Our roaming led us towards Ohio. Memories of living in Kent rushed through my mind. I welcomed a visit to the Ohio State University’s Thompson Library.
Back in 2005-2006, my contact, Susan Wyngard acquired many of my artists’ books for the Fine Arts Library. Since then the Thompson library has gone through many changes, from staff succession to architecture re-design.
I communicated with Jolie Braun the new contact person in Special Collection. Jolie was delighted to meet and talk about my books published since 2007.
William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library is the main library on the Ohio State University Columbus campus and the largest library of the Ohio State University Library System. The Thompson Library was renovated four times since its construction in 1913; the most recent renovation completed in 2009. The 306,000 square-foot renovated building contains the library’s 1.25 million volume collection.
With this new re-design, the library went from dark to light and airy. The 30 feet tall ceiling of the grand reference hall from 1913 was restored and is symbolic of the entire re-design.
Here is a retrospective look at Ohio State's century-old library and changes over the years, culminating in a three-year renovation project completed in 2009
This is a shorter video on the hundred-million dollar facelift that made the William Oxley Thompson Library the jewel of the campus.
What caught my eye was the Foundation Stones set in the terrazzo of the library's ground and first floors. One can see forty-nine metal plates documenting forms of written communication from around the globe. Forty-five additional etchings were designed on the doors of the Stacks Tower elevators. Read all about the foundation stones in this brochure.
© 2017 Louise Levergneux, Braille at the entrance of the library, Foundation Stones of the Thompson Library, Columbus, OH
© 2017 Louise Levergneux, Hiragana, a Japanese Syllabary, Foundation Stones of the Thompson Library, Columbus, OH
© 2017 Louise Levergneux, Linear B, a syllabary used to write pre-Homeric Greek, Foundation Stones of the Thompson Library, Columbus, OH
© 2017 Louise Levergneux, Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Foundation Stones of the Thompson Library, Columbus, OH
© 2017 Louise Levergneux, Latin Alphabet, Foundation Stones of the Thompson Library, Columbus, OH
It was great walking around this feat of architecture. During my visit, students filled the first and ground floors, meeting, talking, reading... The jewel is a success!
Going back to my visit—what about sales you say! Jolie was interested but I’m still waiting on THE EMAIL from the library!!