About the Library

Revised 9/12/06
 

The Gladys Marcus Library is located on the 4th, 5th and 6th floors of the Shirley Goodman Resource Center. To meet the diverse needs of its associate, baccalaureate, master's and  other College programs, the Library has traditional holdings in the arts and humanities, but remains unique in its specializations. These resources provide professional aspects of the fashion business and the study of design not found in conventional academic libraries.

You may also want to view the Information Bulletin on FIT: History & Influential People.

 The Library  |  About Gladys Marcus 
 

The Gladys Marcus Library supports the academic needs of undergraduate and graduate students.  The Library provides a well-selected collection of more than 300,000 volumes of print, non-print, and electronic materials to support the instructional programs in art and design, business and technology, and the liberal arts.  The collection also includes specialized electronic and digital resources and materials not often found in conventional academic libraries such as the fashion and trend forecasting services, sketch collections, clipping files, and fashion show DVDs.  The Library’s collection of newspapers and periodicals includes over 500 current subscriptions and extensive back issue runs and specializes in international design periodicals and trade publications. The Digital Library, with databases provided by FIT, SUNYConnect, and the New York State Library, provides access to thousands of full-text journal articles, books, images, research reports and other resources; most are available remotely and twenty-four hours a day.
 
Special areas and projects include: the Special Collections with scrapbooks, archives, illustrations, and other primary research material in their original formats; the Interior Design Resource Center, a professional-level product literature collection; and the FIT Digital Image Library (FITDIL), a database of approximately 2500 digital images. Also under the auspices of the Library, is the GraphicsLAB PRINTFX, a state-of-the-art digital service bureau for pre-press printed graphics.
 
The Library’s web page (http://www3.fitnyc.edu/library) is a dynamic resource, providing a wealth of information, including access to StyleCat   [Online Catalog], the Digital Library, and research guides prepared by FIT Librarians.
 
As members of local, state, and international consortia, the Library participates in resource-sharing programs.  Through SUNY’s Open Access Policy our students have access to and borrowing privileges at all other SUNY libraries.  Other consortia include the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), providing access to NYC area libraries, and the  Research Libraries Group (RLG) Shares program, providing access to member libraries outside the NYC area.  [Click for FIT Alumni & Visitor Information.]

Gladys Marcus began her career at FIT in 1950, teaching history, civics, sociology, and political science. She was granted tenure as an associate professor in 1962 and in 1963, was named chairperson of the Social Studies Department. In 1971, she was appointed associate dean of general studies, and by 1977 she was named dean for Liberal Arts. As dean, Mrs. Marcus expanded and maintained a broad-based liberal arts component in the college's career- oriented degree programs. She headed the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation efforts at FIT and served as a member of the association's visiting teams evaluating other colleges. Long before the term "globalization" became widely accepted, Dean Marcus initiated international education and the development of overseas programs in various areas of study at FIT. She was a member of the State University of New York's consortium for overseas education.

Dean Gladys Marcus

Dean Marcus earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from New York University, graduating cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and received a master's degree from Clark University in Worcester, MA. She died on April 28, 1991. On October 8, 1992, at a dedication ceremony honoring Dean Marcus not only for her service to FIT but also for her lifelong commitment to reading and a well-rounded education, the college's library was renamed the Gladys Marcus Library.

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