By Greta Suiter, Manuscripts Archivist
Ohio University Libraries is now live on the Bloomberg Connects app — opening up a dynamic new way to explore Alden Library, its history, and its collections from anywhere. Click here to visit the Alden Library guide.
Introduction to Alden Library
The Bloomberg Connects guide brings Alden Library’s spaces, stories, and exhibitions to your phone, offering an accessible, digital companion for your visit.
The guide begins with an introduction to Alden Library, featuring images of students studying at tables, reading, and working on laptops — a reminder of how central this space is to campus life. You’ll also find insights into the Libraries’ mission, history, and role in supporting research and learning across the university.
Visitors can browse practical sections such as Accessibility, Plan Your Visit, and Exhibits and Events. These sections make it easier to navigate the building and discover what’s happening inside.
The Cornelius Ryan Room
One of the most exciting features is the section on the Cornelius Ryan Room, home to the papers of journalist and author Cornelius Ryan, best known for The Longest Day.
Through the app, users can explore archival materials, photographs, research notes, and the exhibits in the Ryan Room that connect to Ryan’s work and legacy. The digital guide enhances the experience of visiting the room in person, offering context, interpretation, and multimedia elements.
Audio recordings are available through the app and provide additional context to the items on display and excerpts from original questionnaires collected by Ryan. There is also an excerpt from a recording of Ryan conducting an interview with Gen. Howard Blakeley. Each audio recording has a transcript, allowing one to follow along while listening.
When visiting the Ryan Room in person, there are QR codes around the room that when scanned will link to the correlating section in the Bloomberg Connects app. These also have numbers on them and by using the “Lookup” feature in the app one can go directly to that section.
We are excited to be a part of the Bloomberg Connects app and hope it enhances your next visit to Alden!
Previous blog posts about the Ryan room and the Cornelius Ryan Collection of World War II Papers
- The Updated Ryan Room Exhibit
- Updating an Archives Exhibit: The Ryan Room
- Infographics Inspired by the Cornelius Ryan Collection focus on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day
- Volunteer Transcription Shines Light on D-Day Narratives
- Commemorating D-Day panel discussion