The images that appear in Brought to Light’s header hail from the UCSF Archives & Special Collections’ Photograph Collection. Choosing the images to welcome you to our blog– if you refresh the page a few times you’ll notice that it cycles through a small variety– was quite enjoyable. We hope you like them and will bring you more information on the photographs periodically.
UCSF Medical Sciences Library, 1950s.
Three different headers feature these two photographs of UCSF’s old library, sure to induce fits of nostalgia for the days of card catalogs.
UCSF Medical Sciences Library, 1950s.
The lovely library in the photographs was located in the Medical Sciences building, 513 Parnassus Ave, on the UCSF Parnassus campus. The building was designed by Blanchard and Maher and built in the early 1950’s alongside the Teaching Hospital, what is now known as the Medical Center and Children’s Hospital.
The library space within Medical Sciences was forfeited and repurposed when the Kalmanovitz Library, 530 Parnassus Avenue, opened in 1990– gaining space and inarguably better scenic views! The former location of the main entrance to the library is unrecognizable today– otherwise known as Room S-256. Room S-256 sits inconspicuously on the left at the top large, open staircase across from Cole Hall.
UCSF now boasts two libraries, the Parnassus Library as well as the Mission Bay FAMRI Library. Stop by and say hi!
The first photograph shows how the library was arranged on the 2nd Floor. Alcoves with bound journals and a large table. It was possible to open the windows with a hook on a long stick. Unfortunately, since the library then was next to the animal facility we often got foul smells and had to close the windows.
The second photograph depicts two former library employees. The woman behind the desk helping a patron was Vivian Easter who was the Circulation Supervisor for many years. The woman sitting next to her, (on Ms. Easter’s left), was Janet Philips a cataloging and reference librarian. Both employees were still working at the library when I was hired in 1979. In fact, Ms. Easter was my first supervisor.