Tutor Contact: Sara Watson , House Librarian
**NEW FEATURE: Search the Mather Library Database for resources
Mather students have 24/7 swipe card access. Mather Librarians are on staff from 8 PM - 12 AM every night for circulation.
The Robert Ellsworth Gross Memorial Library contains over 10,000 volumes; subscriptions to magazines and newspapers; selections of CDs, vinyl LPs, sheet music, videos, DVDs, and special collections of travel guides, books on gender and sexuality, and popular fiction. There is also a CD player, a cassette deck, and a turntable for listening to recordings in the library. Some tutorial leaders leave material on reserve.
From the librarian you may check out books, DVDs, CDs, and board games during the daily circulation hours from 8PM-12AM.
For keys to the practice rooms, the Pottery Room, or the SCR, please contact the building manager office; the librarians no longer lend out keys.
Because of the amount of perishable items (e.g. books) in the collection, food is not allowed in the library to avoid bugs. This policy is STRICTLY enforced. Drinks are allowed as long as they are brought into the library in properly covered containers.
Donations of books and movies are welcome at any time; please leave them with the librarian on duty. Suggestions for new additions to the library, especially to the movie collection and popular fiction collection, are also welcome. The Library phone number is 5-1730.
Curator: Lance Keimig; Director: Jenn Siegel
Mather is one of only two houses with its own art gallery. (The other is Adams, with its Two Columns Gallery). The location of the gallery, in the foyer space leading from the courtyard to the dining hall, allows art to become an integral part of the daily life of House residents. Rotating shows are held year round, including a showing of resident art that coincides with Arts First weekend. The gallery welcomes student curators and student artists for other shows during the year. Non-student exhibitions showcase the work of professional artists in the Harvard community and the broader Cambridge-Boston area.
Check out the latest exhibit from Ron Rosenstock - Sacred Stones
Tutor Contact: Ken Bernard
The newly refurbished Mather weight room offers a wide selection of cardio equipment, complete sets of free weights, multiple weight-training machines, and numerous calisthenic aids. Compared to other houses’ puny weight rooms, ours is gigantic and well stocked. Twenty-four hour access, wall-to-wall mirrors, a bumpin’ stereo system, and a collection of
magazines make the Mather weight room an attractive alternative to the MAC. The weight room is located across from the Big TV Room. Please see Jackie Wheeler, Assistant to the Masters, for a $10 key. Proceeds from key sales go towards the up-keep of the weight room, so please don’t skimp!
Contact: mather-help@fas.harvard.edu
The Lab is located on the second floor of the office wing, right above the library (use the outdoor staircase between the library and the House Office). It has several computers—including Macintosh and PC models--that are connected to the FAS network, a scanner, a laser printer, and a typewriter. Network accounts and printer budgets can be set up at the Help Desk in the Science Center basement or by calling the information line at 5-9000. The printing charge is five cents per page. The Mather User Assistants invite you to contact them with questions at mather-help@fas.harvard.edu.
Contact: Jackie Wheeler
Located outside the library, the copy machine costs five cents per page and takes Crimson Cash. Please let Jackie know of any problems with the machine, and if it is out of paper.
Contact: mather-open@lists.hcs.harvard.edu
Located nowhere within the confines of Mather House, the fax machine remains an urban legend of our concrete bunker. For further inquiries, please contact the open.
The JCR is the student lounge located directly across from the commons-area wing. It is equipped with a TV, cable, a DVD player and a VCR, as well as a small kitchenette, an upright piano, and a tournament-sized ping-pong table. Use of the JCR is on a first-come, firstserved basis, unless it has been reserved by a Mather resident on the calendar outside of library. The doors to this room are always locked; you may gain access with your ID card.
Private parties in the JCR must be registered following the House’s guidelines for private party registration; since it is a public space, any event involving alcohol will require some form of monitoring and an earlier registration (see “Private Parties in Public Spaces” below). The JCR and all other common spaces cannot be reserved more than two weeks in advance. Contact Jackie Wheeler with reservation questions. All gatherings in the JCR must end by 2:00 a.m. on weekends and by 11:00 p.m. on weekdays. Students using the room are responsible for cleaning the area and any equipment they have used. Please keep the refrigerator and working surfaces sanitary. The kitchen must be cleaned by 8:00 p.m. if a private party has been scheduled for the evening.
There are private suites above the JCR so please be aware of your noise level at all times. The playing of amplified instruments in the JCR is prohibited.
The Big TV Room is named in honor of Mather alum Henry Big TV. In this room, you will find a 52-inch television with cable, a DVD player, and a VCR player. The small TV room has a 25-inch television and yet another VCR player. These areas also contain a pool table, air hockey table and foosball.
Curator/Director: Tim Trapp
Mather House offers a traditional black and white darkroom where you can process your own film and make prints. Guidance is available for film developing and basic print processing - exposure, contrast, dodging and burning-in; making contact sheets; protecting and archiving prints; paper types; and safety. Chemistry is supplied, for a small per-semester fee; bring your own film and paper. The enlargers are suitable for film from 35mm to 4x5” in size. Open Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 9:00pm
Tutor Contact: Jenn Siegel & Marisol Segundo
“What’s the tranquility room?” you ask. Firstly, shhhh! This is the tranquility room, a quiet and peaceful place. Don’t ask questions so loudly. Secondly, the Tranquility Room is designed to imbue visitors with the sense of peace its name evokes. It is located above the administrative offices. The room has been used in the past for meditation, yoga, prayer, and Alexander Technique classes. It is open for any reasonable, quiet, contemplative or relaxation use, and makes a great retreat from the usual hectic round of Harvard life. Keys may be obtained from the Building Manager’s Office. We only ask that individuals yield the space to regularly booked group events. Please check the Wellness board, Mather Matters, and the open list for more information.
Tutor Contact: Na’ama Lion
Two practice rooms are located above the JCR: Room A houses the harpsichord and Room B contains an upright piano. Two additional rooms are located down the hall from the weight room. House residents may sign up for practice rooms on the reservation sheet outside the library. Please note that individuals can only make same-day reservations. Groups interested in securing a regular practice time must visit the House Office. Keys to the practice rooms may be obtained from the Building Manager’s Office.
Those on the grand piano permission list (see the music tutor for details) may use the Steinway Grand in the SCR, which can be reserved on the calendar outside of the library, or the Yamaha Grand in the Masters’ residence, which can be used by arrangement with the Masters. The Hubbardharpsichord is available for student use (with permission). Peter Watchorn is our harpsichord expert.
Contact: Alan Hark
Mather has a wood-turning studio located above the administrative offices equipped with a lathe. For a small fee, Harvard affiliates may explore and develop their wood-turning talents. Watch for the date and time of classes and demonstrations in Mather Matters and on the bulletin boards
Contact: Pamela Gorgone
Mather’s pottery studio is in the basement of the Tower, across from the laundry room. It features two electric kilns, hand-building facilities, two electric wheels, three kickwheels, clay (white and brown stoneware), and glazes. Weekly classes and demonstrations are offered by Pamela Gorgone. Look for flyers and open announcements for class times and prices.