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Explore Suzzallo & Allen Libraries

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Suzzallo Facade
Suzzallo Library Facade Figure

Suzzallo Facade

18 terra-cotta figures in niches atop buttresses were selected by the UW Faculty in 1923 to symbolize contributions to learning and culture.
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Grand Staircase
Suzzallo Grand Staircase

Grand Staircase

The Grand Staircase leads from the first to the third floors.
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Grand Stair Hall

Grand Stair Hall

At the top of the Grand Staircase is the Grand Stair Hall. In 1926, this area was a rotunda surrounded by stained glass windows.
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Bhutan Book
Suzzallo Bhutan Book

Bhutan Book

The Grand Stair Hall houses one of the world's biggest books, Bhutah: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom. More info

Reading Room
Suzzallo Reading Room

Reading Room

The Suzzallo Reading Room features a vaulted ceiling with vibrantly colored and gilded details. It is ranked among the most beautiful in the world.
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Globes
Suzzallo Reading Room Globes

Globes

At each end of the Reading Room hangs a hand-painted world globe, each of which bears names of explorers.
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Suzzallo 1961-63 Addition
Suzzallo 1961-63 Addition

Suzzallo 1961-63 Addition

As you exit the Reading Room through the Grand Stair Hall, a transition in the floor from sandstone to linoleum marks the 1961-1963 addition of 125,000 square feet.
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Tomistoma Machikanense
Tomistoma Machikanense - Crocodile fossil in Allen Library

Tomistoma Machikanense

In the south wing of the Allen Library is a cast of a 28-foot fossil crocodile.
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Raven Art Installation
Raven Brings Light...Art Installation

Art Installation

In 1994, artists Carl T. Chew, Mare Blocker, J. T. Stewart, and Ron Hilbert installed their collaborative artwork, Raven Brings Light to This House of Stories in the Allen Library as part of the Washington State Art in Public Places Program.
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