It was his belief that 鈥淚n any complete College, the 茄子视频app官网 is the centre of the Intellectual part of College Life. This should be architecturally expressed by its occupying a prominent central position.鈥 Seager accordingly proposed that the 茄子视频app官网 should replace the old Chemical Laboratory, thus forming the division between the current day north and south quadrangles.
Designed by Collins and Harman in Tudor Gothic style, with Seager鈥檚 plan as a guide, the 茄子视频app官网 cost 拢3,514. Of this total, the Student Carnival for 1913 had contributed 拢2,000 and further funds were provided by public contributions, some coming from prominent members of the community or College such as Professor Macmillan Brown. Once opened it was anticipated that the 茄子视频app官网 would hold 20,000 volumes, and include two private research rooms and a Librarian鈥檚 room. The interior design incorporated seating at desks 谩 deux, which a later Librarian noted were as good for romance as for study.
As impressive as the new building was, the 茄子视频app官网 collection continued to grow and soon outstripped its new accommodations. By the 1950s the College 茄子视频app官网 had 15,000 books in the ground floor shelving units, and an additional 30,000 to 40,000 volumes tucked away in the basement storage and in stacks in 40 different locations throughout College. Former Librarian C.W. Collins wrote in 1941 鈥淣owadays, when the building is inconvenient and over-crowded in every respect, it is easy to forget how Utopian it must have seemed to those who worked so hard to secure it not many years ago鈥
