About Us

The mission of the Dwight Marvin Library is to provide access to information in all formats and to deliver instruction and services in a welcoming environment that demonstrates commitment to the academic success of all learners.

Vision
The Dwight Marvin Library embraces innovation, implements best practices, and participates in continuous renewal and self-improvement to deliver evolving library and media services which foster student and institutional success.

Goals

To provide quality reference service when and where it is needed to foster effective and independent use of library and media resources.
To select, acquire, organize, provide access to and preserve information resources that best support the current and future curricular, research, and information needs of the college community through robust collections and through cooperative resource sharing with other institutions.
To teach the skills needed to retrieve and evaluate information for academic success and lifelong learning.
To maintain a highly skilled faculty and staff that can develop and deliver excellent library and media services.
To provide access to resources which reflect a broad range of perspectives, viewpoints, and approaches consistent with the college's commitment to civility and diversity.
To provide an inviting and welcoming environment conducive to study, teaching, research, and work.
To collect, organize, provide access to and preserve materials highlighting the history and culture of the college and the community.
To engage in best practices in library and media operations and in regular assessment and evaluation of services.

Dwight Marvin was the first chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hudson Valley Technical Institute, now Hudson Valley Community College. The library bearing his name opened on May 23, 1970. A dedication plaque at the library entrance reads “The Dwight Marvin Library – Dedicated to the founding chairman of the Board of Trustees, 1953-1960, Dwight Marvin, in recognition of his unceasing efforts toward the establishment of this college and of his devoted service during the early years of its development.”

Marvin was born in Auburn, New York, on February 7, 1880. He attended Princeton University, serving as both class secretary and president of the Princeton College Class of 1901, yet, surprisingly, graduated from Williams College in 1901. He received his Bachelor of Law degree from Albany Law School in 1903 and practiced law in Troy until 1906.

From 1906 to 1907, Marvin served as a reporter and assistant city editor of the former Troy Times, and then joined The Troy Record where, from 1907 to 1915, he served in a variety of editorial capacities. Marvin was named editor, in 1915, of the morning and evening Record. After The Record purchased The Troy Times in 1935, he served as editor of both The Troy Record and Times Record and served as chairman of the board of The Record Newspapers, Inc. In 1937, Marvin was granted a degree of Litt. D. from Bates College in Maine. He also served as president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1941. He held many leadership positions within organizations in the Troy area.

Marvin authored “The Faith I Found: A Layman Looks at Religion,” published in 1954. After his retirement, he contributed a column “A Thought for the Day” for The Troy Record papers. He broadcasted for three years, thrice weekly, on current events from radio station WFLY in Troy and wrote several college songs that have been published in the Princeton and Williams song books. He also published several hymns.

Marvin died on January 1, 1972, in Tryon, North Carolina.

The accompanying photograph appears on page 8 of the college’s 1962 yearbook, The Vector, published by T. O’Toole and Sons, South Norwalk, Connecticut. The yearbook is available in the Archives Room of the Marvin Library Learning Commons.