Doe Memorial Library

Doe Memorial Library
Doe Library from Memorial Glade
Location: University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Built: 1911
Architectural style: Classical Revival
Governing body: University of California
MPS: University of California, Berkeley MRA
NRHP Reference#: 82004639
Added to NRHP: March 25, 1982

The Doe Memorial Library is the main library of the UC Berkeley Library System on the UC Berkeley campus. The library is named after its benefactor, Charles Franklin Doe, who was persuaded by the then President of the University of California, Benjamin Ide Wheeler, in 1904 to bequeath funds for its construction. It is located adjacent to the Bancroft Library. In 1900, Emile Benard won an architectural competition for the design of the library, and the Classical Revival style library was completed in 1911. The Doe Library houses both the Undergraduate and Gardner (Main) Stacks collections.

Contents

Gardner (Main) Stacks Collection

The Gardner Collection, acquiring its namesake from the 15th President of the University of California David P. Gardner, is a four-story underground structure consisting of 52 miles of bookshelves, housing some of the University's most prized collections. The Main Stacks were constructed in 1997 with four large skylights to allow for natural lighting of the underground structure. The Gardner Main Stacks connect the Doe and Moffitt Libraries by means of an underground hallway, this is the only way to enter the Main Stacks after hours.

Within the bookshelves of the Gardner Main Stacks one may find numerous study spaces such as carrels and tables with electrical outlets and wireless network access for student use. This is one of the most popular locations on campus for student study hall.Each semester, the week prior to and during finals, Gardner Main Stacks is open 24 hours in order to provide a safe study hall for the student body.

Prior to the construction of the main stacks, books were held in an eight story structure inside the main building. Called the Doe Core, this space has been used for temporary libraries displaced under seismic retrofitting on the Berkeley campus. Doe Core is 70 feet tall and is illuminated with street lights. [1]

Library Access

The main reading room is open to the public. To access the main stacks, however, a valid student identification card from UC Berkeley (or another participating institution) is required. California residents with proof of residency may also purchase a library card in order to gain access to the Main Gardner Stacks. Access to some of the rooms, such as 308, is restricted to faculty and graduate students.

Libraries, collections and services

Popular culture

The Doe Library was featured in the 2000 Abercrombie & Fitch Back-To-School Catalogue. The North Reading Room inside the Doe Library was also featured in 2007 online advertisements for Apple Inc. The library and its name appeared in the January 7, 2011 Nukees comic strip.[link 1]

References

External links