College and Research Libraries


B y R O B E R T H . M U L L E R 

Library Building Construction Among 
Colleges and Universities, 1950 

Dr. Muller is director, University Li-
braries, Southern Illinois University, Car-
bondale, and chairman, A.C.R.L. Commit-
tee on College and University Library 
Buildings. 

HERE a r e t w o t y p i c a l r e c e n t i n q u i r i e s a d d r e s s e d t o the A . C . R . L . C o m m i t t e e 
of C o l l e g e a n d U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y B u i l d -

i n g s : 

( M a r . 15, 1 9 5 0 ) — I am w r i t i n g — t o inquire 
if you h a v e a record of colleges and s m a l l uni-
versities w h i c h have recently built n e w build-
ings w i t h m o d u l a r plans. If there a r e any 
such l i b r a r i e s in o u r a r e a , w e might visit them, 
or at least m a k e inquiries as to their plans and 

the success of t h e m — 
* * * * 

( D e c . 10, 1 9 4 9 ) — W h a t I should like to h a v e 
is a list of buildings w h i c h have been completed 
or planned w i t h i n the past y e a r or t w o , w i t h 
figures on t o t a l book capacity and s e a t i n g 
c a p a c i t y . 

S u c h i n q u i r i e s h a v e c o m e f r o m a l l p a r t s of 

t h e c o u n t r y as w e l l as f r o m o v e r s e a s . T o 

s u p p l y the r e q u e s t e d i n f o r m a t i o n , a q u e s t i o n -

n a i r e s u r v e y of i n s t i t u t i o n s listed in Ameri-

can Universities and Colleges ( A m e r i c a n 

C o u n c i l on E d u c a t i o n , 1 9 4 8 , 5 t h ed., e d i t e d 

b y A . J . B r u m b a u g h ) w a s c o n d u c t e d in t h e 

f a l l of 1 9 4 9 . I t is p l a n n e d t o p u b l i s h t h e 

d a t a t h a t h a v e been c o l l e c t e d in s e v e r a l 

i n s t a l m e n t s , of w h i c h t h i s a r t i c l e is t h e f i r s t 

o n e . T h e t a b u l a t i o n s p r e s e n t e d h e r e g i v e 

s t a t i s t i c s o n c o l l e g e a n d u n i v e r s i t y l i b r a r y 

b u i l d i n g s t h a t w e r e u n d e r c o n s t r u c t i o n a t 

t h e e n d of 1 9 4 9 o r f o r w h i c h c o n t r a c t d r a w -

i n g s h a v e b e e n c o m p l e t e d . T a b u l a t i o n s sub-

s e q u e n t l y t o be p u b l i s h e d w i l l l i s t ( 1 ) li-

b r a r y b u i l d i n g s c o m p l e t e d b e t w e e n 1 9 2 9 a n d 

1 9 4 9 a n d ( 2 ) i n s t i t u t i o n s t h a t e x p e c t t o 

c o n s t r u c t n e w l i b r a r y b u i l d i n g s in t h e n e a r 

f u t u r e . 

I t s h o u l d be n o t e d t h a t t h e t a b u l a t i o n s 

c o v e r o n l y t h o s e i n s t i t u t i o n s t h a t r e t u r n e d 

q u e s t i o n n a i r e s . I n f o r m a t i o n on b u i l d i n g s of 

i n s t i t u t i o n s t h a t f a i l e d t o r e t u r n q u e s t i o n -

n a i r e s m i g h t be o b t a i n e d f r o m v a r i o u s o t h e r 

s o u r c e s , s u c h as b a c k f i l e s of the Library 

Journal, College and Research Libraries, 

a n d t h e Proceedings of the ( C o o p e r a t i v e ) 

C o m m i t t e e o n C o l l e g e a n d U n i v e r s i t y L i -

b r a r y B u i l d i n g P l a n s , of w h i c h R a l p h E l l s -

w o r t h , d i r e c t o r of l i b r a r i e s , S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y 

of I o w a , h a s been c h a i r m a n d u r i n g 1 9 4 9 - 5 0 . 

T h e t a b u l a t i o n s s h o u l d p r o v e u s e f u l t o 

l i b r a r i a n s , a r c h i t e c t s , a n d c o l l e g e a u t h o r i t i e s 

in m a k i n g the b u d g e t a n d s i z e e s t i m a t e s f o r 

l i b r a r y b u i l d i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d e q u i p m e n t . 

