- VIEW A VIDEO OF THE CEREMONY
- VIEW PHOTOS OF THE CEREMONY
- VIEW a 4-MIN CONDENSED VIDEO OF THE CEREMONY
- VIEW THE “HCLS LETTER TO THE FUTURE” VIDEO
- VIEW PHOTOS OF THE TIME CAPSULE INSTALLATION
- VIEW VIDEO OF THE TIME CAPSULE INSTALLATION
“Chapters-of-Our-Lives” Time Capsule timeline:
- October 24, 2015 – The first generation of Guardians (Class of 2015) were inducted and the 2015 container filled.
October 27, 2040 – The Class of 2015 will reconvene to pass the role of Guardian to the next generation (Class of 2040). Together, the two generations will open and re-seal the 2015 container, and fill the 2040 container. - October 24, 2065 – The Class of 2040 will gather to pass the role of Guardian to the Class of 2065. Together, they will open and re-seal the 2015 and 2040 containers, and fill the 2065 container.
- October 21, 2090 – The Class of 2065 will gather on the occasion of Howard County Library System’s sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary to open all three containers.
What’s Inside the Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule?
Special Recognition from National, State and Local Leaders
- Certificate of Special Recognition from U.S. Congressman Dutch Ruppersburger
- Citation from Members of the Maryland General Assembly-Legislative District 9
- Certificate of Recognition from Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman
- Honorary Resolution from Howard County Council
- Resolution from Howard County Board of Education
HCLS items
- Photos and short essays from and video of HCLS Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule Guardians
- 75 Years of Excellence in Education (Baltimore Sun insert, February 2015)
- Letter to future HCLS leadership from Valerie and Andy Dala, HCLS Board of Trustees Chair
- Copy of Transforming Our Image: Building Our Brand by Valerie J. Gross
- Vision 2020: Education for All (HCLS’ Srategic Plan, 2015-2020)
- source, HCLS quarterly classes and events guide (2015 issues)
- Brilliant Bites, HCLS staff cookbook
- HCLS scrapbook featuring pages from every branch and department
- 75th anniversary commemorative library cards
- Library Journal, Library of the Year issue (June 15, 2013)
- 3D printer item
- The Book That Eats People, chosen by Delani Thomas, winner of spring 2015 selfie contest
- Winning entries from 2015 bookmark contest
- Programs from 2015 signature events: Celebrate 75, Evening in the Stacks, HCLS Spelling Bee, Battle of the Books, Rube Goldberg Challenge, Choose Civility Symposium
- Choose Civility magnet and decal
- T-shirt from 2015 HCLS Spelling Bee
- HCLS mood pencil
- Most frequently borrowed titles published in 2015: Boyhood (movie on DVD), The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins (book and audiobook), 2015 Grammy Nominees (music cd)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, chosen by members of the Teen Advisory Board
- Enchanted Garden Field Guide
- List and photos of the 2015 Board of Trustees members
- List of 2015 HCLS full- and part-time staff
- “We’re Number 1” foam finger, given away at the 2013 “Here’s to You” Library of the Year celebration
- USB drive with video of Celebrate 75 Opening Ceremony (October 24, 2015) and video presentation of the Valerie Gross and Andy Dalal reading their joint letter to future HCLS leadership
Region / State / U.S. items
- U.S. currency
- Maryland flag
- Baltimore Sun (October 24, 2015)
- Pair of Under Armor athletic shoes
Who Are the Guardians?
Representatives from all Howard County middle schools pledge to carry on the HCLS legacy as Guardians of the Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule.
On Saturday, October 24, HCLS’ 75th Diamond Anniversary year concluded with Celebrate 75!,a community-wide celebration that attracted more than 1,600 people to the HCLS Miller Branch. Festivities began with the unveiling of the HCLS Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule and the treasure trove of items representive of HCLS and the year 2015. A pledge was made by 135 Howard County middle school student volunteers to carry the first chapter of the HCLS’ legacy forward for the next 25 years as Guardians of the Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule.
