William T. Young Library may be the new face of UK

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William T. Young Library

By Anne Halliwell

[email protected]

William T. Young Library is being recognized as the physical and intellectual center of campus in new promotional material, UK spokesman Jay Blanton said.

“I think we’ve been noticing over time that the library is increasingly a focus on campus,” Blanton said.

Enrollment management and marketing have increased the use of the library’s image in banners, images and videos this past summer and fall, Blanton said.

A video on the front page of the UK website opens with shots of W.T. Young Library and the Rose Street walkway, and Blanton also mentioned a TV ad that ends with students running toward the library to reference the goals accomplished through work and connections made there.

“I think it’s because UK is a research and academic university,” public health junior Megan Broughton said. “This is a good place to study and I think the structure of it, and even the colors are neutral and calm … It’s so spacious and there are many places to meet.”

Madison Tackett, a special education freshman, credited the close location to many dorms and Greek housing for the library’s popularity.

“I think everybody ends up at the library at least

multiple times per semester,” said Tackett. “It’s a good place to meet people and get stuff done.”

When one looks at where construction at UK has been focused and where interest is shifting, it becomes clear that the library is a place where many students spend much of their time, Blanton said.

“It’s where they study, it’s where they socialize and meet people, it’s where they eat,” Blanton said.

Memorial Hall has been part of the UK logo for decades, Blanton said, and will remain there as part of the university’s image.

Built in 1929 as a memorial to those who died in World War I, Memorial Hall contains a fresco of scenes from Lexington and Kentucky history in its lobby, according to the UK Campus Guide.

“I think the library represents the future and Memorial Hall is an important nod to our past,” Blanton said.