In the Spotlight

New Students: What Makes a Wildcat a Wildcat?

If you’re new to NU, there’s lots you’ll be learning in the coming weeks about the life and lore of campus. For instance: do you know how Northwestern’s Wildcats got the name—or how Willie came to be our mascot? For a quick and entertaining history lesson, go to the YouTube clip or the MP4 download file at the bottom of this page.

Besides this glimpse of Willie’s past, Northwestern University Library offers plenty of resources and services to help with your transition to student life here. We’re offering tours all week to give you an overview of the building and our services, and next to the InfoCommons you’ll find a table loaded with publications about our resources. In the first-floor exhibition cases, you’ll also find an exhibit featuring the wealth of Library materials related to the One Book, One Northwestern selection Go Tell It On the Mountain.

And keep your eye on this area of our homepage. It’s where we announce Library news including exhibits, events, and updates on our services. In the coming weeks, we’ll bring you more quick Northwestern history lessons, courtesy of our University Archives, as well as interviews with campus personalities who’ve come to the Library to make—or at least write—history.

View on YouTube (above: click on the left arrow twice and wait for loading), or download the mp4 version (below: may not work if you don't yet have the right software installed on your computer):

Download file(.mp4)