W. E. B. Du Bois Library

W. E. B. Du Bois Library
General information
Type	Research
Location	Amherst, Massachusetts 01003 United States
Construction started	1972
Completed	1974
Height
Roof	296.31 feet (90.32 m)
Top floor	28
Technical details
Floor count	26
Design and construction
Architect	Edward Durrell Stone
References
[1]

W. E. B. Du Bois Library
W. E. B. Du Bois Library at night
Country	United States
Type	Public
Established	1974
Location	154 Hicks Way University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA 01003-9275
Coordinates	42°23′23.42″N 72°31′41.65″W / 42.3898389°N 72.5282361°W / 42.3898389; -72.5282361Coordinates: 42°23′23.42″N 72°31′41.65″W / 42.3898389°N 72.5282361°W / 42.3898389; -72.5282361
Website	library.umass.edu/libraries/dubois.html
Phone number	[phone]

The W. E. B. Du Bois Library is one of the three libraries of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts (the others are the Science and Engineering Library and the Music Reserve Lab). The library is the main campus library with resources primarily humanities and social and behavioral sciences. At 26 stories and 296 feet (90.32 m) tall, it is the tallest library in the United States^[2][3] and the 23rd-tallest educational building in the world.

History

Built in 1974, it houses the memoirs and papers of the distinguished African-American scholar, writer, and activist W. E. B. Du Bois and is also the depository for other important collections, such as the papers of Silvio O. Conte. The library is a federal depository library.

The library also offers several computer labs and a tutoring center. The bottom floor of the tower houses the Learning Commons which contains many free Windows and Macintosh computers for student use, Wi-Fi, group study rooms, help desks, and a Writing Center where students can get tips on writing papers. In 2011, room 25 which is located in the basement of the library, was turned into a classroom that can hold approximately 75 students. Some of the lower floors also have quiet study areas equipped with Wi-Fi and spacious study tables.

The upper floors contain books from various academic fields, including a sizable East Asian Collection, Art Collections and Thesis Archive. However, not all upper floors are book stacks and there are many special offices and study carrels that are available to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers seeking a private space in which to study. The topmost floors of the library are a popular destination for those wishing to see a panoramic view of the campus and surrounding Pioneer Valley. The 23rd floor is often said to have the best view during Autumn when the leaves begin to change, giving a very colorful view of the campus.

The library is accessible to UMass Amherst students 24 hours a day during the normal academic year, except on Friday, Saturday, and select holidays when the library closes at 9 p.m.^[4]

Learning Commons

A primary feature of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library is the Learning Commons,^[5] which opened in 2005. The Learning Commons provides a central location for resources provided by several departments across campus including Library Reference, Office of Information Technologies Help Desk, Academic Advising, Writing Center, Career Services, and Assistive Technologies Center. The Learning Commons has 164 computers with a broad range of software installed arranged in a variety of configurations for both individual and collaborative work. The library also offers services including tutoring, writing workshops, and supplemental instruction scattered among its 26 floors. The building itself is so large that it needs a security force. That security force is the Building Monitor Desk, which managed by various supervisors and student employees.

Railings and falling bricks

In the 1970s, the building began "spalling" or shedding brick chips and in 1979 was closed for three months due to safety concerns. During this period 60,000 of the most used volumes and the card catalog were relocated to the older Goodell library to reduce traffic in the tower. The entrance and circulation desks were moved from the original ground level entry floor to the basement and several floors, including the ground level entrance, were closed.^[6]

In 1986 the library underwent 2.3 million dollars of renovations including refurbishing the closed floors and relocating the entry and circulation services to their original floor. A primitive "hay bale" barrier around the original entrance floor was replaced by a covered entrance and a surrounding chain link fence. This was later replaced by the low black railings still seen in various incarnations today.^[7] The renovations were completed by the volunteer project "Mass Transformation," which involved 4000 volunteer students cleaning and painting.^[8]

Various urban legends surround the issues with brick spalling. It is frequently believed that whole bricks rather than chips fall from the library and stories circulate that students have been injured or killed. The issues with spalling have been blamed on the architects failing to account for the weight of the books when designing the library. This is a popular urban legend common to many colleges, in addition to the rumor that the library is sinking into the ground by 1/4 to 1/2 inch per year. Another explanation for the spalling is that an unnamed administrator, distressed over the amount of white cement Brutalist architecture on campus, ordered as last minute change from white to red brick which wasn't properly accounted for.

References

1. ^ W. E. B. Du Bois Library at Emporis
2. ^ "Tall Order - In praise of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library". UMass. http://www.umass.edu/umhome/feature-story/article/80. Retrieved January 2, 2010. 
3. ^ "W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Amherst" Emporis.com. Retrieved December 4, 2009 from Emporis.com
4. ^ "Library Hours." University of Massachusetts Amherst. Retrieved December 4, 2009 from Umass.edu
5. ^ "UMass Amherst Learning Commons". UMass Amherst. http://www.umass.edu/learningcommons/index.html. Retrieved December 11, 2009. 
6. ^ "Thousands volunteer for U. Mass library's clean-up." American Libraries. 1986. Retrieved November 5, 2009 from Accessmylibrary.com
7. ^ The W.E.B. Du Bois Library Makes a Gorgeous - and Inviting - Entrance into the 21st Century. Retrieved November 5, 2009 from Umass.edu
8. ^ "Thousands volunteer for U. Mass library's clean-up." American Libraries. 1986. Retrieved November 5, 2009 from Accessmylibrary.com

External links

• Emporis.com