Low Memorial Library

Imagine a super big building right in the middle of a university campus! That's the Low Memorial Library, or 'Low' for short. It's like the heart of Columbia University in New York City. It was built a long, long time ago, between 1895 and 1897. That's even before your grandparents were born! It was made to hold tons and tons of books, like a giant treasure chest for knowledge.

This library is shaped like a Greek cross, which looks a bit like a plus sign or a star with four arms. It has a special spot in the middle called a rotunda, which is round and has a beautiful blue ceiling that looks like the sky! There are big stone columns holding it up, and three sets of stairs on one side lead to a special walkway.

On those stairs, you can see a famous statue called Alma Mater, which is like the university's special symbol.

When Low Library was first built, it was the main library for Columbia University. It could hold one and a half million books! That's more books than you could read in a lifetime.

But the university grew, and the building got too small for all the books. So, in 1934, all the books moved to a new, much bigger library. Then, the Low Library started being used for the university's important offices, where people make big decisions.

The Low Memorial Library was a gift from a very kind man named Seth Low. He gave a million dollars to build it and named it after his father. That was a HUGE amount of money back then! The building is so special that it's protected by the city and the country. It's a landmark, which means it's a famous place that people want to keep safe for everyone to see and learn about.