WVU Libraries

Readers who want to peruse the newly published history of the WVU Libraries can now flip through the pages online.

The WVU Libraries’ Web Team has created an E-Book version of The Charles C. Wise Library: A Retrospective by WVU Law student Luke Boso. The digital book is available through Mountainlynx or at http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/history/wise.pdf.

The book, published in 2006, presents the fascinating story of the “tremendous setting for learning” and contains beautiful photographs documenting the Library’s growth from 1931 to 2006. The author, a Morgantown native, earned a degree in English at WVU.

In this reverent tribute, Boso compiles information from 53 sources, ranging from the Daily Athenaeum articles published in 1930 to interviews in 2004 with librarians and Provost Gerald Lang after the latest renovation was completed. The book features interesting facts, such as the cost of the historic library buildings and their capacities. For example, the original library in Stewart Hall cost $116,000 and was built to house 20,000 volumes and 150 readers.

The Wise Library, originally costing $450,000, was rededicated in October 2003 after the extensive renovation project. Renovations included restoration of 1930’s wood furniture but with a twist – data ports enabling students to connect to the Internet are hidden in the tops of antique wooden reading tables in the Milano and Robinson Reading Rooms.

In the digital format, the 32-page book is easy to click through in the Adobe Acrobat Reader and has beautiful black and white and color photos on 8” x 8” pages.