The Gillette Reading Room

This was the Arthur A. Houghton, Jr. Library's Gillette Reading Room, circa 1970.  The painting on the far wall is Albert Bierstadt's Mt. Whitney.  At the time this picture was taken, the piece was on loan from the Rockwell Museum of Western Art.  It has since been returned to their collections.  Many of our former students remember it fondly!

Fast-forward 40-some years, and this is how the Gillette Reading Room looked in 2011.

The photo angle is a little different, but you can see how little had changed! Behind the column is this piece of canvas art, in place of the Bierstadt.

As of early March 2014, the Gillette Reading Room looks like this -

We have moved a few tables into the space from elsewhere in the building, because we know students use this space for studying.  But it is significantly more empty than before!  The furniture was taken away by Physical Plant workers, and will go to the college auction.  In the renovation plans, this end of the building will house staff offices and workspace(currently along the back side of the building).