There are many urban legends associated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The most popular and widely shared legends are associated with the English Building, Lincoln Building, Psychology Building, and monuments on campus, but there are also a few stories associated with the Library. The Library was founded in 1867, opened in 1868, and moved to its current location in 1928. Since then, stories have circulated about:
The details of these stories vary depending on the source.
Some also believe that the Main Stacks are sinking because the architect forgot to factor in the weight of the books when designing the building. However, this legend is not true, and the Main Stacks are perfectly stable.
The Merten J. Mandville collection contains approximately 16,000 volumes and is supported by an endowment established by the late Merten J. Mandeville, a Professor of Management at the University of Illinois. Under the terms of the endowment, works of a serious nature, and those which emphasize the positive aspects of the occult are acquired. The primary subject areas for which materials are purchased are astrology; the divinatory arts and palmistry; esoteric religion and mysticism; occult techniques for health, happiness and success; psychical phenomena and research, including clairvoyance, ESP, and out-of-body experiences; spiritualism, including apparitions, mediumship, and reincarnation; unidentified flying objects; and witchcraft and magic. For more information about the collection, visit the links below:
