Eternal Bonds: Things that connect us to place

“Pause you who read this and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day." - Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Can you think of the ways you bind yourself to a memorable moment and place? How do you maintain that connection and preserve its meaning? For many, we tether our memories of a place with physical objects. These objects may be viewed simply as souvenirs; but to the possessor, there is so much more beauty. These keepsakes bring to mind and forever connect us to an irreplaceable experience of place. For some people, an object acts as a bridge across time and space to a home they do not have access to, a loved one who is no longer with them, or a transformative chapter in their life.

This exhibit is a portrait of the department of Learning and Academic Engagement (LAE) in which the employees share an object they value because it holds a vibrant memory that binds them to a particular location and experience. Along with the object, each person describes in a few sentences the object, the place that it is tied to, and why it is meaningful to them. Accompanying the description is a related image or map of the location.

Some of the staff are full-time employees at Bird Library, others are currently graduate students from several departments at Syracuse University. They are the people who staff the information and technology desks and may even be the one who answers your online chat questions.

We hope you enjoy perusing the things we hold dear and that you pause to reflect on an object that connects you to a meaningful place and experience.