The Library

Previously I posted a few pictures of both campus that I am working on: Francis Close Hall and The Park. Clearly I currently have a favorite - FCH. The pictures below are all of the library. Nice library huh?

The picture on the right is inside the court yard. I am standing on the ground in the south-east corner. There are several reading benches around so I'm sure once it's warmer (dryer?) I will spend able time out there. I went on a little self guided tour of the building. The upper floor are rows of offices tucked in nooks and crannies and eaves. The picture on the left is taken from the upper level, south-west corner. Anyone have a pet dragon I can borrow for the year?

It is a maze in there and I had no idea how to get out. Once on the ground floor I spotted a man coming out of his office and I had to ask him how to get out. He asked, "Where do you want to go?" I said "Outside of this building." He opened a blue wooden door and I was suddenly outside.


The doors: This picture on the left looks like a front door. You can go in it, but it's not the main door for the library. It only leads you up a staircase to the upper level offices. The door on the right is similar to the blue door I exited. I don't think they are supposed to be used by students...I love the architecture of these doors. However, the main entrance to the library is a modern glass, handicapped accessible, security gate type door you'd find at most libraries. Not very exciting.




















Some favorite angles. When I was fourteen or so, my Young Women leader's husband was building a small castle in the woods of the Ozark Mountains. Sounds really cool but it was probably very close to what living and building a castle back in the olden times was really like. They lived in the basement, which was somewhat moderized, but small and dark, while they slowly built each floor, buttresses and towers. It was built from local rock and sand that they picked up and put in their truck by hand and dumped out by hand. On many occasions I got to help build the castle. I helped load up sand, collect rocks, mix cement, lay the rocks, set flooring, etc. I basically got to build one small tower by myself. By the time I left home the castle was still incomplete. Not sure that it ever was completed, but it was such a cool experience.

I think about that when I walk past the walls of the FCH library. I look at the stones and wonder about the hands that collected the rocks and laid the walls and the oxen that carted the material over the Cotswolds. (We at least did have a truck.) And I try to remind myself that hand building a castle is not in my five year, ten year, or any year plan. Because it would be kind of cool...