Between 1954 and 1957, Josiah Kirby Lilly, Jr. donated his collection of rare books and manuscripts, widely considered to be one of the finest private libraries in the world, to Indiana University. Named the "Lilly Library" in honor of the Lilly family, a freestanding library was soon constructed to protect the materials and proclaim IU’s esteemed position as caretaker and curator of the state’s most valuable literary legacy.
Opening its doors in 1960, the limestone structure was placed at the heart of a growing campus. Along with the School of Fine Arts, the University's Art Museum, and the Indiana University Auditorium, the Lilly Library helped to establish the University's Fine Arts Plaza as Indiana’s center for the arts and humanities, available to all.
Growth in collection size, student enrollment, and demands of scholars and students from around the U.S. and the world has resulted in a level of activity that can no longer be sustained. The wonderful lead commitment by Lilly Endowment Inc. toward the Library's 60th-anniversary campaign will support necessary and major facility upgrades.
In addition to this incredible core restoration, the renovation presents a number of ideal opportunities to enhance teaching, research, and exhibition. The Lilly Library has been challenged in many ways by its own success. Since 1992, the number of courses taught on-site at the Lilly Library has grown by 225 percent (from 87 to 309), reaching 400 percent more students (from 1,061 to 5,379).