The Perry–Castañeda Library (PCL) is the main central
library
A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
of the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...
library system in
Austin, Texas
Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
. PCL is located at 21st Street and Speedway in Austin, TX.
The UT Austin campus library system holds nearly eight million volumes, ranking it as the fifth largest library among academic institutions in the United States, and the eleventh largest overall in the country.
It has long been claimed that the Perry–Castañeda Library was designed to appear, when seen from above, in the shape of Texas. This is officially denied by the university, which stated: "If you look at a campus map the right way and use your imagination, it's possible to think of the outline of the library as similar to the shape of Texas. But this wasn't intentional. Officially it's called a "rhomboid shape", and it complements the similarly designed Graduate School of Business building across the street, which was completed the same year."
The PCL is an example of
brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...
and has been recognized as Austin's best example of this architectural style.
History
Planning and funding for the PCL were approved in 1972, a construction contract was awarded in early 1974 to Stokes Construction Company, and the facility was opened to the public in 1977.
The Perry–Castañeda Library is named for two former University professors,
Ervin S. Perry and
Carlos E. Castañeda.
Professor Perry was the first
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
to be appointed to the academic rank of professor and Professor Castañeda played a central role in the early development of the Benson Latin American Collection.
In January 2007, the University Federal Credit Union (UFCU) donated $500,000 for the renovation of the Perry-Castañeda Library's main floor, marking the library's first significant renovation since 1977. The grant transformed the room into a modern community study area, named the "UFCU Student Learning Commons". Initial designs for the 11,000-square-foot space included improved lighting, adaptable furniture arrangements, new shelving, and technology upgrades.
In August 2015, the University of Texas at Austin opened the doors of a new Learning Commons on the main floor of the library.
In spring 2023, the UT Libraries worked with students in the UT Austin Master of Science in Information Technology and Management to develop interactive 3D models for library spaces. Utilizing open source software like QGIS, the team aimed to enhance the patron experience within the Perry-Castaneda Library (PCL) Map Room.
Shooting
PCL was the site of a shooting on Tuesday, September 28, 2010. Police reports state that student Colton Tooley fired shots on his walk from Guadalupe Street to the library's front entrance. He ascended to the sixth floor where he killed himself in the northeast corner of the topmost floor of the library and from the children's book section. No one else was injured, except for one sprained ankle suffered by a female student fleeing the scene. There were reports of a second gunman and authorities locked down the entire campus for several hours until they were able to determine the reports were false.
Death
An unnamed individual died in a secluded portion of the library on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Authorities did not release a name or cause of death
See also
*
Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection
The Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection is an extensive map collection owned by the Perry–Castañeda Library at The University of Texas at Austin.
Many of the maps in the collection have been scanned and are available online, and most ...
References
External links
University of Texas Libraries: Perry–Castañeda Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perry-Castaneda Library
1972 establishments in Texas
University and college academic libraries in the United States
Libraries in Austin, Texas
University of Texas at Austin campus
Library buildings completed in 1977
University and college buildings completed in 1977