S i n c e t h e s i z e of the 2 4 i n s t i t u t i o n s v a r y 

w i t h i n a w i d e r a n g e , i t s h o u l d n o t be t o o 

d i f f i c u l t t o l o c a t e an i n s t i t u t i o n t h a t re-

s e m b l e s t h e o n e f o r w h i c h a n e w l i b r a r y 

b u i l d i n g is t o be p l a n n e d . A n y l i b r a r y 

b u i l d i n g s h o u l d , of c o u r s e , be d e s i g n e d w i t h 

d u e r e g a r d t o t h e s p e c i a l c o n d i t i o n s e x i s t i n g 

o n a p a r t i c u l a r c a m p u s , s u c h as t h e a n t i c i -

p a t e d r a t e of g r o w t h in e n r o l m e n t a n d b o o k 

c o l l e c t i o n s , t h e n a t u r e of t h e c u r r i c u l u m , 

d e g r e e of c e n t r a l i z a t i o n d e s i r e d , c l i m a t e , p r e -

v a i l i n g a r c h i t e c t u r a l s t y l e , a n d t h e a v a i l a -

b i l i t y of f u n d s . 

Rank Order 

I n t h e a c c o m p a n y i n g t a b u l a t i o n , the i n s t i -

JULY, 1950 
25 7 



College and University Library Buildings Under Construction and Buildings for Which Contract Drawings Have Been Completed 
January 1950 

(Arranged in the Order of Estimated Total Floor Area) 

(I) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) 

Name of Institution 

Minimum 
No. of 

Volumes 
Planned 

for 

Minimum 
No. of 
Seats 

Provided 

Estimated 
Cost in 
dollars 

(including 
equipment) 

Enroll-
ment 
Fall, 
I9486 

Total No. 
of Volumes 
in Library 

Systemc 

No. of 
Vols, in 

Old Main 
Bldg., 

Dec. '48 

Notes 
(x denotes "under construction") 

State U. of Iowa, Iowa City, la. 
Wash. State Coll., Pullman, Wash. 
St. Louis U., St. Louis, Mo. 

1,000,000 
1,500,000 
1,000,000 

2,500 
2,200 
1,500 

1,580,000 
3,000,000 
1,500,000 

10,550 
6,53o 

10,015 

589,114 
610,000 
439,741 

150,000 
600,oco 
200,000 

x (modular) 
Completed Jan. '50 (modular) 

U. of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. 
U. of Mississippi, University, Miss. 
Queens Coll., Flushing, N . Y . 

1,200,000 
450,000 
300,000 

2,000 
1,250 
i,333 

5,900,000 
1,250,000 
2,800,000 

22,353 
3,3 2 o 
2,915 

687,500 
121,782 
67,348 

yoo,oood 
139,041 

p 

X 
X 

Miss. St. Coll., State Coll., Miss. 
Woman's Coll., U. of N.C., Greensboro, N.C. 
Mass. Inst, of Tech., Cambridge, Mass. 

350,000 
300,000 
350,000 

850 
1,000 

500 

950,000 
1,150,000 
3,500,000 

3,571 
2,120 
5,393 

80,696 
123,361 
405,444 

? 
130,000 
300,000 

X 
Completed April '50 
Completed Jan. '50 

U. of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla. 
Eastern 111. St. T Coll., Charleston, 111. 
Northern 111. St. T Coll., DeKalb, 111. 

300,000 
175,000 
175,000 

700 
750 
750 

500,000° 
2,000,000 
2,100,000 

8,598 
1,423 
2,068 

114,632 
66,144 
64,925 

? 
66,000 
72,000 

Completed Mar. '50 
Contract let in '49 

Loyola U., New Orleans, La. 
North Dakota Agric. Coll., Fargo, N.D. 
West Virginia St. Coll., Institute, W.Va. 

250,000 
200,000 
178,000 

515 
560 
500 

850,000 
500,000 ? 

3,099 
2,397 
i,542 

80,628 
60,659 
3I.35 1 

80,000 
88,000 
33,242 

X 
x (modular) 
x 

North Carolina Coll., Durham, N.C. 
Bradley U., Peoria, 111. 
Mount Union Coll., Alliance, Ohio 

200,000 
150,000 
200,000 

400 
500 
338 

725,000 
600,oco 
580,000 

972 
3,637 
1,002 

33,212 
62,872 
75,ooo 

36,461 
72,000 ? 

