The Life Sciences Library at Penn State is the oldest of the University Libraries. Its name and its campus location have changed over the past 125 years, but its mission has remained to serve students, faculty, and researchers who visit in person or virtually.

1. The Life Sciences Library
125 Years ago

2. As the library evolved, so did its name
1888–1933 Experiment Station Library
1933–1968 Agricultural Library
1968–1974 Agricultural and Biological Sciences Library
1974 to date Life Sciences Library

3. Agricultural Librarians
1888–1918 Julia Catherine Gray
1918–1934 Kathryne M. Stanford
1934–1938 A. Elizabeth Beal
1938–1966 Anna E. Malone
1966 Miriam D. Pierce
1966–1977 Vladimir Micuda
1977–1990 Keith E. Roe
1990—1995 Katherine E. Clark
1995–present Amy L. Paster

4. In 1888, the Agriculture
Library began as the
Experiment Station
Library on the second
floor of Old Main.

5. Old Main Library and Julia Catherine Gray
March 29, 1888, Julia Catherine Gray came to work as clerk and stenographer in the new
Pennsylvania Agriculture Experiment Station office, one small dorm-like room in Old
Main.

6. Agricultural Experiment
Station Building and
Floor Plan
• first agriculture building
on the PA State College
campus
• built in 1889
• founded by President
George Atherton
• one of America’s first
centers for agricultural
science research

7. Agricultural Experiment Station Interior
According to Julia Gray, "The first floor of the new building provided a
sizeable combination office and reading room, made into
compartments with double-faced bookcases on extension bases.”

8. "North America sylva," by
François André Michaux,
published in 1853
In 1902, Penn State Libraries' first
endowment, the George Blight
Agricultural Library Fund
Endowment of $5,000, was
established.
The Blight endowment purchased
this rare book that describes the
forest trees of the United States,
Canada, and Nova Scotia.

9. "Flora boreali-americana," by André Michaux, first
published in 1803
• Blight fund provided
some 10 percent of the
Agricultural Library
budget even as recently
as the 1950's.
• Fund allowed purchase of
many volumes now found
in the Rare Books Room.

10. Armsby Building and the Agricultural Library
• In1905, the agricultural organizations of PA formed a movement to
secure better facilities for Penn State.
• A year or two later the main agricultural building—now Armsby—
was built
• By 1908, agricultural specialists joined the college
• Agricultural Experiment Station reorganized into the School of
Agriculture and Experiment Station

11. Kathryne Stanford
In 1917 Kathryne Stanford was appointed
assistant librarian
Became head librarian in 1918, when Julia
Gray left for Washington and the war effort.
In 1920 the budget:
• for books and binding was $459
• for magazines and papers was $114

12. The Agriculture Library in 1924
• 10,271 volumes
• 38 domestic periodicals
• 16 foreign periodicals
• 138 exchange publications
The School of Agriculture Library Committee
• existed at least by the late 1920's
• likely the first faculty library committee on campus
• continued for many years to play a key role as advocate for
its library

13. In 1933, the Agricultural
Library opened in its new
quarters in Patterson
Hall, the old creamery.
Dean Watts read a paper
by Julia Gray on the early
history of the library.

14. Anna E. Malone, 1938-
1966 head of the
Agricultural Library
• She saw the library through
some of its rapid growth
years, witnessed some of its
most severe space problems
• She was a most outspoken
proponent of the Agricultural
Library and her own views

15. Ferguson Building
By 1943, the library had 32,000 volumes with reading rooms in the Forestry Building,
now the Ferguson Building, and the Institute of Animal Nutrition in Armsby Building.
By 1949 the budget for books and journals reached $7,500; by comparison in 1987,
the materials budget was $450,000; and the current 2013 budget exceeds $2 million.

16. In 1962, the School of Forestry Library was added to the Agricultural Library
and most collections were moved to Leete Hall
Miriam Pierce took over as acting head librarian in
1966 when Malone retired
The Agricultural Library moved to first floor Pattee
Library, now the Reading Room for the Leisure Reading
Collection

17. 1966 to 1977 - Vladimir Micuda, head of the Agriculture Library,
began the formidable task of moving the collections from Leete Hall to Pattee Library.

18. 1968: Name changed to Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Library
• 87,930 volumes
• 1,461 journal titles
• site dedication of East Pattee Library, July 3, 1969
• occupied one and a half floors

19. In 1972, the Agricultural and Biological Sciences Library moved to second
floor, East Pattee
• occupied 70 percent of shelf space
• 105,436 volumes
• 1,789 journal subscriptions
In 1974, the name was changed to Life Sciences Library with 125,000
volumes

20. Keith E. Roe – 1977 to 1990
head of Life Sciences Library
The 1980's were characterized by
automation, especially introduction of
LIAS (the Library Information Access
System), microcomputers, and an array
of databases.
CAIN online, computerized
bibliographic data base service, began
with a research grant from the National
Agricultural Library.

21. At the 100th anniversary in 1988, Roe delivered
"History of the Agricultural Library at Penn State 1888–1988"
Then library holdings included
• 270,000 volumes
• 3,000 current journal subscriptions received
• eight full-time library faculty and staff.

22. The Successful Campaign for the Library
Katherine E. Clark, 1990 - 1995 head
of the Life Sciences Library
Librarians receive microcomputers
for their offices.
In 1994, Joe and Sue Paterno led a
"focus campaign" that with the help
of generous donors, raised $13.75
million for the University Libraries.
The Board of Trustees approved the
name—the Paterno Library—for the
new library made possible by this
campaign.

23. Amy L. Paster, 1995 to present, head of the Life Science Library
In 1996, the Life Sciences Library created its first Internet home page.
During the 1990’s, many resources became available through the World Wide Web,
some with free direct access.

24. In 2000:
Life Sciences Library moved to the 4th floor of the new Paterno Library.
In 2013:
253,000 books
• more than 12,000 zoology titles
• 10,000 neuroscience titles
• 9,000 plant culture titles
7,000 journal titles
5 librarians and 3 full-time staff

25. Today's library focuses on
service
• Friendly staff
• Colorful displays
• Consultation room –
Mediascape equipment with
a 50-inch plasma screen

26. Models give students vital
hands-on practice
Resources include
• full skeletons in the
anatomical models
collection—checked out more
than 800 times per year
• molecular model set for
general and organic chemistry