University of California, Berkeley Library System
Encyclopedia
The University of California, Berkeley's
32 constituent and affiliated libraries together make it the fourth largest university library by number of volumes in the United States, surpassed only by the libraries of Harvard
, Yale
, and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. As of 2006, Berkeley’s library system contains over 10 million volumes and maintains over 70,000 serial titles.
The libraries together cover over 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of land and compose one of the largest library complexes in the world. In 2003, the Association of Research Libraries
ranked it as the top public and third overall university library in North America
based on various statistical measures of quality.
Charles Franklin Doe was the benefactor of the main library.
The Doe Memorial Library
, built in 1910, originally housed the main collections. A strictly Beaux-Arts Classical
building, it was designed by campus architect John Galen Howard
as one of the original structures in the "Athens of the West" campus plan. The library was meant to be the first building students and visitors saw when entering the university, although today most students enter from the opposite side at Sproul Plaza
. Most of the main collections are now housed in the Gardner Main Stacks and Moffitt Undergraduate Library
, while Doe serves as the library system's reference, periodical, and administrative center.
Inside Doe are the two largest reading rooms in the university, named the North and Heyns (East) Reading Rooms. The North Reading room features a large barrel-vaulted
ceiling capped with a tall Roman-arched windows at each end. The Heyns reading room, named after Roger W. Heyns, Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley from 1965 to 1971, is the smaller of the two and exhibits hand-carved wood ceilings depicting the names of famous academics throughout history, as well as the companion piece to Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware, Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth. The piece was originally a gift to the university in 1882 by Mrs. Mark Hopkins
but was soon forgotten after it was stored in the Hearst
Women’s Gymnasium. It was not until the 1960s, when Dr. Raymond L. Stehle was writing a biography of Leutze, that it was rediscovered and placed in the Heyns Reading Room.
The North Reading Room features enormously high ceilings and was restored in 2005 to its original 1910 state. The renovated room features refinished historic tables and chairs, replaced floors, and task lighting similar to the original table lamps.
The lobby of Doe features perpetually changing exhibits and also houses the Morrison Memorial Library. This library was a gift to the university by May T. Morrison in 1921 and is considered today to be a “no study library.” Many of its collections are works of classic or contemporary fiction, and the mezzanine level contains a compact disc listening area. The library evokes the feeling of an East Coast country club and was featured in the 2000 Abercrombie & Fitch
Back-to-School Catalogue.
Below Doe is the Gardner Main Stacks, named after the 15th University of California
President and Berkeley graduate, David P. Gardner. Built in 1997, these stacks contain 52 miles (83.7 km) of bookshelves and were intended to accommodate the growing library collections. The Gardner Main Stacks consist of four underground floors, each roughly one-and-a-half football fields long and a football field wide. Although underground, it was built with four skylights that allow natural light to permeate even to the bottom floor.
Just east of Doe is the Bancroft Library
, “one of the most heavily used libraries of manuscripts, rare books, and unique materials in the United States.” This library contains over 60 million manuscript items, 600,000 volumes, 2.8 million photographs, 43,000 microforms, and 23,000 maps. The library originated in 1905 as a center for Latin-American History and Western Americana when it acquired the collections of Herbert Howe Bancroft and gained prominence under the leadership and research of Director Herbert Eugene Bolton
. Today, the library also houses the largest collection of ancient papyri in the Western Hemisphere
, 300 medieval manuscripts, and thousands of rare and first-edition early European and American works. Some of the most famous library holdings are the Mark Twain Papers, a collection of letters, journals, and nearly 600 manuscripts of unpublished works by Samuel L. Clemens, and pieces of Homer
's The Odyssey and Euripides
’s work from ancient Greece.
The library system also contains 27 other departmental and specialized libraries, including the 580,000 volume Koshland Bioscience Library and the newly constructed C.V. Starr East Asian Studies Library (the largest of its kind in the West) and the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library (which features over 260,000 books, printed music, recordings, microfilms, and rare materials.
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
32 constituent and affiliated libraries together make it the fourth largest university library by number of volumes in the United States, surpassed only by the libraries of Harvard
Harvard University Library
The Harvard University Library system comprises about 90 libraries, with more than 16 million volumes. It is the oldest library system in the United States, the largest academic and the largest private library system in the world...
, Yale
Yale University Library
Yale University Library is the library system of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. It is the second-largest academic library in the North America, with approximately 12.5 million volumes housed in 20 buildings on campus...
, and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. As of 2006, Berkeley’s library system contains over 10 million volumes and maintains over 70,000 serial titles.
The libraries together cover over 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of land and compose one of the largest library complexes in the world. In 2003, the Association of Research Libraries
Association of Research Libraries
The Association of Research Libraries is an organization of the leading research libraries in North America. As of October 2006, it comprises 123 libraries at comprehensive, research-intensive institutions in the US and Canada that share similar missions, aspirations, and achievements...
ranked it as the top public and third overall university library in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
based on various statistical measures of quality.
