For years, IU students and visitors have heard the claim that the Wells Library is sinking into the ground because the architect forgot to account for the weight of all the books.

According to legend, the same fate has befallen major university libraries all over the country. Folklorists call it the Legend of the Architect's Blunder, and it has been around for decades. The Wells Library, like the rest of the campus, sits on a 94-foot thick layer of limestone. It is not going anywhere.

Thanks to Moira Marsh, Librarian for Anthropology, Folklore, and Sociology for clearing up this urban legend.