More than 1,200 books given to the Graduate School of Journalism by two veteran journalists form the core collection in the Research Center, a library located at the heart of the school and its mission.

Myron Kandel, former financial editor and anchor for CNN financial News, presented the Research Center with hundreds of journalism books from his personal library, ranging from biographies and company profiles to texts on magazine publishing, to political cartoon collections.

Steve Isaacs, a professor of journalism at Columbia University who worked at CBS News, ABC News, PBS and a dozen newspapers, donated hundreds more volumes on journalistic luminaries and history from his personal library.

Herbert Robinson, a City College graduate (Class of 1937), former President of the City College Fund and lifelong bibliophile, also presented the Center with a small collection of monographs.

Together, these gifts constitute a robust collection of works about the field, including journalism history, outstanding journalists, notable media families and corporations, and New York City.

To this core collection, the School has added an estimated 400-500 books, 40-plus magazine subscriptions and 20 databases in the four subject concentrations reflected in the curriculum: Urban Affairs, Business/Economics, Arts/Culture and Health/Medicine. The Center will build upon this core as its curriculum and enrollment grow.

Students have access to another 60 databases and electronic journals and an additional 4 million library items through the CUNY Library system. All databases and electronic journals are available 24/7 on site or remotely, via the Internet.

The emphasis placed on the Research Center and its location adjacent to the Newsroom reflect the School's commitment to ensuring that all students have the skills and tools needed to quickly and thoroughly research stories and do fact checking.

Backing up that commitment, the School requires all students in the first semester to take a Research Methods course taught by librarians and news researchers. The goal is to develop students' proficiency in finding, evaluating and using a variety of print, electronic, and Internet sources skills critical to every reporter today to complement the shoe leather techniques they learn in other courses.