Moving in: From Downtown up the Hill

For the first two years of its existence, Syracuse University and its first library were housed in downtown’s Myers Block at the corner of East Genesee and Montgomery Streets. The library, together with reading rooms, classrooms and faculty offices, were housed on the second floor. The library’s first book was Benjamin Tucker’s Epitome of Ancient & Modern History (Philadelphia, 1822), which is now part of the University’s rare book collection. Syracuse University’s first librarian was John P. Griffin, who served in this role from 1871 to 1875 and oversaw the move of the library from downtown to the University Hill. The Myers Block collection was likely very modest, comprising probably not more than a few hundred books, when moved with the rest of the University to the newly completed Hall of Languages in 1873. At this location, the library’s hours were 9 AM to 1 PM, and books were non-circulating and locked away in wire cages.