History of the Mathematical Sciences Collection

The Mathematical Sciences Collection began with the growth of departmental libraries for Mathematics and Statistics following the development of the Mathematics Department in 1925 and the Statistics Department in 1948. In 1956 the Physics, Mathematics, and Statistics Library was housed in the Physics Building, Building 380.

In 1961 a plan for a new physics building and the renovation of the old physics space to house the Mathematics Department was finalized. This remodelled mathematics building included a Mathematical Sciences Library which would house 22,000 volumes. The computer science materials were moved to Polya Hall with the new Computer Science Department and the physics materials were moved into the new Physics (Varian) building. The renovated building and library were dedicated Dec. 11, 1964. The library served the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Statistics, the Applied Mathematics and Statistics Laboratory, Institute for Mathematics in the Social Sciences, and the Laboratory for Quantitative Research in Education.

The current Mathematical and Computer Sciences Library was created when the Computer Science Library was merged with the Mathematical Sciences Library in March 1979 when the Computer Science Department moved into Margaret Jacks Hall. At that time the fourth floor of the Mathematics Building was renovated to its present size.