A century ago, Iowa State University’s Parks Library was “the finest piece of architecture in the state,” said Raymond A. Pearson, the university’s president, when the cornerstone of the library was laid in October 1923.
Today, the library is much larger than its original 176 by 130 foot, or 35,000 square feet, blueprint. It’s now 325,488 square feet and home to more than 2 million books.
It was first known simply as the “Iowa State Library” before being renamed in 1984 after a series of additions expanded the library’s capacity for books and students.
But something hasn’t changed since the original Bedford limestone was stacked: it’s been the heart of Iowa State’s excellence, in the words of the library’s namesake, William Robert Parks, who was the university president from 1965-1986.
The library’s original façade — a Late Classical Revival style featuring ornate carvings in the stone — can still be seen on the library’s exterior, and, in some places, inside the library thanks to additions that showcase, rather than cover, the original structure.
Today, Iowa State’s 30,000+ students use the library every day, a far stretch from the beginning class sizes that roamed campus.
It’s not just home to books, but also digital repositories that house decades of history and knowledge, academic support services, tech support, studio space and more.
Parks Library continues its legacy of being the heart of Iowa State by being a hub for student success, and it’s ready to serve students for the next century, as well.
“Students are the heart of the University Library,” Hilary Seo, the library’s dean, said in a release. “Thanks to the support of the university, the partnership of passionate donors, the power of our research collections, and our team of talented staff, we provide meaningful services and experiences in top-tier facilities.
“Together we will steer a course into our next century of service that positions all Cyclones for success.”
How Parks Library has changed over the years
The home to more than 2 million books and prime study space for Iowa State’s 30,000 students didn’t always look like the goliath it is today: it began much smaller, and much simpler.
The university’s library collections were first held in Old Main from 1868 to 1892, then moved to Morrill Hall until 1914, when they were moved to Central Hall, now known as Beardshear Hall, where they stayed until the Iowa State Library was completed and opened in 1925.
The library’s original façade was simple limestone, but its architecture was anything but: it was regarded as one of the finest pieces of architecture in the state at the time.
See more photos and blueprints of the original library at the library’s digital exhibit.
In 1961, when enrollment soared thanks to baby boomers becoming college-aged, the library saw its first expansion and first installation of air conditioning. It added “browsing rooms, a space for maps and microforms, open carrels, and individual study carrels added to the tiers in the original building,” according to a release from the library.
A second addition was completed in 1968. And enrollment continued to rise.
In 1980, efforts for a third expansion led by then-Library Dean Warren Kuhn, or “Mr. Library,” became all the more real with the help of then-President Parks.
This time, however, a modern twist was added on to the classical style building.
The expansion quadrupled the library’s capacity and included a three-story atrium that showcased the original façade.
“The library addition reinvigorates an existing facility that respects and revitalizes the original building and also corrects planning shortcomings of previous additions,” a project update from architects read. “It provides an architectural identity and details with historical themes without literally copying architectural detail.”
In 1984, after completion of the most recent addition, the library was renamed and dedicated to Parks.
“Attaining excellence in the library, like attaining excellence in academic undertaking in general, is a never-ending process,” Parks said during his remarks at the dedication ceremony. “There is always a continual struggle, a process of becoming, rather than a comfortable state of being.”
Celebration: Parks Library Centennial
Noon-2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24
A campus celebration at Parks Library to celebrate its 100-year history. There will be choir performances, library tours and ice cream will be served — a special library-inspired flavor: “Aha! Moments: Parks Library,” a chocolate cherry flavor created by the ISU Creamery.
“Centennial Cyder” brewed by the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute will also be served.
Free and open to the public
