Olin Library at Cornell University
 | This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (February 2025) |
| Olin Library | |
|---|---|
 Olin Library, c. 2009 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Academic Building; Research Library |
| Location | Ithaca, New York, U.S. |
| Address | 161 Ho Plaza, Ithaca, NY 14853 |
| Coordinates | 42°26′52″N 76°29′03″W / 42.4478°N 76.4843°W |
| Opened | 1961 |
| Owner | Cornell University |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Charles H. Warner, Jr, of Warner, Burns, Toan & Lunde |
| Website | |
| https://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ | |
Olin Library is the largest library in the Cornell University Library system, featuring a collection of nearly 2,000,000 print volumes, 2,000,000 microforms, and 650,000 maps.[1] It is located on the southern side of the Arts Quad, directly adjacent to Uris Library and McGraw Tower. It is named for Cornell alumnus and trustee John M. Olin who donated $3 million in 1957 in order to build a new research library on campus.[2]
History
[edit]20th century
[edit]By the 1950s, Cornell's main University Library (now called Uris Library) could no longer accommodate the university's collections, with books being stored in the adjacent clocktower, McGraw Tower.[3] Plans were initiated for a library to be built, and at the cost of $5.7 million Olin Library became one of the first libraries specifically designed as a research facility.[3]
Olin Library was built on the site of Boardman Hall, which was torn down in 1958-9.[4] Charles H. Warner of Warner, Burns, Toan & Lunde designed the building as a massive seven story edifice, with open research spaces on the first floor and private work areas and cavernous stacks on the upper floors.[5] Stone pillars and retaining walls flank the exterior of the first floor.[5] The library opened in 1961.[3]
In 1992, the Carl A. Kroch Library opened as an underground extension to Olin Library.[6] It is a climate controlled, secure facility, containing the Asian collections and the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections of the Cornell University Library system.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Welcome to Olin and Uris Libraries – Olin & Uris Libraries". Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ Engst 2001, p. 285.
- ^ a b c "1961: A Newborn Library and the World Beyond". Olin @ 50: Inspiration Since 1961 - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library. March 29, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ "A Library Is Born". Olin @ 50: Inspiration Since 1961 - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library. March 30, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ a b "Architecture & Design". Olin @ 50: Inspiration Since 1961 - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library. March 29, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ a b "Olin's Changing Floor Plan". Olin @ 50: Inspiration Since 1961 - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library. March 29, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
Sources
[edit]- Engst, Elaine D. (2001). "Cornell University Library". International Dictionary of Library Histories. Taylor & Francis. pp. 283–286. ISBN 978-1-136-77785-1. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
External links
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