On a campus of 35,000 people, there are bound to be mysteries and urban legends. Students at BYU may contemplate Cosmo’s secret identity, time capsules at Y Mountain and more.
Rumors also surround the Harold B. Lee Library. Many have heard of a mysterious basement level, the private sixth floor and a restricted section with special materials.
Aiming to help students solve these mysteries, Roger Layton, communications manager for the library, offered to explain the hidden aspects of this BYU landmark.
In short, the rumors reached a rather anticlimactic end. The basement, in Layton’s words, is little more than AC units and fans. He also had a word to say about the alleged locked collection.
“People always think it’s full of sketchy books and witchcraft,” he said. “Once I got in to see it, it was hugely disappointing.” In reality, it’s mostly unbound texts and pop-up books, things that could be easily damaged.
Not to disappoint, Layton enthusiastically led a tour to several fascinating, behind-the-scenes domains that few students know about.
The first stop was the south side of the second floor, where a passage gives access to the Conservation Unit. Here, worn books and other items are restored completely by hand.
The old-fashioned hand presses and smell of paper glue create an atmosphere like that of an old printing press. One by one, broken books are reassembled by talented students with careful hands.
“We’re tracking our history,” Christina Thomas, one of the leading conservators, said. “Why do we have collections if they can’t be found or used?”
Next, Layton led the way to an area the most adventurous of BYU students may know about — the library’s sixth floor.
A large sign on the door reads “No Public Access.” It seems like the perfect place to hide BYU’s deepest secrets, but upon entering, one finds it filled with orderly cubicles.
New books are constantly being processed and catalogued on this floor, and the only intimidating part of the area is the auditing office.
Moving on, Layton explained the source of the library's beautiful artwork and displays.
Artwork, artifacts and more are featured for all students to see. Who’s behind these tasteful selections? A man named Eric Howard.
Howard is the exhibits manager at the library, and he explained how the work is created. His first-floor studio is replete with old props and decorations, including an eye-catching nursing poster and a large replica of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses.
Lastly, Layton showed off a special room on the first floor: Auxiliary storage. This room is laid out like a bank vault, with giant metal shelves that Layton says “weigh as much as your car.”
As more materials are digitized and library space is used for other purposes, many records are transferred to this space. The shelves are filled with thousands upon thousands of items, including laser discs, the predecessor to DVDs.
“It’s one of those things where, if we’re doing our job right, you don’t really notice it,” Layton said. The library team is certainly doing their job right; there’s so much more to the building than meets the eye.
While the library isn’t quite as cryptic as some believe, it’s an area filled with great history, resources and learning opportunities. Many of which go unnoticed.
“We offer a lot of services, and we’re always amazed at how hard it is to get the word out,” Layton remarked. He urged students to be proactive in finding resources.
“Go to a different floor, just go look around and see what you find,” he said.
As renovations are consistently underway and new things are being added, taking advantage of the library can enrich education for all.