This October, Cooper Library celebrates six decades at the heart of Clemson with a series of events that capture exactly what the milestone theme promises: Then. Now. Next. We’ll be active all month, but three special events are planned to represent the three phases of Cooper Library.
Now: A New Space for a New Generation
On October 20, Cooper Library officially opens its doors to a brand-new Graduate Study Lounge. The launch coincides with the Cooper Library Graduate Data Hackathon, running from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 212, where enrolled Clemson graduate students will dig into real library data to reimagine what our study spaces could become. We’ll dedicate the space and award prizes starting at 1 p.m.
Then: Remembering How We Became a University
On October 22 from 3-5 p.m., the celebration turns to our history. The Mayor of Clemson will deliver an official proclamation honoring Cooper Library’s 60 years, followed by a viewing of a watercolor exhibit by President Emeritus James F. Barker. The afternoon’s centerpiece is a talk by University Historian Dr. Otis W. Pickett, Sr., Cooper Library and the Moment Clemson Agricultural College Became a University, 1893–1964. This will be a look back at the institutional turning point that set the stage for the library we know today. Please register here to attend. For anyone who can’t join in person, the event will be livestreamed.
Next: The Architecture That Shaped Us
Closing out the month, on October 29 from 2:30-3:30 p.m., Dr. Ufuk Ersoy, author of 100 Years of Clemson Architecture, will explore the design and legacy of the buildings that define our campus, Cooper Library included. It’s a chance to see the library not just as a place we use, but as a structure with its own story, still being written.