The Widener Library
The
Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library is Harvard University's flagship library.
Built with a gift from Eleanor Elkins Widener, it is a memorial to her son,
Harry, Class of 1907, an enthusiastic young bibliophile who perished aboard the
Titanic. It had been Harry's plan to donate his personal collection to the
University once it provided a suitable alternative to the outdated and
inadequate library then located in Gore Hall. Mrs. Widener fulfilled her son's
dream by building a facility of monumental proportions, with over 50 miles of
shelves and the capacity to hold over three million volumes.
The
library opened in 1915, but Harvard's collections continued to grow at an
astounding rate and by the late 1930s, Widener's shelves were filled to
capacity. Space was at a premium for staff and patrons as well as books, which
led the library administration to begin a lengthy decentralization process.
Over time Harvard built several new libraries to house the increasingly
specialized collections. By redistributing books to new libraries, space opened
up in Widener, but it was gradually given over to the growing staff hired to
attend to the collections.
In
addition to the physical challenges associated with housing and maintaining an
ever growing collection, the 20th century also saw technological advancements
that affected Widener from electrical wiring to a computerized card catalog to
sophisticated research workstations.
Widener
Library ushered in the new millennium in the midst of its greatest change since
opening in 1915. From 1999 to 2004, the building underwent an extensive
renovation to ensure the long-term preservation and security of collections and
to increase user space. Renovations included an upgrade of the heating,
ventilation, air conditioning, humidity control, electrical, lighting, fire
suppression, and security systems. In addition, two new reading rooms and staff
workspace were created in the building's two interior light courts, and space
previously designated for staff was reallocated for patron use.
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