This is the library I remember…

When I was in college at Ohio State I worked for the book depository.  Every day we’d go on a few runs to the campus libraries, culminating in the “main library.”   I have many nervous memories of trying to back up that big delivery van blindly into the bowels of the building (the tiny loading dock in the extremely poor designed back end of the building).

I decided to visit OSU’s website today and I saw a section on what I thought was a new building.  It took me five minutes into this film (when I saw Oxley’s back out the front window) to realize that this was the “main library.”  You see, we’d never called it “Thompson Library” as students (and even employees).  Now I’m sad that I wasn’t there for this in addition to the renovations of the “main” recreation facility.  Both of which were in shambles when I was there.  I remember having to go up to the higher floors of the main library and unshelve (at the depository we took rare or unused books and stored them to create space in the regular libraries) book in the broiling heat with a low ceiling and narrow aisles.  No AC becomes a problem when you’re lifting boxes of books all day.  Narrow aisles become a problem when you’re trying to pilot a dolly of book boxes that is taller than you and weighs more than you to the ancient elevator.

(the main rec center also had no AC… imagine playing racquetball in the Ohio Summers with no air conditioning…)

When I was watching this I assumed this building was the one next to the Wexner Center that they were renovating with an all glass facade when I graduated.  Of course then I realized that I graduated six years ago.  (sigh)

I can tell you when I was a student I spent as little time as possible at the “main library” and certainly never studied inside.    I have a feeling the next time I’m on campus (which very well may be never again I realize) I’ll be completely lost.

watch the video here.