W.E.B. DuBois Library

The W.E.B. DuBois Library

Another view of the library (courtesy Drew Von Maluski)

The library at night (courtesy Drew Von Maluski)

With its 26 floors, the W.E.B. DuBois Library at UMass Amherst is the tallest library in the United States at 297 feet (90.5m) tall. [1] It is named after African-American activist W.E.B. DuBois and holds a large collection of his writings.

The library also offers several computer labs and a tutoring center.

Other library locations on campus include the Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library (in LGRC) which supports science and engineering research including the collection of the former Biological Sciences Library, and the Music Reserve Lab (in the Fine Arts Center). Rarely used materials are stored off campus at the 5 College Book Depository.

[edit] Web resources

The library's official web site offers a variety of services to UMass Amherst students:

• Online catalog, including:
  • Reserve materials (search by course or instructor). Also see Electronic Reserves.
• Five Colleges catalog, allowing you to request books from Smith, Mount Holyoke, Amherst and Hampshire colleges.
• Access to databases such as LexisNexis and many others, very helpful in finding articles.
• Access to many online journals, very helpful in finding sources from respected publications for papers.
• Research Help and Support

Off-campus access to journals and databases is granted using your OIT login.

[edit] Learning Commons

In September of 2005, the library's new vision of the lower level (Main) floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, the Learning Commons, was opened. This project involved locating service desks for several student services in one place (OIT Tech Support, Writing Center, Academic Advising and Career Services, in addition to the Library's Reference Desk), and many new computers, both PCs running Windows XP (provided by Dell) and Apple (eMacs) along the East wall. The computers are arranged in groups of three; each computer gets its own table, and the three tables are arranged around a central pole, which contains ethernet ports and power outlets. Additionally, the computers which were formerly arranged on long tables perpendicular to the east wall are now in front of the Courtyard, in individual mini-carrels. Finally, for group work or for reduced noise, there are semi-enclosed computer rooms with clear walls which have a computer (PC), and a white board along the rear wall. Note that there is no ceiling in these 'rooms', so sound does go both in and out!

Some of the computers require users to have their OIT login information; however a group of computers run by the library do not require logging in and are open to the public.

The Learning Commons' hours are longer than other departments of the library. The Commons is open 24/5, that is, 11am Sunday - 9pm Friday, and also Saturday 9am - 9pm.

The floor plan for the Learning Commons can be found here. For additional information, please see the Learning Commons website.

[edit] Study Carrels

Private, assigned study rooms are available in the library on several floors. They are assigned at the library's circulation desk. Some students find these sparsely furnished rooms to be conducive to focus, thanks to their lack of distraction. Priority goes to graduate students and faculty.

[edit] Construction History

More information needs to be researched on how the building was constructed; the architect who designed the building and why he desired the layout chosen - to dispel or acclaim the myth that the DuBois library was modeled after the World Trade Center Towers of New York City.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Wind tunnel effect

A view of the library from the Fine Arts Center, taken in the winter.

The answer to that common question "why is it so windy near the library?" can be found here. Essentially, wind speeds near the ground are usually lower due to friction with trees, vegetation, and terrain. "Tall, slab-like buildings" tend to deflect faster winds from higher up down to ground level. Additionally, vortexes may be created (illustrated by the common swirling leaves between LGRT and Goessmann Hall).

[edit] Railings and falling bricks

There is a rumour that due to shoddy construction of the library, it developed a habit of popping out bricks at random which would then plummet onto students below. The railings surrounding the library at ground level are designed to keep passers-by out of the range of potentially fatal falling bricks. In fact, this is an exaggeration with a seed of truth. In the 1970s, the building began "spalling" or shedding brick chips, not whole bricks. The first barrier was made of hay bales, followed by an "ugly" chain link fence which was later replaced by the low black railings still seen in various incarnations today. [2]

Related to this story is the claim that the library originally had books only on every other floor. According to UMass lore, the architects failed to account for the weight of the books when designing the library. This is a popular urban legend common to many colleges, in addition to the rumor that the library is sinking into the ground by 1/4 to 1/2 inch per year (due to being built on swampy soil).