Dana Porter Library

The Dana Porter is the main library on Main Campus. It houses library administration as well as materials in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It is also home to the university archives.

History
Before the construction of the Dana Porter Library, the university's collection of books was stored in a library on the third floor of the Physics and Mathematics building. However, the lack of space for the growing collection was a perennial issue and by 1965, the new library was constructed. It was called the Arts Library at the time and was only seven stories high.

Renaming
The Arts Library was officially renamed to the Dana Porter Memorial Library in October 1967 in a ceremony following convocation.

"Sinking" Myth
A common fact given by orientation leaders and tour guides of the University is that the library is slowly sinking into the ground because the architect did not take the weight of books into account. This is, however, not true and is a common urban myth on university campuses across North America.