X 
Completed Summer '50 (modular) 

x 

Rollins Coll., Winter Park, Fla. 
Mills Coll., Oakland, Calif. 
Ouachita Coll., Arkadelphia, Ark. 

160,000 
165,000 
65,000 

300 
200e 
450 

500,000 
400,000 
125,000 

630 
657 
818 

80,000 
102,589 
23,973 

40,000 
108,629 
30,000 

x 

Completed: Summer '50 

Converse Coll., Spartanburg, S.C. 
Taylor U., Upland, Ind. 
Fairmont St. Coll., Fairmont, W.Va. 

87,000 
65,000 
64,000 

300 
250 
250 

230,000 
160,000 
400,000 

383 
535 

1,167 

36,500 
22,500 
33,3oo 

38,500 

33,3oo 
x 

0 Cost of first unit only 
6 U. S. Office of Education, Educational Directory: Higher Education, 1949-50 (Part III) 
c American Library Directory, 1948 (Bowker, 1948) 
d Excludes newspapers, pamphlets, manuscripts 
e Excludes 75 carrels 



t u t i o n s a r e a r r a n g e d in t h e r a n k o r d e r of 

e s t i m a t e d t o t a l floor a r e a . S i n c e d a t a on to-

t a l b u i l d i n g s i z e w e r e n o t u n i f o r m l y a v a i l -

a b l e f o r a l l i n s t i t u t i o n s , e s t i m a t e s h a d t o be 

m a d e on t h e basis of p r o p o s e d c a p a c i t y f o r 

v o l u m e s p l u s n u m b e r of seats, a l l o w i n g 2 5 

s q u a r e f e e t p e r r e a d e r , 1 s q u a r e f o o t p e r 1 5 

v o l u m e s , a n d 4 0 p e r c e n t of the e n t i r e b u i l d -

i n g f o r m e c h a n i c a l e q u i p m e n t , m a i n s t a i r -

" w a y s , e l e v a t o r s , office space, m a i n c o r r i d o r s , 

a u d i t o r i u m , a n d o t h e r spaces n o t d i r e c t l y 

used f o r the a c c o m m o d a t i o n of b o o k s a n d 

r e a d e r s . ( S t a c k desks w e r e c o n s i d e r e d t o be 

p a r t of t h e a v a i l a b l e floor a r e a j n o a t t e n t i o n 

w a s p a i d t o t h e c u b a g e of the b u i l d i n g s . ) 

Cost 

C o l u m n 4 r e v e a l s w i d e v a r i a t i o n s in c o s t . 

I t is n o t f a i r t o m a k e r i g i d u n i t c o s t c o m p a r i -

son u n t i l it is k n o w n w h a t f e a t u r e s a r e e x -

p e c t e d t o be i n c l u d e d in e a c h b u i l d i n g , s u c h 

as a i r c o n d i t i o n i n g , a n a u d i t o r i u m , a u d i o -

v i s u a l f a c i l i t i e s , f a c u l t y offices, a n d class 

r o o m s . T h e m a n n e r in w h i c h t h e c o n t r a c t 

is l e t , t h e a r c h i t e c t u r a l s t y l e , a n d t h e d e g r e e 

of l a v i s h n e s s in f u r n i s h i n g s a l s o a f f e c t t h e 

u n i t c o s t . T h e c o s t of t h e b u i l d i n g of 

M . I . T . , w h i c h a p p e a r s t o be d i s p r o p o r t i o n -

a t e l y h i g h , m a y be e x p l a i n e d b y t h e p r o v i s i o n 

of u n u s u a l l y a m p l e f a c u l t y offices, c o n f e r e n c e 

r o o m s , a n d e x h i b i t a r e a s . O t h e r b u i l d i n g s 

t h a t a r e e x p e c t e d t o be a b o v e a v e r a g e in c o s t 

a r e t h o s e of t w o I l l i n o i s s t a t e t e a c h e r s c o l -

l e g e s , Q u e e n s C o l l e g e , a n d t h e U n i v e r s i t y of 

W i s c o n s i n . L o w - c o s t b u i l d i n g s a p p e a r t o be 

t h o s e of t h e U n i v e r s i t y of I o w a , S t . L o u i s 

U n i v e r s i t y , O u a c h i t a C o l l e g e a n d T a y l o r 

U n i v e r s i t y , u n l e s s t h e q u o t a t i o n s of c o s t 

r e p r e s e n t s e r i o u s u n d e r e s t i m a t e s . 

