Out of a closet, a dream has risen. When the first ASMS classes arrived in 1991, the campus was not equipped with a library. Instead, students borrowed books and conducted research at public libraries and at the University of South Alabama. It became clear to English instructor Dr. Jeff Goodman that ASMS needed its own library. "A school without a library is like a person without a heart," says Goodman, who started the first ASMS library in 1991 in a closet in the old Student Activity Center and built up its collection by picking up used books in his van with the help of students. As the collection grew, the library moved from the closet to a larger storage room in the SAC. Carlotta Russell, the first ASMS librarian and current Assistant to the President/Director, recalls the early days: “It was a big musty room when I started to fill it with books. But it was better than a closet and we made the most of it.” Fast forward to 2007. “We’ve come a long way!” says current ASMS librarian Angela Mollise. “Our vision for the library was big – but it had to be, because ASMS was a grand vision to begin with. Now that it is finished, it feels like a dream has come true.” With its sleek and modern architecture, the newly built Ann Smith Bedsole Library stands as a testament to the school’s growth and commitment to providing the best education possible. The building is named after Ann Bedsole, an ASMS School Board and Foundation Board member who was instrumental in founding the school in 1989.
“It is extraordinary to reflect on how far ASMS has come,” said Bedsole during a brief dedication speech last October. “It is an honor to be associated with ASMS.” Much of the floor plan in the building is open and mixes large glass walls and windows with bright colors and contemporary lighting fixtures. Although most of the second floor is devoted to library space, there is also a large media center, history classroom, and group study rooms. The first floor houses the ASMS Gallery, reception area, Coffee House, Dragon’s Den TV room, game room, exercise room, offices, the SGA suit, and a physical education classroom. Clearly, though, the library is the most special space in the building. With its bold colors and exposed ceilings, the room is decidedly modern. Yet, the collection of folk art, on loan from the Ann and Palmer Bedsole Collection, certainly grounds the space. The collection contains examples from such heavyweights as Clementine Hunter, B. Sims, and Jim Sudduth. “The art pieces selected for the library work on so many levels,” says Mollise. “Because the building is modern, the outsider art seems to tone things down and creates a warm feeling.” So how does the new building measure up? “We have something special here with this building,” says Dr. Garvin Wattuhewa, who has been at the school since its inception. “It is hard to believe how nice it turned out.” Students seem to love it as well. “I absolutely love the new building,” says senior Katherine Screven. “I think it’s really special that the third-year senior class is able to experience this building.” One question remains: Does the new space outdo that old closet? “I could not be more thrilled with the library,” says Goodman. “I, especially, like the placement of the periodicals in the center of things on the second floor.”
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