Where is the W.E.B. Du Bois Library made out of Legos

The Lego Library is currently on the third floor in the Digital Medial Lab
Information about the Lego Library: "This scale model of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library was constructed as part of a team building exercise during the summer of 1994 by students enrolled in the University's Professional Master of Business Administration Program.  The materials and model building expertise were generously donated by LEGO Systems, Inc., located in Enfield, Connecticut.  Students enrolled in this course titled "Teambuilding and Interpersonal Communications" all constructed scale models of the Mullins Center, the Fine Arts Center and the Silvio Conte National Polymer Research Center.  If you have any questions about this effort please call the School of Management, 545-5608."

Interesting Library Videos from Special Collections and University Archives

Here are the links:

UMass tower library closes and moves to temporary location, 1979
http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/murg186_4-i00013

UMass research library: heart of a great university, 1992
http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/murg186_100-i00096

Ceremony for filing the last card and closing the catalog: University Library, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, February 25, 1994
http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/murg186_100-i00131

Why is there a fence around the library?

Good Question!

The short story: When the Library was built, it was originally going to look like Lederle or the Fine Arts Center.  It was supposed to be just concrete.  They decided to add a brick facade to the outside of the building.  (If you look up at the building you can see the white lines where the sheets of brick meet.)  It turns out there was a problem with how the brick facade was attached.  Where the sheets meet they pushed together and pieces of brick fell off called, "spalling".
Due to this the library was moved back to the previous library in Goodell.  Some books stayed here and they would come and get them when students requested them.  The problem was eventually fixed and everything was moved back to the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.  As a precaution they put up a chain link fence for protection.  It was hideous!  And was up for over 30 years.  (It was here when I was here.)  Click HERE for an article talking about the removal of the fence.  
So they finally put up a nicer fence and that is what we have now.  It may not have to be there but still is just in case.

*There is a handout somewhere in the drawer titled, "When the Chips are Down... Everything you've always wanted to know about the library but they were afraid to tell you..."  This will give more detailed information.

Q&A: Which library was the library before the W.E.B. Dubois Library?

History of the Library:

The original library was on the first floor of the Old Chapel and was open in 1886.
In 1935 the Library was moved to the new building, Goodell Hall where it resided until 1973.
Finally it moved to the current location, to the W.E.B. Du Bois Library in 1973.  Although when it was first opened it was referred to as the University Tower Library.  It was called the Du Bois Library in February 1996.

For more information:
Old Chapel:
http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/youmass/doku.php?id=o:old_chapel
Goodell Hall:
http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/youmass/doku.php?id=g:goodell_hall
Du Bois Library:
http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/youmass/doku.php?id=d:du_bois_library&s[]=library

How many stairs are there in the building?

I counted the stairs from the Basement to Floor 28 in the East and West Stairwell.  There are 510 stairs in each stairwell. The monuments stairs on the east side of the building bring the number up to 625!

How many bricks are in the Library?

There are 2.5 million bricks used in the Library!

Did you know?

Did you know that when UMass first started as Massachusetts Agricultural College that tuition was only $36? Of course this was in 1867.
This picture is of the Durfee Conservatory which was built in 1867. The picture is facing where the library stands today. This is before the pond was put in.

I found all this information at this site http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/youmass/doku.php. It has interesting information all about campus. It has information on buildings, people, publications, and more. You may not get too many questions where this would be helpful but thought you may find it interesting.

Did you know?

Did you know that there is a time capsule that was assembled for the ceremony to lay the cornerstone. It included among other things: documents relating to the history of the development and construction of the new building, copies of 1922-1972 library budgets, programs for the laying of the cornerstone and dedication of the Goodell Library, and the book William Manchester returned 29 years overdue!

Did you know?

Is it a time for another installment of "Did you know?"

I came across some interesting UMass websites recently (well interesting to me anyway) and you never know when you may get a strange question and these sites could help. The first one is called Campus Trees and it is all about the campus trees on the UMass Amherst campus. It includes options like Commemorative Trees, Class Trees, Champion Trees, and Heritage Trees. It includes information about the tree, if it is still located on campus, and most of the ones still standing have a picture. The oldest tree they have listed is from 1872 and is an American Elm. They planted one for each of the students that graduated in 1872. They believe the picture below is the only one that still remains on campus. Sort of sad.

For information regarding the trees on campus click HERE.

