University Archives, Collection C: 1/83/15 (color added to aid identificaiton)
The west book stacks were built at the same time as the West Wing. This is a view looking from the south to the north. If you enter Ellis Library today through the west entrance, you can still see the south end of the West Wing (yellow). To the right of the West Wing are the West Stacks (green). The bottom portion of the West Stacks are now hidden by the South Addition to the library. To the left of the West Stacks are the old book stacks (blue), which we now refer to as the Central Stacks.
The West Stacks had the same height as older book stacks and you could pass through to them. The older stacks had a ground level, 1st, 1st A, 2nd, 2nd A and 3 third floor, so the West Stacks were given similar floor numbers. The West stacks also have a 4th floor that the older stacks (in blue) never had and they also have basement stack lever that the older stacks do not have.
This is a aerial view from the south. You can see that West book stacks are a floor higher than the Central book stacks.
This is picture of the north wall of the Wallace Atrium. To the left is the West Entrance and to the right is the grand staircase going to the first floor. The atrium is part of the South Addition erected 1985. The niches and faux stone work reflect the design of the original south facade of the west stacks.