Charles Franklin Doe was the benefactor of the main library.
The Doe Memorial Library
Doe Memorial Library
- External links :*...
, built in 1910, originally housed the main collections. A strictly Beaux-Arts Classical
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
building, it was designed by campus architect John Galen Howard
John Galen Howard
John Galen Howard was an American architect.He is best known for his work as the supervising architect of the Master Plan for the University of California, Berkeley campus, and for founding the University of California's architecture program...
as one of the original structures in the "Athens of the West" campus plan. The library was meant to be the first building students and visitors saw when entering the university, although today most students enter from the opposite side at Sproul Plaza
Sproul Plaza
Sproul Plaza is a major center of student activity at the University of California, Berkeley. It is divided into two sections: Upper Sproul and Lower Sproul. They are separated by 12 vertical feet and a set of stairs.-History:...
. Most of the main collections are now housed in the Gardner Main Stacks and Moffitt Undergraduate Library
Moffitt Library
Moffitt Library is UC Berkeley's undergraduate library. It was named after James K. Moffitt.Moffitt Library used to have a two-week check out period for patrons regardless of status. Due to a new catalogue system and restructuring, however, many books can now be checked out under the same...
, while Doe serves as the library system's reference, periodical, and administrative center.
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
ceiling capped with a tall Roman-arched windows at each end. The Heyns reading room, named after Roger W. Heyns, Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley from 1965 to 1971, is the smaller of the two and exhibits hand-carved wood ceilings depicting the names of famous academics throughout history, as well as the companion piece to Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware, Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth. The piece was originally a gift to the university in 1882 by Mrs. Mark Hopkins
Mark Hopkins
Mark Hopkins was one of four principal investors who formed the Central Pacific Railroad along with Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, and Collis Huntington in 1861.-Early years:...
but was soon forgotten after it was stored in the Hearst
Hearst
Hearst may refer to:People* Amanda Hearst* Garrison Hearst, NFL running back* George Hearst* George Randolph Hearst, Jr.* Hunter Hearst Helmsley, WWE professional wrestler* John Randolph Hearst* Lydia Hearst-Shaw* Michael Hearst* Millicent Hearst...
Women’s Gymnasium. It was not until the 1960s, when Dr. Raymond L. Stehle was writing a biography of Leutze, that it was rediscovered and placed in the Heyns Reading Room.
The North Reading Room features enormously high ceilings and was restored in 2005 to its original 1910 state. The renovated room features refinished historic tables and chairs, replaced floors, and task lighting similar to the original table lamps.
The lobby of Doe features perpetually changing exhibits and also houses the Morrison Memorial Library. This library was a gift to the university by May T. Morrison in 1921 and is considered today to be a “no study library.” Many of its collections are works of classic or contemporary fiction, and the mezzanine level contains a compact disc listening area. The library evokes the feeling of an East Coast country club and was featured in the 2000 Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
Back-to-School Catalogue.
Below Doe is the Gardner Main Stacks, named after the 15th University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
President and Berkeley graduate, David P. Gardner. Built in 1997, these stacks contain 52 miles (83.7 km) of bookshelves and were intended to accommodate the growing library collections. The Gardner Main Stacks consist of four underground floors, each roughly one-and-a-half football fields long and a football field wide. Although underground, it was built with four skylights that allow natural light to permeate even to the bottom floor.
Just east of Doe is the Bancroft Library
Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library is the primary special collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired as a gift/purchase from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity...
, “one of the most heavily used libraries of manuscripts, rare books, and unique materials in the United States.” This library contains over 60 million manuscript items, 600,000 volumes, 2.8 million photographs, 43,000 microforms, and 23,000 maps. The library originated in 1905 as a center for Latin-American History and Western Americana when it acquired the collections of Herbert Howe Bancroft and gained prominence under the leadership and research of Director Herbert Eugene Bolton
Herbert Eugene Bolton
Herbert Eugene Bolton was an American historian and one of the most prominent authorities on Spanish American history...
. Today, the library also houses the largest collection of ancient papyri in the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
, 300 medieval manuscripts, and thousands of rare and first-edition early European and American works. Some of the most famous library holdings are the Mark Twain Papers, a collection of letters, journals, and nearly 600 manuscripts of unpublished works by Samuel L. Clemens, and pieces of Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's The Odyssey and Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
’s work from ancient Greece.
The library system also contains 27 other departmental and specialized libraries, including the 580,000 volume Koshland Bioscience Library and the newly constructed C.V. Starr East Asian Studies Library (the largest of its kind in the West) and the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library (which features over 260,000 books, printed music, recordings, microfilms, and rare materials.