Uris Library
| Uris Library | |
|---|---|
| Uris Library Entrance, c. 2015 | |
| Map | |
| General information | |
| Type | Academic Building; University Library |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romansque |
| Location | Ithaca, New York, U.S. |
| Address | 160 Ho Plaza, Ithaca, NY 14853 |
| Coordinates | 42°26′52′′N 76°29′7′′W / 42.44778°N 76.48528°W / 42.44778; -76.48528 |
| Opened | 1891 |
| Owner | Cornell University |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | William Henry Miller |
| Website | |
| https://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ | |
.jpg){kind=link}
Uris Library is a library on the campus of Cornell University, located adjacent to McGraw Tower at the southwest corner of the Arts Quad overlooking Libe Slope[1] . The oldest library building at Cornell, Uris Library also houses the A. D. White Library, "a library within a library"[1] , named after the University's first president, Andrew Dickson White.
History
[edit ]19th century
[edit ]Uris Library was designed by Cornell's first architecture student, William Henry Miller.[1] Opening in 1891, it was Cornell University's first library and was originally known as "The University Library."[1]
The A.D. White Library
[edit ]Andrew Dickson White had advocated for the construction of the building today known as Uris Library for decades, and donated his personal collection of 30,000 books--a donation which increased the size of the University's book collections by 50%.[2] In response, trustees allocated a large room within the library to house White's collections.[2] This room was so large, it was called a library and originally opened as the "President White Library of History and Political Science."[2] This section of the building is today known as the A. D. White Library.[2]
White collaborated with William Henry Miller to design the A. D. White Library as a cross-shaped room with three levels of stacks.[3] The room features balconies and crosswalks covered in iron scrollwork on the upper levels, and spiral staircases in the corners.[3] The wood floor was originally bare until a deep green carpet was added to dampen noise.[3] It was not until the 1980s that the carpet was replaced with ruby red.[3]
The Arthur H. Dean Room
[edit ]
Originally known as the General Reading Room, the Dean Room contains portraits of Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White (the University's co-founders) as well as Cornell's past presidents.[4]
20th century
[edit ]In 1962, the library was refurbished and renamed Uris Library after a donation from Harold Uris, who graduated from the University in 1925.[1]
21st century
[edit ]In 2015 as part of an initiative to "Bring Back Light to A. D. White," new lighting fixtures and outlets were integrated into the A. D. White library to provide the library's users with the connectivity they need in the 21st century while preserving the historic character of the A. D. White Library.[5]
References
[edit ]- ^ a b c d e "Welcome to Olin and Uris Libraries – Olin & Uris Libraries" . Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "History". A. D. White Library Tour - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library. May 27, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Architecture". A. D. White Library Tour - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library. May 28, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ "Arthur H. Dean Room". Uris Historical Tour - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library. March 30, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ "Recent Changes". A. D. White Library Tour - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library. May 28, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
