. The library is named after the distinguished educator and research scientist Dr. John D'Azzo, who served as an engineer, educator and technology leader for nearly 64 years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
" We are not just a warehouse for books," said Dr. Ellis Beteck, director of the AFIT academic side of The D'Azzo Library, " Our mission is to support the educational, teaching, research and administrative needs of the faculty, students and staff of both the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Air Force Research Laboratories. In short, we are the academic hub of Wright-Patt."
The library is open to anyone with base access.
" Our library is equivalent to libraries from honorable academic institutions around the world. Our exceptional resources include state-of-the-art data bases, journals, reference services, electronic text books, bountiful online assets, group study assets and more," said Beteck " We ensure our patrons have the collaborative workspaces and academic essentials to provide the high level of comfort and support to make their study and research efforts successful."
While the library does not stock classics of literature, patrons will find an academic library specialized in ultramodern and historical, engineering and technology research resources. Credentialed librarians are on staff, trained to teach customers how to use all the library's resources.
" We can help with inter-library loans if you cannot find what you are looking for and that could mean borrowing a book from London, New Zealand, or anywhere in the world," said Amy High, chief of Reader Services. " We specialize in helping students and researchers find the information they need, from collaborative research projects, to teaching information literacy, to orientation for new students."
New users are urged to inquire at the circulation desk for information regarding base employee borrowing privileges. All visitors are expected to comply with all Air Force policies and instructions concerning the handling and appropriation of information.
Recent additions have increased foot traffic as more researchers discover the library's benefits, resources and comfortable surroundings. Fresh renovations include a new bathroom, lactation room for new mothers, networked workstations and Wi-Fi access throughout the library.
" We continue to upgrade and improve our user's experience," said Beteck, " It is all part of our mission as we strive to be one of the premiere defense libraries in the world."
The D'Azzo Research Library is located in Bldg. 642 of the AFIT campus.
Library main contact number is 937-255-6565, ext. 3005. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Saturday, Sunday and all federal holidays.
Library users can also visit the The D'Azzo library websites at www.afit.edu/library/ and www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/wrslibrary/.
