CELEBRATING A CENTURY AT THE HEART OF KU
This year, beloved Watson Library celebrates its centennial as a cornerstone of the campus community. So much has changed in the world of information in the past century, and the libraries have been at the heart of KU’s learning and discovery through it all.
Leading Lady
A chance conversation with an overworked chancellor led to Carrie Watson's role as KU’s first full-time university librarian and a notable figure in university life for over half a century. Her remarkable tenure inspired the naming of Watson Library in her honor in 1924, the first academic building on KU’s campus to be named for a woman.
Campus Cornerstone
Towering toward the blue autumn sky, sparkling in the snow, or standing stalwart behind beds of breezy tulips, Watson Library is a Jayhawk Boulevard landmark for all seasons. As the central hub of the largest library collection in Kansas, Watson has seen tremendous growth and change over a century of service, a necessary evolution that has not always proved easy or graceful.
The Roaring 20s
Watson Library first opened its doors 100 years ago, in September 1924. As students turned pages under the light of the grand gothic windows for the first time, life on campus buzzed with the electricity of the era.
Library Leaders
KU Libraries advance research, teaching, and learning at the intersection of people and ideas, a mission that has been central to the heart of every library leader, long before the latest articulation, and even before the last 100 years of Watson Library. As we celebrate the centennial of the central hub and administrative headquarters, we salute the persistence, grit, creativity and heart of our current and former library leaders.
Making the Model
Centennial Sentiments
This year, beloved Watson celebrates its centennial as a cornerstone of the campus community and we're celebrating all it has offered to generations of Jayhawks. KU Libraries, with Watson Library as its central hub, provide study spaces, expert research strategies, classroom instruction, distinctive collections, electronic resources, and individualized consultation that is fundamental to student success and scholarly advancement across every academic department at KU.
"I needed a space that had a window to see a peaceful setting and complete silence to concentrate ... I found that in the stacks ... Thank you Watson Library - you helped save my grades and my sanity!"
1920s Page Turners
Celebrate Watson Library's Centennial with a book from the Roaring 20s. Find one in a library near you, or members of the KU Community can find browse these selected titles on the Libby App thanks to a new agreement.
Selected Books (Click For More)
Centennial Soundtrack
The 1920s were an era of musical and artistic expansion and experimentation including the Harlem Renaissance and explosion of jazz and other new forms of music. Musical scores were part of the library collections since the earliest days of KU, with Watson Library’s collections including music books, periodicals, and scores from the beginning. The jazz scene and other important 1920s contributions are preserved today in the KU Sound Archive, available by appointment at KU Libraries’ Gorton Music and Dance Library. Throw it back to the Roaring 20s when Watson Library first opened its doors with these top songs from 1924.
Centennial Celebrations
KU Libraries invites the campus community and beyond to celebrate Watson Library's 100th birthday this fall with a variety of programs and events. Check back frequently for an updated listing of upcoming events below.
Centennial Celebrations
A Century at the Heart of KU
This year, beloved Watson Library celebrates its centennial as a cornerstone of the campus community. So much has changed in the world of information in the past century, and the libraries have been at the heart of KU’s learning and discovery through it all. Learn more and join us in celebrating this campus icon.