Imagining a hushed reverence mixed with the rustle of turning pages, that’s the atmosphere awaiting us inside Butler Library. This isn’t just any library. It’s Columbia University’s largest, holding over two million volumes.
Butler Library stands as a monument to knowledge. It is one of the biggest buildings on Columbia’s campus. Completed in 1934, it was originally named South Hall. In 1946, it was renamed to honor Nicholas Murray Butler. He was Columbia University’s president from 1902 to 1945. Butler first suggested a new library because plans to expand Low Memorial Library failed.
Look at the building’s Neoclassical style. James Gamble Rogers designed it. Edward Harkness, a Columbia alumnus, funded the library. He also funded Yale’s residential college system and Harvard’s houses.
Take a closer look at the facade. A colonnade of Ionic columns lines the building. Inscribed above are the names of great thinkers. Homer, Herodotus, and Plato grace the northern face. Cervantes, Shakespeare, and Milton adorn the east. Horace, Tacitus, and Dante mark the western side.
Step inside the entrance lobby. Notice the large mural titled Videbimus Lumen. It means In Thy Light Shall We See Light. Eugene Francis Savage painted it in 1934. Athena anchors the composition. This echoes the Alma Mater sculpture at the campus center. The mural references light, social struggle, and New York City architecture.
Did you know that several famous works were written here? Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk wrote The Black Book in Butler Library. The screenplay for Capote was also penned here. Paul Auster’s novel Invisible features Butler. The main character works in the library stacks in 1967. Erica Jong even references the library in Fear of Flying.
Butler Library remains open 24 hours a day during the academic year. It is a hub of activity. Students camp out here during midterms and finals. They create their own social networks around preferred reading rooms.
Consider the stacks. These 15 floors hold nearly two million books. The New York Times describes the stacks’ smell as burned caramel.
Notice the marks on the main door. Constant rubbing has polished the bronze surface. Look for the slight indentation on the black marble steps. These marks tell a story of countless footsteps.
Butler Library is more than just a building. It’s a living testament to the pursuit of knowledge. Its walls hold stories and inspire new ones every day.