CELEBRATING A CENTURY AT THE HEART OF KU
During the 2024-25 academic year, beloved Watson Library celebrated 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.
A Rhapsody in Jayhawk Blue
Centennial Celebrations
KU Libraries invited the campus community and beyond to celebrate Watson Library's 100th birthday with a variety of programs and events during the fall semester.
Building Awareness
KU Libraries Dean Carol Smith was a guest on KLWN 1320 AM's "According to the Record" with Kim Murphree to talk about the Watson Centennial Celebration and its activities.
Watson Library Month
September 2024 was proclaimed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly as “Watson Library Month,” in observation of the library's centennial. Representatives from the University, including Chancellor Girod and dean of libraries Carol Smith, attended a proclamation ceremony at the Capitol in Topeka on Aug. 30.
Cut A Rug: Dance Lessons
Attendees were invited to take a step back in time and learn the iconic Charleston and Foxtrot, dance crazes of the 1920s, during four separate sessions in Watson Library's Three West Reading Room throughout the fall semester. Beginners to experienced dancers worked alongside dance instructor, Jake Fisher.
Art on the Lawn
Attendees captured the beauty of Watson Library through a guided art lesson from outside on the lawn and inside while under the iconic windows in a pair of sessions during the fall semester. With help from a trained artist, participants created a finished acrylic painting on canvas through a step-by-step process with art supplies provided by the libraries.
Library on the Lawn
Live music, food and fun filled the front lawn of Watson Library on Oct. 23. Along with KJHK 90.7 FM, KU’s student-run radio station, the libraries hosted live performances Aud Whitson and Brendan Mott, during free activities from the libraries’ Makerspace team, lawn games, a photo booth, giveaways and library tours. Food was available for purchase from a pair of food trucks.
Lawrence Mug Hunt
The first Saturday of every month Lawrence Mug Hunt hides local mugs around their favorite parks in Lawrence with clues for community members. In September, hunters were on the lookout for KU Libraries swag, including exclusive Watson Centennial items hidden in eight different mugs.
Library Employee Reunion
Past and present KU Libraries employees were invited to raise a glass to 100 years of memories and community in celebration of the centennial of Watson Library. In October, current and former employees connected for snacks and drinks, including a variety of wines from Davenport Winery & Orchards.
Centennial Time Capsule
In closing the libraries’ fall lineup of programs and events marking the centennial of Watson Library, a centennial time capsule was curated by library staff, community partners and friends of the library with contents displayed at a reception on Nov. 20 in Spencer Research Library’s North Gallery. The event served as a celebratory transfer of the materials to University Archives.
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.