Description
Students looking for quiet place to conduct research or review coursework will find the library a welcome refuge. Patrons can pore over the books, periodicals, and other items kept inside the library’s physical collection, or browse through hundreds of databases for digital resources. The Interlibrary Loan Department also allows students to find items held in other libraries throughout the country. Individual and group study rooms, computer work stations, and a café serving coffee and quick meals, help to make academic research a comfortable and pleasant experience.
History
Originally constructed in 1905 for Murry and Leonie Guggenheim by the architectural firm of M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings, who also designed the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, winning a gold medal from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for 1903 for the design of the building. The library remained a summer residence until 1959, following the death of the Leonie Guggenheim when the estate became the property of property of the Murry and Leonie Guggenheim Foundation.
On September 9, 1960, the estate was formally conveyed to then-Monmouth College. After some modifications designed to convert the summer cottage into a college facility, the library was dedicated on September 24, 1961, and opened at the start of the 1961-62 academic year. In 1977 the former Guggenheim cottage was placed on the State Register of Historic Places followed by inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places in March 1978.