The Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library is the main library at the State University of New York at Stony Brook

State University of New York at Stony Brook

The State University of New York at Stony Brook, also known as Stony Brook University, is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, about east of Manhattan....

. It is named for the father of philanthropist

Philanthropist

A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

 Ward Melville

Ward Melville

John Ward Melville was an American philanthropist, and businessman, born to Frank Melville, Jr. Ward Melville attended college at Columbia University, where he was active in the Columbia Daily Spectator and the Philolexian Society. Following graduation in 1909, Melville joined his father's shoe...

. Originally constructed in 1962 as a modest sized three-story building, it was renovated almost immediately and greatly expanded and re-dedicated

Dedication

Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church or other sacred building. It also refers to the inscription of books or other artifacts when these are specifically addressed or presented to a particular person. This practice, which once was used to gain the patronage and support of...

 in 1967. It holds more than 2.1 million bound volumes and over four million rolls of microfilm. The library is a member of the Association of Research Libraries

Association of Research Libraries

The Association of Research Libraries is an organization of the leading research libraries in North America. As of October 2006, it comprises 123 libraries at comprehensive, research-intensive institutions in the US and Canada that share similar missions, aspirations, and achievements...

, a consortium of the top 120 research libraries in the country. The library has a Special Collections Department which houses over 16,000 rare books, 800 antique and hand-drawn maps, and over 150 collections, including the papers of Senator Jacob K. Javits

Jacob K. Javits

Jacob Koppel "Jack" Javits was a politician who served as United States Senator from New York from 1957 to 1981. A liberal Republican, he was originally allied with Governor Nelson Rockefeller, fellow U.S...

, the Environmental Defense Archive, and the William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...

Microfilmed Manuscripts Collection.

The building consists of six floors, and a commuter lounge, and is located on the Academic Mall of the university. There are also separate branch libraries in Math, Physics & Astronomy, Chemistry, Music, Computer Science, and Marine Science. The Library also contains offices for different academic departments, as well as classrooms, computer labs, a career center and a bookstore.