Morton and Angela Topfer

   The dedication of the Morton and Angela Topfer Library Café took place on 2 June 2000, at 1 p.m., on the patio in front of the Library Café (Whitehead Hall). The Morton and Angela Topfer Library Café combines the ambience of a New York Internet Café with state-of-the-art computing services. Open seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day, it provides students with a well designed setting for study and with ready access to the Internet, e-mail, electronic reference tools, and myriad software packages.

Brooklyn College Library Café Named in Honor of Dell Executive Brooklyn, NY--Live classical music, helium balloons and chilled champagne set the tone earlier this month at Brooklyn College as a state-of-the-art computer site officially became the Morton and Angela Topfer Library Café.

The Library Café

Christoph M. Kimmich, president of Brooklyn College, and Herbert E. Berman of the New York City Council, along with other elected officials, faculty, administrators, and students gathered to celebrate and thank the donors for their $1 million gift to the College, which helps support and maintain the facility. The event was webcast, enabling friends and members of the Topfer family in Texas to watch the festivities.

"Thanks to Morton and Angela's magnanimous gift, and the generous funding from Councilman Herb Berman, the College has created a wonderful facility that serves as an inviting haven to our hardworking students," said President Kimmich.

Morton Topfer, who graduated from Brooklyn College in 1959, became vice-chairman of Dell Computer Corporation in 1994 and is now counselor to the chief executive officer of the company. Several newspaper and magazine articles have been written commending his successful work ethic and entrepreneurial talent.

President Christoph M.Kimmich and Morton Topfer

"During a visit to the campus last year, I became intrigued with the Library Café and its many possibilities," said Mr. Topfer. "I am delighted that I can help make possible such an exciting technological resource for Brooklyn College students."

The sleek electronic study center was initially funded with a $1.6 million capital grant from the Brooklyn delegation of the New York City Council, led by Herbert E. Berman, who chairs the Council's Finance Committee.

"The New York City Council was proud to fund this cutting-edge facility for students," said Councilman Berman. "But now we have even more reason to feel good about the project and the synergy between public dollars and their power to inspire private funding."

Students have access to 50 high-speed networked computers and all the amenities that go with them, including the World Wide Web, e-mail, and a large selection of software packages.The cafe features power plug-ins and modems and network connections for laptops. In addition, the center offers four group-study rooms, lounge seating, and a swanky conversation pit.

Pat Hassett and Barbra Higginbotham

All library services, including the online catalogue, electronic journals, reference sources, indexes, databases and CD-ROM products are located on the library's local area network, which may be accessed from any Library Cafe computer.

Barbara Higginbotham, chief librarian and executive director of academic information technologies, pointed out that librarians and technical staff are on hand to help students take advantage of the new system.

Workshops are available for people who would like to improve their research and computing skills.

The Library Cafe, an elegant combination of warm woods, brushed metals, transparent wiring tubes and halogen lighting, was designed by the architectural firm of Thanhauser and Esterson.

To view more pictures from this event please click here. To view the video clips from this event click here.