Geisel Library is the main library building of the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is t ...

. It is named in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel. Theodor is better known as children's author

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' brutalism and futurism", has resulted in its being featured in the UC San Diego logo and becoming the most recognizable building on campus. The library was designed by

William Pereira William Leonard Pereira (April 25, 1909 – November 13, 1985) was an American architect from Chicago, Illinois, who was noted for his futuristic designs of landmark buildings such as the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. Remarkably pr ...

and opened in 1970 as the Central Library. It was renovated in 1993 and rededicated as the University Library Building, and renamed Geisel Library in 1995. The UC San Diego Library consists of Geisel Library and the Biomedical Library Building, with off-campus locations at Scripps Archives and Library Annex, the Trade Street Storage Annex, and the UC Southern Regional Library Facility. Geisel Library is located in the center of the UC San Diego campus. It houses over 7 million volumes to support the educational and research objectives of the university. It also contains the Mandeville Special Collections and Archives, which houses the Dr. Seuss Collection, which contains original drawings, sketches, proofs, notebooks, manuscript drafts, books, audio and videotapes, photographs, and memorabilia. The approximately 8,500 items in the collection document the full range of Dr. Seuss's creative achievements, beginning in 1919 with his high school activities and ending with his death in 1991. The head of the library system is designated the Audrey Geisel University Librarian, currently Erik T. Mitchell.

History

In 1958, Roger Revelle's efforts to establish an Institute of Science and Engineering adjacent to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography were spearheaded by his desire to immediately construct a science and library building on the present

Revelle College Revelle College is the oldest residential college at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla, California. Founded in 1964, it is named after oceanographer and UC San Diego founder Roger Revelle. UC San Diego—along with Revelle Col ...

site. When the university was eventually constructed, university librarian Melvin Voigt devised a plan to purchase books for the three new UC campuses: UC San Diego,

UC Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located on Monterey Bay, on the edge ...

, and

UC Irvine UC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' University Challenge'', a popular British quiz programme airing on BBC Two ** ''University Challenge (New Zealand)'', the New Zealand version of the British programme * Universal Century, one of the t ...

. The first Science and Engineering Library in Urey Hall satisfied the science-focused school's needs. However, as faculty recruits began to found social science and humanities departments, it became clear to Chancellor

John Semple Galbraith John Semple Galbraith (November 10, 1916 – June 10, 2003) was a British Empire historian concentrating on Canada (The Hudson's Bay Company) and South and East Africa. He served as chancellor of the University of California San Diego, from 1 ...

that the time had come to establish the campus's main library collections. One of the conditions of Galbraith's acceptance of the UC San Diego chancellorship had been that UC San Diego would house one of the three great libraries of the UC system. To accomplish this end, he formed a committee which commissioned architect William L. Pereira to prepare a master plan for the University Center and its focal point, the Central Library. Pereira and his team, who were still retained as campus architects by UC Irvine, produced the plans and designs from their Urbanus Square facility in Irvine. Pereira's plan called for the University Center to be moved north and east, along with the proposed library building. This resulted in a revision of the campus long-range development plan: the three "clusters" of four colleges each would be more compact, allowing for an auxiliary library in each cluster. The proposed building was designed around a spheroidal tower, to maximize the stacks area that could be accessed in a given time from the center. This tower was to be situated atop a main level containing the staff and public areas of the library. The chosen site allowed for future expansions to step downwards into the canyon. Construction of the first of three increments began in July 1968; the two main floors were constructed first to form the base of the structure. This allowed for the placement of scaffolding to support construction of the tower. The Central University Library building's topping-out ceremony took place in December 1969 and its formal dedication was in March 1971. Central Library, combined with the original Scripps Library, the Humanities-Library building (now Galbraith Hall) in Revelle College, and the Biomedical Library (built in 1969), was able to support and represent the growing university for years. In 1990, construction began on a two-story, 136,850 square foot subterranean expansion of the main level. The project included renovation of the existing facility to comply with safety standards and cost $38 million, provided by California's 1988 Proposition 78. The expansion, designed by

Gunnar Birkerts Gunnar Birkerts ( lv, Gunārs Birkerts, January 17, 1925 – August 15, 2017) was a Latvian American architect who, for most of his career, was based in the metropolitan area of Detroit, Michigan. Some of his notable designs include the Corni ...

