The Robert E. Kennedy Library is the primary library of

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or Cal Poly) is a public university in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, - Cites the location of the university and shows that the university ...

. Opened in 1980 and named in honor of President Emeritus Robert E. Kennedy, the five-story building houses nearly five million items, and is the largest library between Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara.

History

Cal Poly's first library was founded in 1903 in a single room of the original administration building on campus (now demolished). In 1942, the library made its first move to the newly completed clock-tower administration building. The first building to be constructed at the university after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

was The Walter F. Dexter Library, which cost $700,000. Dedicated in October 1948, the building was named after the Sacramento administrator who had helped secure collegiate status for Cal Poly eight years earlier. In 1980, the library moved to its current location, a building named in honor of President Emeritus Robert E. Kennedy (1966-1979). The building was designed by architect Robert Marquis, and built between 1977 and August 1980 at a cost of $11 million. The library contains nearly five million items, including books, journals, electronic resources, multimedia,

K-12 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the world. ...

learning resources, and government documents. The library is currently undergoing a $77 million renovation and is expected to reopen in 2025.

Collections

Special Collections, a department of The Robert E. Kennedy Library at Cal Poly, was established in 1969 to build primary source research collections to support the polytechnic curriculum of the university. Major subject areas in the collections include:

book arts Book arts may refer to: * Artist's book, a work of art in the form of a book * Book design, the art of designing a book * Book illustration, illustration in a book * Bookbinding Bookbinding is the process of building a book, usually in codex ...

environmental history Environmental history is the study of Human impact on the environment, human interaction with the natural world over time, emphasising the active role nature plays in influencing human affairs and vice versa. Environmental history first emerged ...

ethnic studies Ethnic studies, in the United States, is the interdisciplinary study of difference—chiefly race, ethnicity, and nation, but also sexuality, gender, and other such markings—and power, as expressed by the state, by civil society, and by indivi ...

fine printing In printing and publishing, the fine press are printers and publishers publishing books and other printed matter of exceptional intrinsic quality and artistic taste, including both commercial and private presses. History As part of the Arts and ...

graphic arts A category of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of visual artistic expression, typically two-dimensional graphics, i.e. produced on a flat surface,landscape architecture Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...

, regional history &

social history Social history, often called history from below, is a field of history that looks at the lived experience of the past. Historians who write social history are called social historians. Social history came to prominence in the 1960s, spreading f ...

. Researchers from every state and many countries have traveled to the Kennedy Library to use the archival collections of manuscripts, rare books, architectural drawings, and photographs. Special Collections materials have been featured on

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

, A&E, and in international print media.Robert E. Kennedy Library
"Special Collections"
2011 The library collects archival and printed materials on the history, growth, and development of Cal Poly in the University Archives.

Services

Before the renovation, the building included seven computer labs, twelve large collaboration rooms for up to eight people, more than twenty group study rooms on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors, and a number of non-group study rooms, available at all times. There were 300

computers A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ('' computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as ''programs'', ...

, and equipment available on loan including

laptop computer A laptop computer or notebook computer, also known as a laptop or notebook, is a small, portable personal computer (PC). Laptops typically have a Clamshell design, clamshell form factor (design), form factor with a flat-panel computer scree ...

s and

camera A camera is an instrument used to capture and store images and videos, either digitally via an electronic image sensor, or chemically via a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. As a pivotal technology in the fields of photograp ...

equipment. The Robert E. Kennedy Library has been voted "Best On-Campus Study Spot" every year since 2006 by readers of the campus newspaper, ''Mustang News''.

Public programs

Kennedy Library offers a number of ongoing and special events for both the campus and the community: *Conversations with Cal Poly Authors celebrates publications of creative and scholarly books by Cal Poly faculty and staff. * The Kennedy Library was one of eight national recipients of the 2012

Freedom to Read Foundation The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is an American non-profit anti-censorship organization, established in 1969 by the American Library Association. The organization has been active in First Amendment-based challenges to book removals from librar ...

's Judith F. Krug Fund Grant, which supported the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week. The library celebrated with info-graphics (designed by Cal Poly students), a podcast series, and an appearance by

Stephen Chbosky Stephen Chbosky (; born January 25, 1970) is an American film director, screenwriter, and author. He is best-known for writing the bestselling coming-of-age novel '' The Perks of Being a Wallflower'' (1999), and writing and directing its 2012 fi ...

, the author of ''

The Perks of Being a Wallflower ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower'' is a 1999 young adult novel by American author Stephen Chbosky. Set in the early 1990s, the novel follows Charlie, an introverted and observant teenager, through his freshman year of high school in a Pittsbu ...

''. * In 2014, Kennedy Library was named an Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Excellence in Academic Libraries Award Winner. Sponsored by

ACRL The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

and YBP Library Services, the award recognizes library staff and programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institution. ACRL awards are given out in university, college and community college categories. Robert E. Kennedy Library was selected in the university category for the innovations in student engagement.

References

External links

Robert E. Kennedy Library website
{{authority control California Polytechnic State University University and college academic libraries in California Library buildings completed in 1980 Buildings and structures in San Luis Obispo, California 1980 establishments in California University and college buildings completed in 1980