THE HCLS CLASS OF 2015 Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule Guardians are:
Lacee Adams Oluwaseun Adeyeye Meghan Albert Peter Alman Zilala Anwar Amaya Aranda Angelyn Asamoah Max Bagileo Juliana Baglione Yash Bajaj Alexander Beall Evan Bickel Danielle Bodziak Lindsey Bosley Fayth Bowie Mia Simkin-Brocato Olivia Brooks Isabelle Bryden Jackson Carstea Jaden Carstea Stephanie Choi Clare Chung Andrew Coffee Garland Crosby III Tatyana Cruz Peter Cunningham Kaden Dalal |
Emily Davies Alexandra De Bels Rehana Diallo Rohan Doma Ryon Edwards Sophia Fang Lyla Farooqi Marleigh Fields Leo Fisher Tomisin Fasosin Andy Fuentes Sarah Gezewich Jack Goldscher Jeraldy Gomez Anwesha Gorantla Kimmie Gordon Jeremy Guy Jericka Guy Andrew Harper Emily Harvey Taegon Hibbitts Jaegon Hibbitts Joshua Hirschfeld Aliyah Hodges Alex Horn Anderson Hu Mandy Hu |
Amilee Huang Anika Huang Michael Huizing Inayat Jain TaylorJames Ashok Kadagala Simran Kalia Priscilla Knapp Katherine Krotkov Alexander Kruse Rory Lawson Jacquelyn Lewis Rebecca Lewis Mansha Maheshwari Nathaniel Mancuso Malhar Mandsaurwale Gabrielle Marasco Grace Martin Devina Mathur Emily Mauris Brian Mbuvi Jarred McNeal Shriya Menon Jacqueline Meredith Kaitlyn Met Jack Milner Samantha Mosley |
Cole Mosqueda Anna Munr Anisha Narasimhan Adam Nazrul Hisham Maura O’Malley Esmeralda Osborne Olukayode Osunji Jackie Palmer Mahi Pandya Rylie Pitts Srividhu Potluri Shelby Powell Jamaal Pucci John Quander Pranav Rajan Jemimah Rajesh Jacob Riesel Kairav Roy Joshua Ruley William Sakowicz Varun Samy Neha Sanooj Bella Saunders Bryn Schwartz Swetha Sethuraj Esha Shah Shiva Sharma |
Flynn Shea Meredith Sikora Jill Snyder Liliana Soler Beza Solomon Jalen Stewart Michael Stone Ryan Stone Raymond Strozyk Krystal Wu Mina Takaki Amena Talajawala Utkarsh Tannan Jens Te Plate Austin Terry Dorothy Thompson-Pino William Urian Nicholas Venginickal Evan Williams Alaura Willis Xaviour Willis LeeAnn Wong-Arbelo Alexander Wood Zoe Wright Richard Wu Kai-Lin Yu Ze-Wen Yu |
Where Will the HCLS Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule be Placed?
HCLS Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule will be placed in a beautiful circular bench in the lobby at HCLS Central Branch in Columbia in 2016. A plaque will be displayed on the site that reads:
Within this bench rests a Time Capsule that captures the essence of Howard County Library System (HCLS) in 2015, our 75th Anniversary.
Its contents reflect our unwavering heritage as a 20th and 21st century educational institution with a mission to deliver equal opportunity in education for everyone through a curriculum that comprises Three Pillars: Self-Directed Education, Research Assistance & Instruction, and Instructive & Enlightening Experiences.
Symbolic of our timeless mission, this Time Capsule is a collection of three containers, all part of a 75-year plan:
To connect our past, present, and future, HCLS appointed 136 Howard County middle students to serve as Guardians. On October 24, 2015, they pledged to champion the HCLS legacy, keeping it safe for the next 25 years.
- October 27, 2040 – The Class of 2015 will reconvene to pass on the role of Guardian to the next generation (Class of 2040). Together, the two generations will open and reseal the 2015 container, then fill the 2040 container.
- October 24, 2065 – The Class of 2040 will gather to pass on the role of Guardian to the Class of 2065. Together, they will open and re-seal the 2015 and 2040 containers, then fill the 2065 container.
- October 21, 2090 – The Class of 2065 will gather on the occasion of Howard County Library System’s sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary to open the Time Capsule.
Dedicated this 24th day of October, 2015 to the always forward-looking citizens of Howard County, MD.
Celebrate 75! a Community Anniversary Fest
To commemorate its 75th Anniversary, Howard County Library System (HCLS) held a culminating event, Celebrate 75, which drew a crowd of 1,600. Held on October 24, 2015, the event opened with the Chapters-of-Our-Lives Time Capsule Ceremony, setting into motion a 75-year plan.
The Time Capsule comprises three containers to be filled in 2015, 2040, and 2065—all to be opened in 2090.
To connect HCLS’ past, present, and future, 136 Howard County middle school students were recruited to serve as Guardians (see bit.ly/1l3mYVY). On October 24, 2015, they were inducted as the “Class of 2015,” where they placed into the 2015 container a photo of themselves, and an essay predicting the future.
These Guardians will return on October 27, 2040 to pass on their duties to a new set of Guardians. Together, the two generations will open, re-seal, and replace the 2015 capsule and fill the 2040 container.
This process will occur each quarter-century until the final opening of all three capsules by the Class of 2065 Guardians in 2090, HCLS’ sesquicentennial.