The "A Learning Center For The Future" Story

Altered Polaroid of  old  Millersville Library

It was an ordinary day.  Just got my "review" magazine in the mail and am looking at the photos of the new library that has just been completed at Millersville University, Millersville, PA.  The library looks very similar to the one that was built in 1967 called Ganser Library, when I graduated from Millersville.  At the time it was known as Millersville State Teachers College.  The new building is in the same location as Ganser Library, but has been redone on the outside and has a totally remodeled interior.  

The Biemesderfer Library which opened in 1895.

A little history about the college will give you an idea as to the importance of a library to just about any school or university.  In 1855 the Lancaster County Normal School (a school to train high school graduates to become teachers and the original Millersville U), the first normal school in Pennsylvania, was established.  It wasn't until 1895 that the original $27,500 library opened.  I always knew the library as the Biemesderfer Library, but today the old building is referred to as Biemesderfer Center and houses the president's and other administrative offices.  It is still beautiful and is the subject of one of my altered Polaroid prints that I made and still sell.  For a few years I had them for sale in the school's store.  

The Millersville University plaque with library in the background.

It wasn't until 1922 that electricity was added to the building and it wasn't until the '40s that a bathroom was installed in the basement which was to be used only by the faculty.  The grand old building had no screens and needless to say no air-conditioning, so fly swatters were a necessity.  Three years after I began my studies in 1962 a new library was in the planning stages.  

The Francine G. McNairy Library as seen from the old library.

At the time Millersville enrolled 2,500 students in 26 under-

Entrance of the new library.

graduate programs.  It now boasts 8,300 graduate and under-graduate students in 119 academic programs.  It was in 1967 that the landmark building of the college, Old Main, was demolished and the new library was built on that spot.  It is probably the most centralized spot on campus, thus the reason for using that spot.  I can remember helping in the "book walk" where we carried almost 100,000 books from Biemesderfer Library to the new Ganser Library.  Great place to meet chicks!  Then in 2011 the new library began renovations and re-cataloging of all the books in it's collection.  The new library carries the name of the Francine G. McNairy Library and Learning Forum at Ganser Hall.  

The interior of the new library.

Dr. McNairy had just retired from being the President of Millersville for eight years and had just completed 40 years in education.  I'm sure she is certainly deserving of having the library bear her name.  And, I knew it was time for me to make another trip to Millersville to see what the new library looked like.  Interior is beautiful with many new features such as a Starbucks coffee shop and a 24-hour study room.  Now the students can start to use the new library after a two year hiatus where they had just a small space and few books available for them as a library.  Millersville can be proud of their new library and the prestige that it brings to the university.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.