Type Library Completed 1975 Architectural style Brutalist architecture | Named for Alexander M. Bracken Opened 1975 | |
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Location South of University Green; Center of Ball State University campus Similar Shafer Tower, Beneficence, LaFollette Complex, Emens Auditorium - Ball State, David Owsley Museum | ||
Bracken library 24 hours
The Alexander M. Bracken Library is the main library on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Opened in September 1975 and designed by Walter Scholer and Associates and the Perkins and Will Partnership of Chicago, the 320,000-square-foot facility is located in the geographic center of the Ball State University campus and is distinguishable for its unique, Brutalist architecture.
Contents
- Bracken library 24 hours
- Map of Bracken Library Muncie IN 47303 USA
- Bracken library first floor observation
- History
- References
Map of Bracken Library, Muncie, IN 47303, USA
The main collection of Ball State's University Libraries, the Bracken Library holds a collection of over of 1.5 million print volumes, over 2,900 periodical subscriptions, over 1 million microforms, nearly 98,000 government documents, and over 120,000 maps as well as audiovisual materials, music scores, and archival resources. In addition, Bracken Library visitors have online access to scholarly literature, learning objects, and primary sources though over 65 electronic research databases including the Digital Media Repository and Cardinal Scholar Institutional Repository which provide access to digitized archival resources and Ball State scholarly works. On average, the library receives more than 4,500 visitors per day to access collections materials, participate in instruction sessions and consultations, and use technology resources.
The library is named for Alexander M. Bracken, Muncie lawyer and philanthropist who served as a member of the State Teachers College Board and the Ball State University Board of Trustees from 1954 to 1980 who “was instrumental in Ball State’s rapid growth in the decades following World War II.”
A casting of Albin Polasek's Forest Idyll is displayed on the first floor lobby of Bracken Library. The sculpture serves as a popular meeting place for students and is colloquially referred to as "The Naked Lady."
Bracken library first floor observation
History
On May 24, 1972, ground was broken on the new library building and on February 20, 1974, the Ball State University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name the new library for Alexander M. Bracken to honor his years of service to Ball State University. During August 1975, moving crews transported over 700,000 books and thousands of periodicals, government documents, and other resources to Bracken Library from what is now the North Quadrangle Building, the previous home to the library’s collections.
On September 9, 1975, Bracken Library first opened to patrons. On March 26, 1976, Bracken Library was formally dedicated; Stephen K. Bailey, vice president of the American Council on Education, gave the principal address at the ceremony. Ball State University Special Collections and the John Steinbeck Collection were also dedicated on that day in a special ceremony attended by Elaine Steinbeck, widow of John Steinbeck, and Elizabeth R. Otis, Steinbeck’s literary agent.
On May 14, 1977, the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library was organized to generate financial support and goodwill for Ball State University Libraries.
In 1987, Bracken Library patrons first gained access to the University’s automated card catalog and circulation system.
In 2001, films and videos on DVD first became available for checking to Bracken Library patrons, and in 2003, laptops, projectors, and digital cameras became available for borrowing.
The Helen B. and Martin D. Schwartz Special Collections and Digital Complex in Bracken Library was dedicated on August 17, 2009. The collaborative and interactive learning and teaching space accommodates instruction, research, and programming activities at Bracken Library.