Cicero’s essay on aging was printed and sold by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia in 1744. Many consider Franklin’s edition the finest example of American Colonial printing. The volume is also known as the first large-print book printed in America and believed to be Franklin’s personal favorite among the books he printed. It now resides in The Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois.

The Library will celebrate the 11-millionth volume during Homecoming 2010, when Chancellor Richard Herman will recognize the volume during the Homecoming Parade Pep Rally.

University of Illinois Library: 11-millionth Volume Acquired
News-Gazette: Rare Franklin edition to join UI library’s stacks
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeparker/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

In the early 1990′s a firm was hired to build the new engineering library for the University of Illinois. Since it was a state project, the lowest bidder got the job. They designed the building, and it was built and opened in 1993. They loaded up the shelves, opened their doors for the new semester, and everything looked good.

Everything was not good, though. About two years later, the librarians noticed that the building was sinking – only slightly – but enough that it was noticeable. And “noticeable” is bad when it comes to sinking buildings.

As the the University of Illinois has the top-ranked civil engineering program in the nation, the library asked some civil engineers to check out the sinking problem. They went back and looked at the old specs of the building – what they found was disappointing.

When the architecture firm (that the University hired for cheap mind you) sent the plans to an engineer to verify the structural integrity, they sent it to a cheap, know-nothing civil engineering firm instead of asking the University to do it. What that cheap engineering firm did not plan for was the weight of the books in the library! Yes, the thousands of volumes that were moved into the library after it was built turned out to be slowly pushing the building into the ground at a pace unsafe to be ignored.

So the Grainger engineering library now has books only on the basement, first, and second floors, in order to keep the weight down, so that the library will sink no more. And you can bet that future building projects will be overseen by our own Civil Engineers.

After telling this story to a friend from another University, he said that he heard that their library was sinking too! Upon further research, we found many references to the “sinking library” story – including a reference in a recent episode of “How I Met Your Mother”. I’m sorry to report, however, that this story is false.

As a member of the Open Content Alliance,
UIUC Library is digitizing and contributing to the Internet Archive books and serials from its collections that focus on Illinois history, literature, and natural resources; rural life and agriculture; railroad history and engineering; and works in translation. UIUC Library is a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which has recently joined the Google Library Project. Visit the Illinois Harvest web portal to find more digital content from the UIUC Library.

Check out the Digitized Book of the Week – an Illinois blog featuring one of those such digitized books every week.

Digitized Book of the Week

This month, to mark the Lincoln bicentennial on February 12, there is an exhibit of items from the Library’s Illinois History and Lincoln Collections. These materials are displayed on the first floor of the Main Library, both in the Marshall Gallery and in the South Hallway. The cases in the Gallery contain graphics relating to the Lincoln assassination, a subject of perennial interest. Items in the cases and on the wall of the hallway, beginning at the south door, illustrate Lincoln’s political rise, his family, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, the close of the Civil War, and the Lincoln legacy.

‘Special Collections,’ is the term of art for such library and archival material as rare books, manuscripts, prints, posters, maps, photographs, sound recordings, music scores and instruments, moving images, art works, coins, and other items of historical and cultural importance. The University Library, especially, has profited from the general bibliomania of librarians, archivists, faculty members, donors and even University Presidents, and has many collections so interesting, unique, and world-renowned that the only encompassing word for them is ‘cool’.

The “cool collections” website includes some archived images of these cool items. I have been to the website and there is some really cool stuff there (no pun intended). Check out the website for all the details on the cool stuff and the calendar of events.

Happy Cool Collections Month!

Annual Library Booksale

The re-designed Gateway Web site delivers many features that make it more convenient for you to identify Library resources. The Easy Search box provides powerful one-stop searching across dozens of Library digital and print resources, including journal databases, newspapers, books, media. Information is organized by subject and by College major as well. Further, considerable effort has been put into accessibility, allowing users who use screen readers to more easily navigate library web pages. Many more new features await your exploration and discovery on this site. In the coming months we will continue to add and update the content on the site, and we appreciate your suggestions, feedback, and understanding as we transform this valuable university resource.

UIUC Library Gateway

The library fee of $200 a semester for new full-time undergraduate and graduate/ professional students supports several initiatives, in addition to increasing library hours, including developing electronic media and digitization; improving information technology services; creating and enhancing tools for online learning and research; and increasing the positions focused on direct support of students’ learning and services.

U. of I. libraries extending hours as result of new funds from student fee

UIUC Library: Library Tours