Modular Design 

C o l u m n 8 s h o w s t h a t o n l y f o u r of t h e 2 4 

b u i l d i n g s s e e m t o f o l l o w m o d u l a r d e s i g n ; 

a n d o n l y o n e of t h e m ( N o r t h D a k o t a A g r i -

c u l t u r a l C o l l e g e ) uses h o l l o w s u p p o r t i n g 

c o l u m n s as v e n t i l a t i o n d u c t s , f o l l o w i n g t h e 

p i o n e e r , H a r d i n - S i m m o n s U n i v e r s i t y , w h i c h 

c o m p l e t e d its m o d u l a r l i b r a r y a n d a d m i n i s -

t r a t i o n b u i l d i n g in 1 9 4 9 . 

Seating Capacity 

W i d e v a r i a t i o n s i n s e a t i n g c a p a c i t y as re-

l a t e d t o e n r o l m e n t is r e v e a l e d by c o m p a r i n g 

c o l u m n s 3 a n d 5 . S o m e c o l l e g e s e x p e c t t o 

p r o v i d e seats f o r o v e r 6 0 p e r c e n t o r m o r e 

of t h e t o t a l c u r r e n t s t u d e n t b o d y ( C o n v e r s e 

C o l l e g e , O u a c h i t a C o l l e g e , T a y l o r U n i v e r -

s i t y ) , p o s s i b l y in a n t i c i p a t i o n of f u t u r e in-

c r e a s e s in e n r o l m e n t . O t h e r s p r o v i d e f o r 

less t h a n 1 5 p e r c e n t ( B r a d l e y U n i v e r s i t y , 

M . I . T . , U n i v e r s i t y of M i a m i , U n i v e r s i t y 

of W i s c o n s i n ) , e i t h e r b e c a u s e e n r o l m e n t is 

e v e n t u a l l y e x p e c t e d to d r o p or b e c a u s e of t h e 

e x i s t e n c e of m a n y d e p a r t m e n t a l l i b r a r i e s . 

Volume Capacity 

A l l b u t o n e of the i n s t i t u t i o n s p r o v i d e f o r 

a v o l u m e c a p a c i t y l a r g e r t h a n t h a t of t h e i r 

p r e s e n t m a i n b u i l d i n g ( i f t h e y h a v e o n e ) . 

T h e o n e e x c e p t i o n is M . I . T . , w h e r e t h e 

p r e s e n t m a i n b u i l d i n g a p p a r e n t l y h o u s e s de-

p a r t m e n t a l c o l l e c t i o n s t h a t w i l l n o t be t r a n s -

f e r r e d t o t h e n e w b u i l d i n g . S o m e c o l l e g e s 

p r o v i d e b o o k s t o r a g e a r e a s f o r o v e r t h r e e 

t i m e s t h e i r p r e s e n t h o l d i n g s ( N o r t h C a r o -

l i n a C o l l e g e , W e s t V i r g i n i a S t a t e C o l l e g e , 

M i s s i s s i p p i S t a t e C o l l e g e , Q u e e n s C o l l e g e , 

U n i v e r s i t y of M i s s i s s i p p i ) , r e f l e c t i n g a n ac-

c e l e r a t e d a c q u i s i t i o n s p r o g r a m o r a n e f f o r t 

t o b r i n g s c a t t e r e d d e p a r t m e n t a l c o l l e c t i o n s 

i n t o a c e n t r a l l o c a t i o n . W h e r e t h e n e w 

b u i l d i n g p r o v i d e s f o r less t h a n d o u b l e pres-

e n t t o t a l h o l d i n g s , t h e l i b r a r y s y s t e m is e x -

p e c t e d t o c o n t i n u e t o be d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d 

( S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y of I o w a , W i s c o n s i n ) o r 

t h e c o l l e g e sets a d e f i n i t e l i m i t on the t o t a l 

n u m b e r of v o l u m e s t o be m a d e a v a i l a b l e t o 

i t s u n d e r g r a d u a t e s ( M i l l s C o l l e g e ) . A n -

t i c i p a t i o n of t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of c e n t r a l 

s t o r a g e l i b r a r i e s , s u c h as t h e M i d w e s t I n t e r -

L i b r a r y C e n t e r , m a y a l s o h a v e h a d a n in-

fluence o n t h e s i z e of b o o k s t o r a g e f a c i l i t i e s 

in l i b r a r y p l a n s . 

JULY, 1950 
25 7