About Us

Library Without Walls was originally conceived by Madeleine Nichols, Director of the Jerome Robbins Dance Collection of the New York Public Library, and Drs. Sally Sommer and Tricia Young of the Florida State University MA program in American Dance Studies.

The growing number of collaborators now includes a national advisory board with distinguished scholars from the Smithsonian Institute, Dance Heritage Coalition, Library of Congress, and New York Public Library. Individual participants have included students, historians, librarians, information studies specialists, recording artists, musicians, filmmakers, editors, videographers, web designers, graphic designers, usability subjects, dancers, reconstructionists, and digital media technologists.

Divisions of FSU that have been involved include the Department of Dance, College of Information, School of Music, School of Motion Pictures and Television, Department of History, and the University Research Foundation.

George Washington Dances Editorial Board:

• Madeleine Nichols, Director, Jerome Robbins Dance Collection of the New York Public Library.
• Sally R. Sommer, Ph.D., Professor, FSU, MA/American Dance Studies, specializes in vernacular dance forms.
• Tricia Young, Ph.D., Director, MA/American Dance Studies, author, Break All Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style (1989).
• Anthony Chow, Professor, IT Director, College of Information, FSU, Web design and information systems specialist.
• Sheramy Keegan-Turcotte, NYC researcher, professional dancer and teacher, and arts administrator.
• Melissa Andrews, MA Candidate in Florida State University Department of Dance MA program in American Dance Studies. Thesis title: "Step in Time: The Function of Social Dance and Military Drill in the Continental Army"(2005).

Library Without Walls Advisory Board:

• Elizabeth Aldrich - Dance Heritage Coalition
• Jack Clark - Notation and Reconstruction
• Bart Hacker - Smithsonian Museum
• Paul Marty - SIS/Library Sciences, FSU
• Charles McClure - Eppes Professor
• Madeleine Nichols - New York Public Library
• Patricia Rader - New York Public Library
• Katie van Winkle Keller - The Colonial Music Institute