Geisel Library: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Iconic Library at the University of California, San Diego}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox building

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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),<ref name="bml">{{cite news|last1=JaCoby|first1=Pat|title=Expansion And Renovation Of UCSD's Biomedical Library Slated To Begin With July 20 Groundbreaking Ceremony|url=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/archive/newsrel/general/BioMedLibrary.asp|access-date=7 April 2016|agency=UCSD News|publisher=University of California, San Diego|date=8 July 2004|ref=Expansion And Renovation Of UCSD's Biomedical Library Slated To Begin With July 20 Groundbreaking Ceremony}}</ref> 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.<ref name="renovationgb">{{cite news|last1=Clark|first1=Lucie|title=UCSD celebrates Central University Library groundbreaking March 21|url=http://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb7680509z/_2.pdf|access-date=7 April 2016|agency=UC San Diego News Release|publisher=University Archives|date=8 March 1990|ref=UCSD celebrates Central University Library groundbreaking March 21}}</ref> The expansion, designed by [[Gunnar Birkerts]], was completed in February 1993.<ref name="renovationded">{{cite news|last1=JaCoby|first1=Pat|title=UCSD marks rededication of Central Library today with official visit of UC President Jack Peltason|url=http://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb5803359r/_2.pdf|access-date=7 April 2016|work=UC San Diego News Release|agency=University Archives|publisher=University of California, San Diego|date=24 February 1993|ref=UCSD marks rededication of Central Library today with official visit of UC President Jack Peltason}}</ref> In 1995, La Jolla resident [[Audrey Geisel]] donated $20 million to the UC San Diego Library, supplementing her 1991 donation of $2.3 million worth of her husband [[Theodor Seuss Geisel]]'s original works. In exchange, the library was renamed Geisel Library.<ref name="geiseldonation">{{cite news|last1=Perry|first1=Tony|title=Dr. Seuss' Widow Gives Over $10 Million to UCSD|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-26-mn-50178-story.html|access-date=7 April 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=26 September 1995|ref=Dr. Seuss' Widow Gives Over $10 Million to UCSD}}</ref>

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.<ref name="bmlr">{{cite news |title=Biomedical Library expansion/renovation completed at UCSD |date=2 June 2006|url=http://www.sddt.com/Construction/article.cfm?SourceCode=20060602tma#Article|access-date=7 April 2016 |work=San Diego Source|ref=Biomedical Library expansion/renovation completed at UCSD|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009200727/http://www.sddt.com/Construction/article.cfm?SourceCode=20060602tma#Article|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2011, the SIO library, the [[School of Global Policy and Strategy|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.<ref name="byebye">{{cite news|last1=Flynn|first1=Pat|title=Four UCSD libraries to close, consolidate|work=San Diego Union-Tribune |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2011/mar/29/ucsd-libraries-close/|access-date=7 April 2016|date=29 March 2011|ref=Four UCSD libraries to close, consolidate|archive-date=April 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423092446/http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2011/mar/29/ucsd-libraries-close/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name="audreyscafe">{{cite news|last1=Stone |first1=Ken|title=Cafe Named for Dr. Seuss Widow to Keep UCSD Students Caffeinated |work=Times of San Diego|date=18 February 2016 |url=http://timesofsandiego.com/education/2016/02/18/cafe-named-for-dr-seuss-widow-to-keep-ucsd-students-caffeinated/ |access-date=7 April 2016|ref=Cafe Named for Dr. Seuss Widow to Keep UCSD Students Caffeinated}}</ref>

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<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ishizuka |first1=Katie |last2=Stephens |first2=Ramón |journal=Research on Diversity in Youth Literature |volume=1 |issue=2 |at=Article 4 |date=2019 |url=https://sophia.stkate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1050&context=rdyl |title=The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss's Children's Books|doi=10.21900/j.rydl.v1i2.1525 |url-access=subscription |doi-access=free }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190301-the-surprisingly-radical-politics-of-dr-seuss|last=Macdonald|first=Fiona|date=2 March 2019 |title=The surprisingly radical politics of Dr Seuss |website=BBC.com}}</ref>

== Design ==

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===Expansion===

Within a few years of the library’s opening in 1971, it was considered too small. Student enrollment had more than doubled, library staff numbers had increased, and the collections had grown so quickly that more than 300,000 volumes had to be stored off-site.

It was envisioned that future additions to the original building would form terraced levels around the tower base descending into the canyon, with the first of these planned for completion in 1976. The expansion project was ultimately funded in 1990, at which point the original plan had been discarded in favor of a subterranean addition onto the front of the library, designed by architect Gunnar Birkerts. In keeping with the original master plan, the addition was "deliberately designed to be subordinated to the strong, geometrical form of the existing library".<ref name="test">[http://libraries.ucsd.edu/about/us/geisel-building.html Link text] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102200755/https://libraries.ucsd.edu/about/us/geisel-building.html |date=2014-01-02 }}, additional text.</ref>

During planning in 1968, Pereira was approached to design an annex which would house the Samuel I. Barchas Science Library, a collection of rare historic science books that was planned to be donated to UCSD. The buildingproposed designedbuilding would have been a two-story structure seated to the front right of the main library, with its upper floor being a half-scale version of the tower's floorscenter floor. The proposed building was cancelledrejected for being too small, and the Barchas collection now resides at Stanford University.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://exhibits.ucsd.edu/starlight/shaping_a_library/feature/planning |title = Planning - Shaping a Library |access-date = 2025-05-11 |author = UCSD Libraries}}</ref>

[[File:DrSeussStatue.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Bronze statue of Dr. Seuss and his character The Cat in the Hat outside the library|Bronze statue of Dr. Seuss and his character The Cat in the Hat]]

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*Used in the 2008 film ''The Proud American'' (shooting date 2/17/08)

*The library was referenced by Ted Mosby in the 2009 ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' episode "[[Mosbius Designs]]"

* The 2010 film ''[[Inception]]'' has a snow fortress that is very similar in structure to Geisel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehighdefinite.com/2010/08/inceptions-snow-fortress-geisel-library/|title=Welcome thehighdefinite.com - BlueHost.com|website=www.thehighdefinite.com|access-date=24 April 2018|archive-date=April 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424202504/http://www.thehighdefinite.com/2010/08/inceptions-snow-fortress-geisel-library/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

* The 2010 film ''[[Kaboom (film)|Kaboom]]'' features a shot of the library.

* In 2012 the television program ''[[Adult Swim]]'' created a remake of the ''[[Simon & Simon]]'' shot featuring the library, starring [[Jon Hamm]], [[Adam Scott (actor)|Adam Scott]] and [[Jeff Probst]].

* Featured on the album cover of Circle's 2017 album ''Terminal'' <ref>{{cite web|url=https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/circle/terminal/|title=Terminal by Circle|website=rateyourmusic.com|access-date=24 April 2018}}</ref>{{deprecated inline|certain=y|date=November 2024}}

* In 2020 [[Alan Walker (music producer)|Alan Walker]] released his single ''Time'', a remix of [[Hans Zimmer]]'s ''Time'' from the movie ''[[Inception]]''. 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.