Planning and Construction

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The planning for the River Campus in the 1920s included phased expansions to match an anticipated growth in the student enrollment from 1000 to 2500 to 4000 undergraduates.

The symmetry originally planned, and which the 1970 addition achieved for the most part, hides the very asymmetrical "back" of the library as it was completed in 1930. The original stack tower was fully exposed on two sides (those facing Meliora Hall and the Susan B. Anthony Residence Hall). A loading dock on the ground floor was located at the lower end of the ramp near what is now the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Center.

This 1931 pamphlet was created to help users and staff find their way around the new building. Today it helps us know how the building was originally used and what the future plans were (note the dotted line indicating the planned building footprint). Such information is a critical resource when planning building renovations.

Planning and Construction