Fondren Library
Encyclopedia
Fondren Library is the main library of Rice University
in Houston, Texas
. The library is named for Walter W. Fondren
, a co-founder of the Humble Oil & Refining Company, whose family donated $1 million in 1946 for construction of the library. The building was designed by Houston architect John F. Staub
and was notable for its open stack arrangement and art deco
influence in the architecture. The library was dedicated on November 4, 1949. The library celebrated its 60th birthday in 2009.
An addition to the back of the building in 1969, formally known as the Graduate Research Wing, added 99000 square feet (9,197.4 m²) of research space including study rooms, stacks space, and space for the library's special collections, the Woodson Research Center
(named for Benjamin Woodson). In December 1997, the Hobby Foundation designated $21.4 million specifically for improvements in Fondren Library. This gift allowed for additional space planning including the building in 2004 of the Library Service Center, a high-density offsite shelving facility that houses less-used materials in a climate-controlled environment. In 2005-06, Fondren underwent an extensive renovation creating access through the entire library, a new first-floor Hobby Information commons, and a Rice-only study space on the sixth floor with dynamic views of the campus.
contains more than 475 manuscript collections with emphasis on Texas, Houston, History, science, and English literature.
Woodson contains more than 475 manuscript collections focused on the history of Texas
and the greater Houston area, politics
, entrepreneurship
, and oil and gas
. Other subject areas include American Civil War
history, science, and literary authors with Rice connections. Also in the Center are the papers of Rice University
faculty members and alumni with achievements in the humanities, sciences, engineering, and the arts.
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. The library is named for Walter W. Fondren
Walter Fondren, Sr.
Walter William Fondren, Sr. was an American oil operator and philanthropist.Fondren, alongside Ross S. Sterling and others, founded Humble Oil.-External links:*...
, a co-founder of the Humble Oil & Refining Company, whose family donated $1 million in 1946 for construction of the library. The building was designed by Houston architect John F. Staub
John F. Staub
John F. Staub was a residential architect who designed numerous traditionally-styled homes and mansions, mostly in Houston, Texas, from the 1920s to 1960s. Originally from Tennessee, Staub received a masters degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1916...
and was notable for its open stack arrangement and art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
influence in the architecture. The library was dedicated on November 4, 1949. The library celebrated its 60th birthday in 2009.
An addition to the back of the building in 1969, formally known as the Graduate Research Wing, added 99000 square feet (9,197.4 m²) of research space including study rooms, stacks space, and space for the library's special collections, the Woodson Research Center
Woodson Research Center
Woodson Research Center is an archive located in the Fondren Library of Rice University in Houston, Texas. The Center is named for Benjamin N. Woodson and houses the special collections of Rice University's Fondren Library which includes rare books, manuscripts, and the Rice University...
(named for Benjamin Woodson). In December 1997, the Hobby Foundation designated $21.4 million specifically for improvements in Fondren Library. This gift allowed for additional space planning including the building in 2004 of the Library Service Center, a high-density offsite shelving facility that houses less-used materials in a climate-controlled environment. In 2005-06, Fondren underwent an extensive renovation creating access through the entire library, a new first-floor Hobby Information commons, and a Rice-only study space on the sixth floor with dynamic views of the campus.
Mission statement
The mission statement is as follows: "The mission of the Fondren Library of Rice University is to support the highest aspirations of the University in the areas of research, teaching, and service, through innovative research and information services, access to scholarly resources, collaborative alliances, and provision and shared use of physical and virtual spaces."Collections
Fondren Library currently subscribes to more than 72,000 journals in multiple formats and houses more than 2.5 million print volumes and 3 million microforms. The library is a selective depository of U.S. and Texas government publications and a depository for U.S. patents and trademarks. Woodson Research CenterWoodson Research Center
Woodson Research Center is an archive located in the Fondren Library of Rice University in Houston, Texas. The Center is named for Benjamin N. Woodson and houses the special collections of Rice University's Fondren Library which includes rare books, manuscripts, and the Rice University...
contains more than 475 manuscript collections with emphasis on Texas, Houston, History, science, and English literature.
Woodson contains more than 475 manuscript collections focused on the history of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and the greater Houston area, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
, and oil and gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
. Other subject areas include American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
history, science, and literary authors with Rice connections. Also in the Center are the papers of Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
faculty members and alumni with achievements in the humanities, sciences, engineering, and the arts.