Powell Library: A Hub of History, Collections, and Creativity at UCLA
Powell Library, officially the Charles E. Powell Library, stands as a central landmark on the UCLA campus, serving as the primary undergraduate library and a vibrant hub for the Bruin community. More than just a place for books, Powell is a space for study, research, collaboration, and creative exploration. Its rich history, diverse collections, and commitment to student success have solidified its place as an iconic institution within the UCLA landscape.
A Historical Landmark
Constructed between 1926 and 1929, Powell Library is one of the four original buildings that defined the UCLA campus when it first moved to its Westwood location. Designed in the Romanesque revival style, the building's architecture reflects the Italian buildings that inspired its design, particularly in Royce Hall. The exterior features two wings flanking a central tower, topped with a distinctive octagonal dome adorned with arched balconies housing electrical bell speakers.
Named in honor of Lawrence Clark Powell, who served as University Librarian from 1944 to 1961 and Dean of the Graduate School of Library Service from 1960 to 1966, the library has a storied past. Its walls have witnessed decades of academic pursuits and intellectual ferment. The Graduate School of Library and Information Science was housed for many years in the southwestern corner of the top floor.
A Legacy of Creativity
Powell Library's significance extends beyond its architectural beauty and historical importance. It has also been a source of inspiration for countless students and scholars. Famously, acclaimed author Ray Bradbury drafted his renowned novel Fahrenheit 451 within the library's walls. This legacy of creativity continues to resonate throughout the campus, exemplified by the presence of Café 451, an ASUCLA restaurant located within Powell Library.
Resources and Services
Powell Library offers a wide array of resources and services designed to support the academic endeavors of UCLA students. These include:
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- Research Consultations: Expert librarians provide guidance and assistance with research projects.
- Course Reserves: Access to required course materials.
- Equipment Lending: Borrow laptops and other equipment.
- Event Hosting: The library hosts events and exhibitions for the Bruin community.
- 24-Hour Study Spaces: Dedicated areas like Night Powell offer round-the-clock study environments, especially crucial during peak academic periods.
- ADA Stations: Accessible workstations for students with disabilities.
- Printing, Copying, and Scanning: Convenient access to document reproduction services.
- Instructional Media Collections and Services (IMCS): Support for faculty requiring instructional media.
- Powell Library Circulation Desk: For directional or book inquiries.
The library also hosts de-stressor programs during tenth and finals week, which include providing snacks and bringing therapy dogs, origami stations, and other stress-reducing activities to the library.
Diverse Collections
Powell Library is part of the extensive UCLA Library system, which boasts a wealth of special collections considered among the best in the country. These collections encompass a wide range of subjects and formats, including:
Digital Collections:
- Picturing UCLA: A visual history of UCLA told through over 10,000 photographic prints from the University Archives Photographic Reference collection. The images in the collection range from the State Normal School in 1925 through 1982. Thelner documented the history of UCLA beginning with the Vermont Avenue Campus in 1927; the Westwood campus groundbreaking ceremony in 1927; photographs of book illustrations of the Italian buildings which inspired the architecture of Royce Hall and the Powell Library building; the construction of Royce Hall, the Powell Library building and Kinsey Hall (the Physics building); the UCLA Band in 1928; models of the earliest buildings, Chemistry, Haines, Moore and others; and the moving days to the Westwood campus.
- Center for Oral History Research: In-depth interviews with individuals who have shaped the history of Los Angeles.
- Post-custodial Collections: Online access to cultural heritage collections from organizations worldwide.
- Sinai Manuscripts Digital Library: Manuscripts from St. Catherine’s Monastery of the Sinai, Egypt, spanning from late antiquity to early modernity.
- Sinai Palimpsests: Spectral imagery of erased texts from palimpsest manuscripts.
- Reflecciones Collection: Moving image record of how Chicana/o/x communities represented themselves on television during a pivotal time of social change in Los Angeles
- Willis E. Bell Photographic Print Archive: Photographic negatives and prints documenting life in Ghana, West Africa, during the post-colonial period (1957-1978)
- Tom Reed Collection: Episodes of the African American news and magazine television program "For Members Only"
- Buddhist Churches of America Records: Panorama photographs, correspondence, meeting minutes, audio-visual materials and more from the largest Japanese American Buddhist organization
Physical Collections:
- The Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana: A special collection of books and materials concerning Leonardo da Vinci and the Italian Renaissance. Of special interest are those works directly related to Leonardo. These include all editions of his Treatise on Painting-the collection also contains two very rare manuscript copies of the Treatise-and facsimile editions of all his extant drawings and manuscripts. Due to the fact that Leonardo's interests were so diverse and his undertakings so profoundly important to subsequent developments in the arts and sciences, the scope of the collection extends far beyond his own time. The Belt Library contains more than 70 incunabula and many early documents in the history of art as well as modern studies of Renaissance and post-Renaissance culture. Holdings of materials on human and animal anatomy are complemented by those in the Special Collections for Medicine and the Sciences. Since Dr. Belt donated it, the collection has continued to grow, and it now encompasses more than seven thousand volumes. In addition to the continuing development of the collection on the part of the university, support has come from generous donors including Professor and Mrs. Lynn White Jr., who in 1972 gave an important collection of early books relating to Renaissance and Baroque science.
- James O Collection: Professional archivists catalog all relevant documents to protect them from deterioration and to ensure their availability for future generations.
- Howard Morehead photographs and papers: Photographs taken by Howard Morehead, mostly of musicians and venues in Los Angeles from the mid-1950s through the 1990s, as well as some actors and politicians
- Sandy Gooch Papers: Personal archive of Sandy Gooch, natural foods pioneer, educator and founder of Mrs. Gooch's Natural Food Market
- Ray Bradbury Papers: Manuscripts, correspondence and ephemera by and related to the celebrated American author and screenwriter.
- Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE): Photographs from the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE), founded to address conditions in the tourist industry, a significant generator of poverty in Los Angeles
- Tule Lake Japanese Language Library Collection: Over 1,900 volumes from a library created by wrongfully incarcerated Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants during WWII, including notes, checkout cards and ephemera in Japanese and English.
- Richard and Dion Neutra Papers: Original architectural drawings, photographs, correspondence and travel sketches from seminal mid-century architect Richard Neutra.
- Kango Takamura Kango Paintings, 1942-1945: Over 75 intricate drawings and watercolors painted by Kango Takamura depicting his experiences while incarcerated at Manzanar between 1942 and 1945.
- Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection: Over 4,600 photographs documenting the civic and community life of 19th-20th century Black Los Angeles, collected by LAPL’s first African American librarian.
- L.A. Rebellion Collection: Films made by a collective of African and African American students at UCLA, from the 1960s through the Reagan era.
- Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company Records: Photographs, audio recordings, promotional videos and printed materials documenting Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, its employees and the impact their work had on the LA community.
- Get Used to It: The public affairs talk show Get Used to It (1992-2012) brought together advocates and allies for thoughtful, in-depth conversations on national and local issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community.
- Patent Medicine Trade Cards: A collection of 247 small, colorfully illustrated patent medicine trade cards, each advertising a particular trademarked medicine and its many cures.
In the year 2000, the UCLA Library celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Department of Special Collections located in the basement of the Charles E. Young Research Library. This year also marked the 49th anniversary of the library’s acquisition of the Michael Sadleir Collection of fiction published between the 1790s and the turn of the twentieth century. In addition, 2000 marked the 55th anniversary of the founding of the journal, Nineteenth-Century Literature (originally called The Trollopian) by Bradford Booth, of the UCLA English Department.
A Social Hub
Beyond its academic resources, Powell Library serves as a central gathering place for students. Its welcoming atmosphere and diverse spaces, including reading rooms, group study rooms, and the Rotunda, foster a sense of community.
The library's popularity as a social hub has also led to its affectionate nickname, "Club Powell," reflecting its lively atmosphere. While some attribute this moniker to its reputation for being louder than other libraries, others point to the existence of Night Powell, a 24/7 study space that caters to students' late-night academic pursuits.
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The second-floor Rotunda often hosts events, including the Edible Book Festival, Silent Disco, Video Game Orchestra, and International Games Day.
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tags: #ucla #powell #library #history #and #collections
