American Scientist

The mathematics library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is housed in Altgeld Hall, which dates from 1897, when it was dedicated as Library Hall. Like many academic buildings, the use of the structure and its name changed over the years, and it was added on to as need arose. The word "Library" that was originally carved into the stone above the front entrance was replaced by the words "Law Building" when the law school took over the front portion of the building in the mid-1920s, with the newer addition in the back being designated the Mathematics Building. The name Altgeld Hall was adopted for the front portion in 1940, and this became the name of the entire structure when Law moved into a building of its own in the mid-1950s. It was at this time that the mathematics library was moved into the space that the law library vacated.