William T. Young Library turns 25

By Jack Kolesar news@kykernel.com

William T. Young Library, affectionately known as “Willy T.” by the campus community, celebrated its 25th birthday on Monday, April 3.

The building has been a center of both social and academic life for thousands of UK students. The library was completed in 1998, following several years of construction.

According to UK’s College of Engineering website, a $5 million donation came from the man the library would be named after, William T. Young. The website calls the donation the “largest cash gift ever given by an alumnus.”

Young, a wealthy UK graduate and Lexington local, made his fortune in the food industry and by breeding race horses.

According to an article written by Mike Fraser, an employee at Oxford University, the library cost a total of $58 million to build, the equivalent of over $100 million today.

The library opened on April 3, 1998. Jen Smith, a lecturer at the UK’s School of Journalism and Media, was the editor-in-chief for the Kentucky Kernel when Willy T. opened.

Noting UK’s national basketball championship victory occurring only a few days before the opening, Smith recalls the significance of the opening of the library on campus calling it a “crazy cool time to be a student at UK.”

Smith described the old library options on campus, saying “it was dark, it was impossible to find anything, it was tiny, it was cramped.” With the opening of Willy T., this all appeared to change.

“It really just made our campus more welcoming,” Smith said. “It made it more inviting and definitely made it a place where it was cool to study.”

In a distinct octagonal shape, the building has five floors and a basement. According to the UK Libraries website, there are over a million volumes within the library. The website also said Willy T. is home to the largest Starbucks in the commonwealth.

It can seat thousands of students, along with having dozens of study rooms, conference rooms and classrooms. To note the library reaching the quarter-century mark, UK Libraries hosted a celebration on Monday on the library's front lawn.

Dozens of students attended the event. Free pizza and a variety of desserts, along with cold drinks, were available to all on the warm spring day. Students and faculty alike enjoyed the scene in front of the 25-year-old Willy T., with many sitting in the grass or on blankets.

UK Libraries hosted a photo booth, as well as two therapy ponies for attendees to pet.

Though UK student Andrew Mortimer just happened to stumble upon the celebration, he said he enjoyed the “cool touch” of the therapy horses.

Many people on campus have their favorite spots to work within Willy T. Mortimer said he is usually in Willy T. at least four or five times per week to study.

“It's either the basement or if I'm on my own, I'll be up on the fourth floor,” he said.

Riley Steffey, an attendee at the celebration and UK student, said her favorite part of the library is the third floor. “I like the balconies,” said Steffey of the third floor.

Carter Brown also studies frequently at the library, for an estimate of two visits per week. He mainly utilizes the “little private areas” in the basement to satisfy his studying needs.

Brown said he enjoyed the front lawn celebration and was happy he attended.

“I like how there are horses … I like the food, I like the drinks,” he said.