J. Henry Meyer Memorial Library

Meyer Library – Stanford University
Closeup of second floor

The J. Henry Meyer Memorial Library was one of several libraries at Stanford University in California. The library was dedicated on December 2, 1966. In 2007, a seismic assessment identified $45 million in required retrofits, more than the cost of a new library elsewhere on campus. Consequently, the library was designated for closure and a new design was accepted featuring a public open space area at the site. The library closed for good on August 22, 2014, [1] and was demolished during the months of February - March, 2015.[2]

Designed by architect and Stanford alumnus John Carl Warnecke, Meyer Library's arcades featured high columns and vaulted ceilings. The library was a four-story building with a sloping tile roof, and the outer sides of the building were lined with vertical bands of tall windows. The inner, central section of each side of the building was covered with a mesh of small windows.

The first floor of the Meyer Library consisted of several seminar rooms and a computer cluster, as well as a 24-hour study room. The first floor was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The second floor was the home of Academic Computing and Residential Computing, which provided technological expertise and resources to faculty and students. In addition to a general computer cluster, there was a specialized Multimedia Studio and a Digital Language Lab. Also, the Meyer Technology Services Desk provided direct troubleshooting and consulting services. The third floor contained library systems and offices.

The fourth floor housed the East Asia Library, which has a vast Chinese collection of over 300,000 volumes, a Japanese collection of over 100,000 volumes, and a Korean collection of over 10,000 volumes. This collection was moved to the new Lathrop Library.[3]

Namesake

The library was named for J. Henry Meyer (1855–1921), a wealthy California businessman and native Californian, who was an early supporter of Stanford, particularly the Stanford libraries. He was born in Sacramento and settled in San Francisco. He was a banker and an important influence on the development of the street railway systems in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He helped to underwrite the establishment of Stanford's Lane Medical Library, and in 1916 he created a Stanford endowment fund to collect important western historical manuscripts. Two of his three children graduated from Stanford, and his children continued his tradition of supporting the university. Their support, together with a grant from the U.S. Office of Education, made the undergraduate library possible, and it was named in their father's honor.[4]

See also

Stanford University Libraries

References

  1. ↑ "Meyer Library closes permanently, relocating services to Lathrop". Stanford Daily. August 25, 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Meyer Library's demolition in photos". Stanford Daily. March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ "New Lathrop Library to host Meyer's services". Stanford Daily. May 9, 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  4. ↑ The J. Henry Meyer Memorial Library dedication program. Stanford University. December 2, 1966.

External links

Coordinates: 37°25′32″N 122°10′02″W / 37.425686°N 122.167360°W / 37.425686; -122.167360

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