Rush Rhees Library is the main academic library of the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

. It is one of the most visible and recognizable landmarks on the university's River Campus. Construction began in 1927 with the other original River Campus buildings and the library was dedicated in 1930. It is named after Benjamin Rush Rhees, the university's third president. A major addition was added in 1970, which now houses the main computer lab, additional stacks and office space. Rush Rhees is the flagship of the River Campus Libraries System, which holds about 3 million volumes. The library featured an elevator completely original from 1930 until 2021 when it received a full modernization.

Rush Rhees Tower

Rush Rhees Tower stands high and houses the Hopeman Memorial

Carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a musical keyboard, keyboard and consists of at least 23 bells. The bells are Bellfounding, cast in Bell metal, bronze, hung in fixed suspension, and Musical tuning, tu ...

, the largest musical instrument in the city and one of only six in New York. It features 50 bells imported from the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and weighs in at 6,668 lb (3,025 kg). The carillon chimes on the quarter-hour and weekly recitals are given by students and guests. An annual recital series is held during the summer.

Rossell Hope Robbins Library

The Rossell Hope Robbins Library is located on the 4th floor of Rush Rhees, which houses a non-circulating medieval studies collection of more than 20,000 volumes. In addition to its holdings in all aspects of Middle English Literature, it also contains holdings in Old English, Anglo-Norman, and medieval French literature; medieval history, philosophy, theology, and art; manuscript studies; witchcraft; and Arthurian and Robin Hood studies. The collection was donated by medievalist Rossell Hope Robbins and his wife Helen Ann Mins Robbins in 1987 and, at the time, appraised for more than $750,000. Robbins also set provisions for new acquisitions and established a trust of $160,000 for a fellowship program.

References

External links

River Campus LibrariesRush Rhees Library
{{Authority control 1930 establishments in New York (state) Bell towers in the United States Educational buildings in Rochester, New York Carillons Library buildings completed in 1930 Libraries in New York (state) Tourist attractions in Rochester, New York University and college academic libraries in the United States University of Rochester