Watson as a Place
When Watson Library opened on September 11, 1924, there were reading rooms on the main floors for students to study and look at materials from the collections, as well as much needed space for books and library staff. Additions and renovations over the years, including the building of the branch libraries and the Library Annex, have allowed for additional and specialized spaces for students, faculty, and staff who visit the library, such as the graduate study lounge, group study spaces, and areas for computers and other technology use.
New areas have been created for the growing number of Libraries’ faculty and staff, like the Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication & Copyright, that also reflect the ever changing and expanding profession of librarianship. The Haricombe Gallery is used to highlight the research of KU’s faculty and students, and the area to its west is used for programing to engage the larger campus and Lawrence communities.
Over the last 100 years, Watson Library has been many things to many different people. From a place where those of differing racial and ethnic backgrounds could interact during the years of campus segregation, to a place that encourages the gathering of students, faculty, staff, and the larger Lawrence community, Watson continues to be a welcoming place for all.
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A Place to Study & Research
A key aspect of the original design of Watson was to provide ample space for study and research, in addition to having adequate space for books. Area once taken up by card catalogs has been repurposed. Reading rooms, originally consisting of rows of long tables and chairs, now have spaces for individual and group study, as well as computer stations. Study carrels in the stacks are also getting updates.
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Space for Expanding Professional Staff
The new Watson Library provided much needed space for an expanding library staff to meet the increasing needs of KU’s students and faculty. Renovations since 1924 have addressed the growing staff, such as the addition of the west wing with administrative offices that opened in 1950. Places for the library staff and student assistants to meet and celebrate have been key to fostering a congenial and professional work environment.
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A Place to Learn and Share
Over the years, Waston Library has played host to numerous events aimed at bringing together the KU community with those beyond its boundaries. The LibArt program and the Snyder Book Collecting Contest are two examples of opportunities the Libraries provide students to express their talents and interests to a wide audience and engage with community members at Watson. Watson has also served as the backdrop for KU Libraries leadership in the areas of Open Access and research in the digital humanities.
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A Welcoming Place for All
As a campus cornerstone, Watson Library has strived to be a welcoming place for all who enter. In 2017, KU Libraries undertook a campaign to ensure that all students and members of the campus community knew they were welcomed at not only Watson Library, but at all campus libraries as well. The campaign included a variety of “You Belong Here” posters and “We Belong Here” pronoun buttons.
