Hillman Library

Hillman Library is the primary building of the library system of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Located on corner of Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive diagonally across from the Cathedral of Learning, Hillman serves as the centerpiece of the 5 million-volume [cite news
last = Blake
first = Sharon S.
coauthors =
title = Library Acquires Five Millionth Volume
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Pitt Chronicle
date = 2008-5-27
url = http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/?p=1432
accessdate = 2008-05-30] University Library System at Pitt, the 26th largest university library system in the country. [ [http://www.ala.org/ala/alalibrary/libraryfactsheet/alalibraryfactsheet22.cfm ALA Library Fact Sheet 22 - The Nation's Largest Libraries, American Library Association, 2007-10, accessdate=2008-08-17] ]

History

The library was built on land that had bordered Forbes Field and was donated in the 1950s to Pitt by coal magnate John H. Hillman, Jr. When Forbes Field was razed in 1971, three other buildings were planned as a cluster for the site: Wesley W. Posvar Hall, David L. Lawrence Hall, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Construction of Hillman Library, designed by Celli-Flynn and Associates, began in June of 1965. Hillman opened on September 6, 1968 and was named for John H. Hillman, Jr. Both the Hillman family and the Hillman Foundation gave millions toward its construction. Max Abramovitz designed the oriel windows which were placed at a bay window angle in order to be inconspicuous on the plane surface of the outer wall while still providing light. [http://digital.library.pitt.edu:80/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=trees%20hall;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=284;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;] . With five floors, seating for 1,539 students, and holding 1.9 million volumes, Hillman is the largest of the 17 libraries on the Pitt campus. In 1996, architect Celli-Flynn and Associates won the Timeless Award for Enduring Design from the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects for its design of Hillman Library. [http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/ArchArch/awards.html#1996] [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07150/789896-109.stm]

Tony Smith's 1971 painted steel sculpture "Light Up!" can be found outside Hillman library in Forbes Quad between the library and Posvar Hall. [http://www.publicartpittsburgh.org/pdf_files/PAPP_Oakland_Walking_Tour.pdf]

pecial Collections/Rooms

Hillman Library contains many different collections and reading spaces. Among them are: [http://www.library.pitt.edu/libraries/hillman/hillman.html]

Art

A selection of Audubon prints is on view in the library’s ground floor display case and many graphic and sculptural works are nestled among the stairways and study areas on the building’s upper floors, some of which are on loan from the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Several works of Virgil Cantini are in the library, including a wood and metal sculpture of an arrow-pierced St. Sebastian, located in the first floor stairwell, and a wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding a lamb. [cite news
title=Cantini's art beautifies Pitt
date=2007-10-26
first=Holden
last=Slattery
work=The Pitt News
url = http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2007/10/26/News/Cantinis.Art.Beautifies.Pitt-3058658.shtml
quote=Cantini has done a great deal of religious renderings, including two wood sculptures located on the first floor of the Hillman Library. .] Flanking the wall opposite the first floor reference desk are two abstract works: “Modern Warfare” by Kes Zapkus and “Arcing Light” by Albert Stadler. A large bust of Confucius by Chinese artist Li Guangyu and a stone sculpture, “The Sound of Autumn,” by Masayuki Nagare are on the second floor. Near the special collections reading room on the third floor is a selection of early 20th century illustrations in watercolor, charcoal and crayon created to accompany the work of mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart. Also on the third floor are works by winners of the A.J. Schneider Studio Arts Award, selected from among entries in the annual student exhibition. Winners agree to allow their work to be displayed for one year in the reading room. [http://mac10.umc.pitt.edu/u/FMPro?-db=ustory&-lay=a&-format=d.html&storyid=4242&-Find]

Woodruff medal

1936 Berlin Summer Olympics track and field 800-meter gold medalist John Woodruff, an alumni of the University of Pittsburgh, donated his gold medal to the University where it has hung on display for many years. Woodruff's 800m win in the 1936 games was the first for an African-American in front of Adolf Hilter and was achieved in what has been called "the most daring move seen on a track" when he stopped in mid-race in order to break out of a pack of runners and then retook the lead in a sprint to the finish thereby becoming the first American to achieve gold in 800m in 24 years. [ [http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/?p=987 Steele, Bruce; Alumnus, ’36 Medalist John Woodruff Dies at 92, Pitt Chronicle, 2007-11-05, accessdate=2008-08-16] ]

Popular culture

Hillman Library is a primary setting for The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, a novel by Pitt alumnus Michael Chabon, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001.

External links

* [http://www.library.pitt.edu/ University of Pittsburgh Library System]
* [http://www.umc.pitt.edu/tour/tour-075.html Hillman Library virtual tour]

Panoramic Tours
* [http://www.library.pitt.edu/images/tours/hillgdfl.mov Hillman Library First Floor panoramic]
* [http://www.library.pitt.edu/libraries/chaucer/chaucer.html Cup & Chaucer Café panoramic]
* [http://www.library.pitt.edu/images/tours/irvisrr2.mov K. Leroy Irvis Reading Room 1 panoramic]
* [http://www.library.pitt.edu/images/tours/irvisplanes.mov Leroy Irvis Reading Room 2 panoramic]
* [http://www.library.pitt.edu/images/tours/LatinAm.mov Latin American Reading Room panoramic]
* [http://www.library.pitt.edu/images/tours/SpColl4.mov Special Collections panoramic]

References

*cite book
last = Alberts
first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press
*cite book | author=Kidney, Walter C. | title=Pittsburgh's Landmark Architecture: The Historic Buildings of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County | location=Pittsburgh | publisher=Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation | year=1997 | id=ISBN 0-916670-18-X
*cite book | author=Toker, Franklin | title=Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait | location=Pittsburgh | publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press | origyear=1986 | year=1994 | id=ISBN 0-8229-5434-6

Gallery