UC San Diego announced Friday that it will start a yearlong celebration in September to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its Geisel Library.
The eight-story library first opened in September 1970 under the name Central Library. On Dec. 1, 1995, the building was renamed Geisel Library in honor of Audrey and Theodor Geisel, better known under his pen name "Dr. Seuss," for the generous contributions they made over the years to support the library and fund programs to support literacy, according to the university.
"For 50 years, the Geisel Library at UC San Diego has provided our campus community access to the materials, tools, information expertise and idea space required to produce groundbreaking research," said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "Throughout its 50th year, we celebrate the iconic structure, its vast holdings and many accomplishments and the dedicated librarians and staff who work to ensure unfettered access to knowledge."
The yearlong celebration will feature numerous events including talks with acclaimed American authors Tara Westover and Kevin Young.
Westover will discuss her memoir "Educated" during a virtual event beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 16.
Kevin Young, whom the The Washington Post called "one of the most important poets of his generation," will be on campus for an event starting at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2021, to discuss his newest book "African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song."
Library staff have also launched a website, https://geisel50.ucsd.edu/, that includes information on the library's architectural design, significance on campus, historical milestones and pop culture appearances, along with event and exhibit information.
"Through this celebration, we seek to honor the history of Geisel Library, which serves as a hub of discovery and innovation for the university, something we intend to continue indefinitely," University Librarian Erik Mitchell said.
