Moonlight Inside the Library

In April 1897, the Spectator reported on the “two mysterious hemispheres” which had appeared in the entrance of the Library being built on Columbia’s soon-to-be new campus in Morningside Heights. First, the two halves were joined to form a globe. And then, this wooden sphere was hung from the ceiling and could cast a soft, […]

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The Second Life of the Low Library Furniture

After the opening of South Hall (now known as Butler Library), Low Library was no longer the main library on campus. The reading room in the Rotunda was dismantled and the space was transformed into ceremonial space or used as a lecture hall, a function it serves to this day. But what happened to the […]

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Inside Low Library: the Offices of the Presidents

On the Morningside campus, Low Library has always been the home of Columbia University Presidents but the office space has changed over the years. The Office of the President is currently listed as 202 Low Library. This suite of offices includes room 201, on the southwest corner, which is currently President Lee Bollinger’s office. However, […]

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