On Oct. 2, the library's doors will open wide for a public celebration to remember the past and glimpse the future. The open house, which will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until kickoff of the KU-SMU football homecoming game, has been planned to gather both current and former library employees.
All activities are open to the public.
KU Friends of the Library will have a membership sign-up table, and library staff members will be on hand to answer questions about the building and to demonstrate the library's new online search technology. On Oct. 2, a pregame ceremony will mark the library's diamond jubilee. Throughout its 75 years, Watson Library has undergone a number of physical changes to the original English Collegiate Gothic structure, including major additions to the west in 1941, to the southeast in 1950 and to the east in 1962. In 1981-82, the interior was totally renovated, and the main entranceway and ramp were redeveloped. This site is maintained by University Relations, the public relations office for the University of Kansas Lawrence campus.