A Library Building for Brigham Young University
A little under two weeks ago Julene Butler, University Librarian, inaugurated a year long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the construction of the J. Reuben Clark Library with a lecture discussing the history of the library. The Clark Library building (now the Harold B. Lee Library) was the second building dedicated exclusively to housing Brigham Young University’ library collections. The first building was the Heber J. Grant Library. It was 87 years ago this month that the Executive Committee of the Brigham Young University Board of Trustees wrote to Church President Heber J. Grant that “After going thoroughly into the question we are convinced that steps should be taken to provide a library building for the University.” A year later in October 1925 the Grant Library building was dedicated. Today the Harold B. Lee Library is at the heart of campus both literally and figuratively. Enjoy these historic photographs of the library from the University Archives collections:
The home of the library in the Education Building (Brigham Young Academy), ca. 1913.
The newly completed Heber J. Grant Library, 1925.
The newly completed J. Reuben Clark Jr. Library, 1961.
A rendition of the 1974 addition to the Harold B. Library.
The 1999 addition to the Harold B. Lee Library (image courtesy University Photo).
For more information on the history of the library, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu