4. About Giesel
The University of California, San Diego Library consists of the Geisel Library building and the
Biomedical Library building. There are also three off-campus locations: The Scripps Archives
and Library Annex (available by appointment), the Annex (collections available by request),
and the UC Southern Regional Library Facility (collections available by request).
The Geisel Library building contains materials and services related to: Arts, Area Studies,
Engineering, Humanities, Marine Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences. It also
contains the Mandeville Special Collections & Archives, which houses the Dr. Seuss Collection.
The Dr. Seuss Collection contains original drawings, sketches, proofs, notebooks, manuscript
drafts, books, audio- and videotapes, photographs, and memorabilia. The approximately 8,500
items in the collection document the full range of Dr. Seuss's creative achievements, beginning
in 1919 with his high school activities and ending with his death in 1991.
The Geisel Library building is named in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel (better
known as Dr. Seuss) for the generous contributions they have made to the library and their
devotion to improving literacy. The Geisels were long-time residents of La Jolla, where UC San
Diego is located.
The building is featured in the UC San Diego logo and is the most recognizable building on
campus. It is located in the center of the campus with Library Walk to its south, Thurgood
Marshall College to its West and Earl Warren College to its East.
The library first opened in 1970. It was simply called the Central Library until a renovation was
completed in 1993, when it was rededicated as the University Library Building. It was renamed
Geisel Library in 1995.
5. Design
The distinctive original building was designed in the late 1960s by William Pereira to
sit at the head of a canyon. William Pereira & Associates prepared a detailed report in
1969. Pereira originally conceived of a steel-framed building, but this was changed to
reinforced concrete to save on construction and maintenance costs. This change of
material presented an opportunity for a more sculptural design. It was envisioned that
future additions to the original building would form terraced levels around the tower
base descending into the canyon, the first of which was designed by Gunnar Birkerts
and completed in the early 1990s. In keeping with the original master plan, it was
"deliberately designed to be subordinated to the strong, geometrical form of the
existing library."[1] Within its two subterranean levels are the other library sections as
well as study spaces and computer labs. The tower is a prime example of brutalist
architecture. It rises 8 stories to a height of 110 ft (33.5 m). The four upper stories of
the tower houses collections, individual study space, and group study rooms.
The Nevada Museum of Art is planning an exhibit featuring the work of William L.
Pereira. For the exhibit, they commissioned a video shoot from FortyOneTwenty, a San
Diego studio. They used a remote controlled helicopter to get unique views of the
building. Here is a sneak peek of the video.
6. Entryway
The entryway of the library is the site of an art installation by John Baldessari titled
"Read/Write/Think/Dream." The installation includes the front doors of colored glass
that overlap when they open, the teacher in the lobby, and images of students,
books, pens, pencils and palm trees on the glass panels of the lobby. The installation
is part of the Stuart Art Collection.
7. Third floor
One unusual feature of the library is that the lower levels are numbered 1 and 2, and the
upper floors numbered 4 through 8. This has given rise to several fanciful explanations for
why the third floor is apparently sealed off and not accessible from elevators or steps.
One of the more popular stories is that the building's design had not taken into account the
eventual weight of books in the library, so the third floor has of necessity been left empty.
This is a common urban legend, associated at different times with many other university
libraries.There are many urban legends associated with the building.
In reality, the "missing" third floor is actually the open/outside forum. There is no other
third floor, blocked off or otherwise. It is simply reinforced concrete and an emergency
exit that helps students from the 4-8 floors get out without having to go to the second
floor. The "third floor" is actually two separate levels. The third floor landings in the public
stairwells open to the concrete platform outside the library which was originally intended
to be used for sculpture displays, acoustic music, impromptu outdoor conversations, an
open public meeting area and poetry readings.Due to potential theft of library materials
and the risks attributed to the potential theft of UCSD's rare private collections of
literature and art, the doors to third floor were protected to be only used in case of
emergencies or for building personnel to conduct transfer of equipment to the central core
directly, so as not to disrupt library operations. The "second" third floor's landing is
numbered as floor "3.5" and consists of utility connections and wiring to the upper levels.
There are no access-ways beyond the stairwell doors of floor 3.5, they are locked utility
rooms, in essence for maintenance and repair.The doors to the 3rd floor open outwards
from the stairwells while the 3.5 floor doors open inwards towards the central core. The
Central Forum, the 3rd floor, was originally intended to be a 'formal' area of the library,
but outside the interior so as not to disturb library patrons or library operations.
