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Fashioned after a beaux-arts design envisioned by architects Arthur Cleveland Nash and William Kendall, this historic library has come to be an iconic piece of the Chapel Hill campus of the University of North Carolina. The neo-classical structure was built in 1929, and served as the university's main library until 1984. Today, the historic building houses several special collections, including the University Archives, the North Carolina Collection, the Southern Historical Collection and a Rare Book Collection. Some of the most noteworthy elements of these collections came to the library as donations that were made shortly after it first opened its doors in 1929 in the midst of the Great Depression. These donations were acquired through the unyielding efforts of the library's namesake and the university's first librarian, Louis Round Wilson, who took it upon himself to ensure the survival of the library despite lack in funding. An embodiment of his dream, the library remains a prominent part of the University campus, attracting tourists, researchers and curious visitors. Guided tours of the collections for research, and of the building and exhibits can be arranged.
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