The University of Minnesota Walter Library as of September 26th, is now one hundred years old! The U held an event to celebrate Walter Library and all the resources it has to offer. During this event students, faculty, and the general public had the opportunity to learn about the library’s history and learn about the construction stages.
Walter Library received funding from the Minnesota Legislature in 1919 for $1.2 million and construction started in 1922. Building was done around the summer of 1924 and became one of the most expensive state-building projects in Minnesota. Originally the library wasn’t given a name and was just called “The Library” but in 1959 the library was renamed in honor of Frank Keller Walter who was one of the university’s librarians.
Since being built there have been many renovations since the original building including the ceilings that now have a decorative touch with gold leaf to prevent a green color. By far one of the most unique things about Walter Library is the owls hidden around the library. According to the continuum of the university, there are 225 owls throughout the library including carvings on the walls. Many of them are found in the Reading Room!
To celebrate the one hundred years that Walter Library has been open, the University of Minnesota tabled at many events including the UMN Farmers Market, WAM-O-RAMA, WAM’s Study Night x Art Rental as well as the Academic Success and Peer Tutoring fair. On Tuesday, September 26th from 3:00-5:00 pm, the library held an open house where I was able to learn about the history and the construction of the library. There were many outdoor games provided as well as refreshments, including a wheel where students and faculty could win a variety of prizes. When attending the event I was able to look at and progress photos of the library from when the cornerstone was laid on May 17th, 1923 to when Walter was dedicated on October 31st, 1924.
Walter Library has many amenities for its students including a tutoring room, quiet study, reservable study rooms, and an innovation space called The Breakerspace. The Breakerspace is a way for students to de-stress and get away from studying. Resources like sewing machines, crafts, 3D printers, and virtual reality are all free to students. The best part of the Breakerspace is that it is accepts students of all different skill levels and offers workshops for students to build upon their skills.
Reservable spaces in the library have many different options. There are different capacities whether you want to study alone or with a group of more than eleven! You can also reserve technology spaces depending on what your needs are. If you study better with others around and are ok with more noise there are open study spaces available to everyone on multiple levels.
My favorite place to study in Walter Library is the lower underground floors. They are quiet, between shelves, and allow students who get easily distracted to be in a controlled environment with limited distractions. They have couches that you can sit on with desks as well as just your standard chair and desk. There is also a close cafe if you want a drink to go. There are so many options within the library that it accommodates all the needs of students.
Walter Library has become a student favorite library. The library is always crowded with students and allows students to study or relax. Each floor is a new environment allowing for so many options for students to choose what works best for them.