The next site is about UMass Amherst Campus Memorials. It includes information and sometimes pictures regarding benches, gardens, buildings, etc that have been placed in as a memorial to someone. The oldest on campus is pictured below. It is located in the Rhododendron Garden (not quite sure where this is located but my guess would be somewhere near Durfee). The inscription reads, "These gate posts erected here by Stockbridge School Class of 1940 Originally given to Prescott, Mass. by John Atkinson in 1840." If you scratching your head as to where Prescott Massachusetts is it is because it no longer exists. It was disincorporated on April 28, 1938 so that the Quabbin Reservoir could be created. Quabbin Reservoir is the primary water supply for Boston. The majority of what was Prescott is still above water and is known as Prescott Peninsula.

For more information regarding Campus Memorials click HERE.

Taken from a 1975 Massachusetts Daily Collegian, "Umass student dies in fall from library"

It is about David Harpin who committed suicide by jumping off of the Library. As a student worker here I remember hearing about it but was given lots of misinformation. I used our Microfilm Collection to try and find out what really happened. Below is what I found... (You only need to read this if you are interested. I have never had a question regarding this and it is probably not something we would want to promote.)

Click HERE for the cover page of the The Massachusetts Daily Collegian from May 15th, 1975.

Click HERE for just the article.

Click HERE for an article from the The Massachusetts Daily Collegian from May 16th, 1975 about the victim.

Did you know?

I was using Google Analytics today. It is a great resource if you have a webpage and you want to see how much traffic goes to your site plus tons of other fun stuff. While looking at the site I found out that I have had 2 visits from someone in Moscow! (If anyone of you has been to Russia in the last year please do not tell me, I am way too excited about this.)

Yeah!

As of yesterday, September 2nd, the General Information Desk has answered 90,439 questions in 6 years. Go Info Desk!

FYI

Click HERE to learn more about the campus pond!

Where was the photo below of W.E.B. Du Bois taken?

It was taken at his desk at Atlanta University where he initiated and edited the famous Atlantic University Studies on Negro Americans.

Information found on the American History 102 website from the University of Wisconsin.

Did you know?

Did you know that the tallest library in the world is the Shanghai Library (pictured below) in Shanghai China? It is 51 feet taller than the W.E.B. Du Bois Library! We are the tallest library in the U.S., and the tallest Academic Library in the world. We are also the 23rd largest educational building in the world.

Why is the library named after W.E.B. Du Bois?

The library is named for W.E.B. Du Bois because we have all of his papers in Special Collection and University Archives. He was also a local, being born in Great Barrington Massachusetts.

If a patron wants to know more (or if you do, no judgement) there is a handout about the student movement that resulted in the renaming of the Library in the 1990s. They can also visit the 25th Floor Reading Room to speak with an archivist if they want more information.

Did you know?

Did you know the following about the Japanese Elm outside our window near South College?

Ulmus japonica
In 1890, William Penn Brooks brought this outstanding specimen, the first of its kind, from Sapporo Agricultural College in Hokkaido, Japan, a school founded by the third president of Massachusetts Agricultural College, William Smith Clark. In 1997, its circumference measured 147 inches, its height 83 feet, and its spread, 75 feet. Its rating (C+H+S/4) was 249, earning it the champion title for all of America.

For more details about the trees on campus, check out the "Trees We Love"

How many books are in the Library?

When I looked at the statistics from 2009 (the latest we had) we held 3,317,817 bound volumes, 1,412,883 total Media, 2,587,145 total Microforms, 99,486 total Maps, 336,364 total E-Books, 419 websites, 94,745 serials, for a grand total of 7,848,589 items. More than 7 Million Items!

*UPDATE* As of Summer 2017, the total number of volumes is over 5 Million and the total number of items held by the University Libraries is over 9 Million.

Interesting Factoid!

I had a patron ask me how many stairs were in the building. I called Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) and the answer is...625. This figure is from the absolute bottom in the basement to the caged area on 27. Wow friends with that at your next party!

How old is the W.E.B. Du Bois Library?

The ground for the Library was broken in April of 1969. The building was opened on June 26, 1973 and was officially dedicated on October 19, 1974 (the year I was born, yeah!) It cost $16,809,000.00 to build. It was called the Tower Library until February 1996 when it was dedicated in W.E.B. Du Bois' name.
To read more about the building and the whole "falling bricks" legend check out the copy of "When the Chips are down...Everything you've always wanted to know about the library, but they were afraid to tell you... located in the drawer with the phone books.