Hittin’ the Books

Scott Rudd

Class is in session, and Butler beckons. The library, originally named South Hall, was built in 1934 to replace Low Memorial Library, which had run out of space for its growing collection. In 1946, South Hall was renamed to honor Columbia President Nicholas Murray Butler CC 1882, who had retired the previous year. The largest of Columbia’s libraries, Butler houses the University’s collections in the humanities, with a particular focus on history, literature, philosophy and religion