By Brad Bormann ’14

Photo by Nicole Maselli ’14/ The Lafayette

It is one thing to claim a casual interest in history. Many people do. But it is an entirely different level of passion to collect the physical evidence of history and use it to teach others. Lafayette College employs a member of this rare breed of intellect; and she combines her ability with a warm smile and inquisitive eyes.

Her name is Diane Shaw.

Shaw is the Director of Special Collections and College Archivist and works in the same office that boasts the sword of Marquis de Lafayette and letters from his personal correspondence with George Washington.

“Some of the pleasures of the job have been uncovering the stories that make Lafayette College, Lafayette College,” Shaw said. “We are a place where you can still see the original item, and learn something about its history. We’re very proud of that! We like the tangibility of our collections.”

Shaw’s Special Collections Department serves as the liaison between the present body of Lafayette students and the College’s storied history. As the College Archivist, she maintains the collection of primary historical material and sources.

Shaw also monitors courses and programs on campus to see how she can connect them with the library’s historical collections. “We are always trying to see where our materials dovetail with classes. We’ve had some wonderful collaborations with faculty over the years,” she said.

Shaw was influenced by her father, an avid historian, while she grew up in Murfreesboro, TN. She attended Emory University in Atlanta and earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Librarianship and Information Science.

She began work as an Archivist at Emory University’s Special Collections Department for nearly a decade after receiving her Bachelor’s degree. While at Emory, she met her future husband, a Ph. D candidate in history.

Shaw began working at Lafayette in 1985, when she followed her husband after he took a teaching position at Cedar Crest College.

“I worried a little bit about transitioning from a University to a small liberal arts college, and what that would mean in terms of stimulation,” she said. “But I found that I greatly enjoyed working with the undergraduates, I loved the small, close-knit nature of Lafayette, where you knew everyone from the President to first-year students. It turned out being a fine transition!”

Shaw has worked alongside Dean of Libraries Neil McElroy for two decades. “Diane is that rare individual whose brilliance brings out those around her, rather than leaving them in her shadow,” Mr. McElroy said. “I have heard so many students testify to the lessons and possibilities that Diane has revealed to them. For me, as a librarian, Diane is an inspiring example of how Lafayette’s librarians contribute powerfully to the college’s central educational mission.”