Science and Engineering Library, 1992

The Science and Engineering Library, the place to be over the years for many students who have needed a spot to work into the wee hours, will soon have a new name, to reflect its evolution from serving only science majors to serving as a bridge between the sciences and humanities.

When it opened in 1993, however, its collections were made up strictly of the sciences: Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Astronomy, Materials Engineering, and Computer Science. Ten years earlier, a plan had been laid to consolidate these departments’ libraries into one building, in order to eliminate redundancies and improve the size and quality of study spaces.

Construction on the library began in August 1991, after the demolition of the Brown Hall Annex. The library was part of a three-building project, along with the Math Tower and a two-story classroom building, both behind the library on 19thAvenue. All three buildings were designed by Philip Johnson, an Ohio native and award-winning architect who also designed the AT&T Building in New York City and the Crystal Cathedral in California. Johnson received an honorary degree from OSU in 1988. SEL’s design employs the dominant motif of the late 19th and early 20th centuries—the Roman Arch. Art by Dale Chihuly, who specializes in hand-blown glass, was installed in the main lobby.

1992

The Science and Engineering Library opened on January 3, 1993, the campus’ only library to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In autumn 2011, the Music and Dance Library collections were moved from Sullivant Hall to SEL, cementing the link between sciences and humanities.

 

 

 

Filed by C.N.