, was completed in February 1993. In 1995, La Jolla resident

Audrey Geisel Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
''

Theodor Seuss Geisel Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
''

Between the first and second renovations of Geisel Library, several other UC San Diego library facilities were also renovated or closed. The biomedical library received a $17 million, 43,454 square foot expansion in 2006. In 2011, the SIO library, the IR/PS library, the Hillcrest Medical Center library, and the Center for Library Instruction and Computing Services (CLICS) were closed and their collections consolidated into Geisel Library due systemwide budget cuts. In 2015, university officials announced that Geisel Library would begin to undergo its second renovation. This renovation includes construction of a café named Audrey's on the main level of the library. Geisel Library's current name has come under increasing criticism over the last few years due to increasing awareness of Theodor Geisel's own expression of anti-Blackness, Orientalism, and other racially-charged beliefs through cartoons and other work that he produced throughout the majority of his career. Although Theodor Geisel did come to renounce his more racially offensive characterizations during an interview for his alma mater of Dartmouth College, there has been no official response by UC San Diego to students requesting a name change.

Design

The distinctive original building was designed in the late 1960s by

to sit at the head of a canyon. The building's arches, in combination with the design of the individual floors, are intended to look like hands holding up a stack of books. William Pereira & Associates prepared a detaile
report
in 1969. Pereira originally conceived of a mushroom-shaped, steel-framed building, but the projected construction and maintenance costs forced him to switch to a reinforced concrete structure. This change of material presented an opportunity for a more sculptural design, as well as opening up interior spaces that would have been bisected by steel trusses. Prior to construction, a 1/2-scale model of one of the outer columns was built and subjected to various tests. It was envisioned that future additions to the original building would form terraced levels around the tower base descending into the canyon. In keeping with the original master plan, these are "deliberately designed to be subordinated to the strong, geometrical form of the existing library."
, additional text. Within its two subterranean levels are the other library sections as well as study spaces and computer labs. The building has been described by ''Architecture Daily'' as occupying "a fascinating nexus between brutalism and futurism". Its tower rises 8 stories to a height of 110 ft (33.5 m). The five upper stories of the tower house collections, individual study space, and group study rooms. Read-Write-Think-Dream Interior, UCSD

The library entrance is marked by

John Baldessari John Anthony Baldessari (June 17, 1931 – January 2, 2020) was an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images. He lived and worked in Santa Monica and Venice, California. Initially a painter ...

's ''READ/WRITE/THINK/DREAM'', an artwork which is part of the Stuart Collection. Geisel Library also features a life-size bronze statue of its namesake and his most famous character,

The Cat in the Hat ''The Cat in the Hat'' is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by the American author Theodor Geisel, using the pen name Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red b ...

, on the forum level. DrSeussStatue

''Snake Path''

The east side of the Geisel forum is literally and symbolically connected to Warren Mall by the Stuart Collection work ''Snake Path'', Alexis Smith's 560-foot-long slate tile path that winds towards the library. Its route passes a giant granite '' Paradise Lost'' and a small garden of fruit trees. The granite book is engraved with the excerpt "Then Wilt Thou Not Be Loth To Leave This Paradis But Shall Possess A Paradise Within Thee, Happier Far."

Third floor

One unusual feature of the library is that the lower levels are numbered 1 and 2, and the upper floors numbered 4 to 8. That has given rise to several fanciful explanations for why the third floor is apparently sealed off and not accessible from elevators or steps. One of the more popular stories is that the building's design had not taken into account the eventual weight of books in the library, so the third floor has of necessity been left empty, a common urban legend, associated at different times with many other university libraries. In reality, the "missing" third floor is actually the open/outside forum. There is no other third floor, blocked off or otherwise. It is simply reinforced concrete and an emergency exit that helps students from the 4-8 floors get out without having to go to the second floor. The "third floor" is actually two separate levels. The third floor landings in the public stairwells open to the concrete platform outside the library which was originally intended to be used for sculpture displays, acoustic music, impromptu outdoor conversations, an open public meeting area and poetry readings. Potential theft of library materials and the risks attributed to the potential theft of UC San Diego's rare private collections of literature and art caused the doors to third floor to be protected, to be used only in emergencies or by building personnel to conduct the transfer of equipment to the central core directly to avoid disrupting library operations. The "second" third floor's landing is numbered as floor "3.5" and consists of utility connections and wiring to the upper levels. There are no accessways beyond the stairwell doors of floor 3.5; they are locked utility rooms, essentially for maintenance and repair. The doors to the 3rd floor open outwards from the stairwells, and the 3.5 floor doors open inwards towards the central core. The Central Forum, the 3rd floor, was originally intended to be a formal area of the library but outside the interior to avoid disturbing library patrons or library operations.

Collections

The UC San Diego Library provides access to over 7 million digital and print works. Most of its works are organized into collections by subject, but the library also maintains some special collections and collections of distinction. The Mandeville Special Collections and Archives include: *American Institute of Wine & Food Culinary Collection *Archive for New Poetry *Baja California Collection *California, San Diego, & the History of the West *Don Cameron Allen Renaissance Collection *Dr. Seuss Collection: The Dr. Seuss Collection comprises the work of Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss. The collection contains roughly 8,500 items which include: "original drawings, sketches, proofs, notebooks, manuscript drafts, books, audio- and videotapes, photographs, and memorabilia". The Dr. Seuss collection is considered too fragile to be easily accessible. The collection is only open to researchers who have received permission from the director of special collections. *East Asia Collection *Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages: The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages was donated to the University of California, San Diego in 1974 by Kenneth E. and Dorothy V. Hill. The collection is considered to be one of the finest for early voyages and discovery in the Pacific. It contains more than 2,000 items that date from the 16th to the mid-19th century. Some of the more interesting items include ship logs from whaling expeditions and records from botanists who made sea voyages. *The San Diego Technology Archive *Scripps Institution of Oceanography Collections *Southworth Spanish Civil War Collection *Tuzin Archive for Melanesian Anthropology *Twentieth-Century Science & Public Policy *UC San Diego Archives

Other library buildings

The 2011 consolidation of the UC San Diego Library resulted in Geisel Library and the Biomedical Library building in the

School of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

becoming the only remaining library buildings on campus. Additional library materials are located at the Trade Street Storage Annex on Miramar Road and the UC Southern Regional Library Facility at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

In popular culture

* The TV series ''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who oper ...

'' featured the library in its opening credits. * Geisel Library made an appearance as the exterior of a research lab in '' Killer Tomatoes Strike Back'', the third movie in the cult film series ''Attack of the Killer Tomatoes''. * The library exterior was featured in the 1984 cult horror film

Night Train to Terror ''Night Train to Terror'' is a 1985 American anthology horror film written by Philip Yordan and directed by Jay Schlossberg-Cohen, with segments directed by John Carr, Phillip Marshak, Tom McGowan, and Gregg C. Tallas. The film features three sepa ...

used for Richard Moll’s character’s business office. The film’s screenwriter

Philip Yordan Philip Yordan (April 1, 1914 – March 24, 2003) was an American screenwriter of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s who produced several films. He acted as a front for blacklisted writers although his use of surrogate screenwriters predates the McCar ...

was also a professor at

University of California San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is th ...

at the time of filming. * The

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novel '' Rainbows End'' includes a major subplot focusing on the library. * Referred to as the "Chatky Headquarters in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

" in a Kohler commercial. *The 2004 film ''Funky Monkey'' features several scenes filmed in and on the grounds of the library. *Used in the film ''The Proud American'' (shooting date 2/17/08) *The TV series '' Mission: Impossible'' featured the library in the last episode filmed ("The Pendulum") as the "World Resources Ltd." headquarters. (aired 2/23/73) *The library was referenced by Ted Mosby in the '' How I Met Your Mother'' episode "

Mosbius Designs "Mosbius Designs" is the 20th episode in the fourth season of the television series '' How I Met Your Mother'' and 84th overall. It aired on April 13, 2009. In the episode, Ted starts his own architecture firm while Marshall is worried about his ...

" *Opening sequence of ''

Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series pr ...

'' episode from 11/29/06, filmed at the Warren Mall of UC San Diego and featuring shots of various landmarks, including Geisel Library. * The 2010 film ''

Inception ''Inception'' is a 2010 science fiction action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced the film with Emma Thomas, his wife. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infi ...

'' has a snow fortress that is very similar in structure to Geisel. * The 2010 film '' Kaboom'' features a shot of the library. * In 2012 the television program ''

Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...

'' created a remake of the ''

'' shot featuring the library, starring

Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series '' Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televis ...

, Adam Scott and

Jeff Probst Jeff Probst (; born November 4, 1961) is an American reality show host and executive producer. He is best known as the Emmy Award-winning host of the U.S. version of the reality television show '' Survivor'' since 2000. He was also the host of ...

. * Featured on the album cover of Circle's 2017 album ''Terminal'' * In 2020 Alan Walker released his single ''Time'', a remix of

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Oscars and four Grammys, and has been nominated for two Emmys and a Tony. Zimmer was also named on the list of Top 100 Living G ...

’s ''Time'' from the movie ''

''. The library was featured on the cover. It has slight variations as it is black with red lights illuminating its outline, and a big Red Nexus logo in the center. * In 2022,

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Orlando Tobias Edward Higginbottom (born 7 March 1986), known professionally as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (or TEED), is a British electronic music producer, DJ and singer-songwriter based in the United States. Early life Orlando is ...

released his single ''Never Seen You Dance'', whose accompanying music video is filmed in and outside the library.

References

External links

The UC San Diego Library website
{{Authority control University of California, San Diego Libraries in San Diego Federal depository libraries University and college academic libraries in the United States Landmarks in San Diego Library buildings completed in 1970 Library buildings completed in 1993 William Pereira buildings Brutalist architecture in California Modernist architecture in California Inverted pyramids Dr. Seuss