On The Yard

The Nimitz Library at the Naval Academy campus sees about 199,135 visitors a year. That equates to 3,464 answered questions, 237 information literacy instruction sessions, and 29,344 checked out items. There’s no question that it’s one of the most important and informative places on the Yard. The Academy has had a library since its humble start in 1845, but none of the iterations came close to offering the resources that Nimitz Library can offer the midshipmen and other affiliates on the Yard today.

Starting from Scratch: A Book Nook

In October 1845, the fledgling Naval Academy campus kept a modest library of 400 books in a corner of Superintendent Franklin Buchanan’s office. Three hundred of these tomes were brought over from ships, and an additional one hundred were purchased for the Academy. At the time, there were 50 midshipmen and seven professors. William Chauvenet became the first director.

From 1846-1847, the library expanded greatly. It moved into the same building as the recitation hall, and then again into two large rooms that were on the second floor of the new mess hall near the “Old Quarters” (later replaced by the “New Quarters” in 1869). 

Expanding the Collection: More Books and Many Moves

During the antebellum period, the U.S. Naval Academy Library mushroomed to about 9,000 books. In 1859, John H.C. Coffin took over as director. He oversaw two moves during the Civil War: first in 1861, as the Academy moved to Newport, Rhode Island, and then when it returned to Annapolis and the mess hall after the war ended in 1865. At the Atlantic House, the Academy’s makeshift Newport headquarters, the midshipmen had access to about 1,000 books; the rest were packed in crates.

In 1869, the Naval Academy sought more space. It bought the proximal Old Governor’s Mansion, also called Jennings House, and its property. The U.S. Naval Academy Library was then moved into the elegant first floor and later into its additions while the superintendent made his offices on the second floor.

By 1900, construction began on Ernest Flagg’s “new Academy,” and the Old Governor’s Mansion was razed to make way for Bancroft Hall and Dahlgren Hall. The library moved to the old chapel’s swing space (Institute Building).

In 1907, Mahan Hall was ready, and all 47,800 books from the library’s collection were placed in the room now called the Hart Room.

Richard Johnson Duval became U.S. Naval Academy Library director in 1922, leading a staff of six overseeing 60,000 volumes. From 1941-1945, the library’s burgeoning collection made it necessary to convert two decks of Maury Hall (now Carter Hall), adjoining the Hart Room, into library stacks.

In 1948, two regimental libraries opened in Bancroft Hall so that midshipmen could have recreational reading. That same year, the librarians started providing instruction sessions as well.

By 1952, the ever-increasing collection made it necessary to move a large number of books to Building 131, which was then called the Library Annex, with periodicals, government documents, and rare books.

In 1961, the library expanded once again, moving across the Naval Academy campus into Mitscher Hall, part of the recently extended Bancroft Hall. It included the two Regimental Libraries’ recreational reading, as well as other material.

The library kept increasing its collection, and over the 1966-1969 time period, it 

became divided among five different buildings—Mahan Hall, Mitscher Hall, Isherwood Hall (where Alumni Hall now stands), Griffin Hall (adjacent to Isherwood Hall) and Carter Hall—to accommodate the volumes.

Updating Systems, Unifying Collections

In 1967, the library welcomed library director Richard A. Evans to manage the library’s largest move yet. It began in 1969 when contractors started a big $500,000 project to convert all library call numbers from the obsolete military library classification system to the standard Library of Congress classification system. By 1973, they had moved every library collection from their far-flung homes into the beautiful, newly finished Nimitz Library, named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific, during World War II and one of the most influential naval officer leaders in World War II.

The Opening of Nimitz Library: A Forever Home

Nimitz Library opened to great acclaim. Designed by John Carl Warnecke, F.I.A.A., and George M. Ewing, Engineering Consultants, the vast airy interior was complemented by Eleanor LeMaire Associates, Inc.’s spare furniture design. While the architecture pays homage to the Beaux-Arts architecture featured across the Naval Academy campus, it is decidedly modern and boasts large windows with concrete construction and repeating rectangular shapes. Seen from College Creek, it resembles a large boat out at sea.

Time marches on, and in 1985-1990, the entire U.S. Naval Academy Library system was revamped to introduce new technology. At Nimitz Library, the staff embraced their first computerized catalog in 1985. Three years later, they rolled out their first CD-ROM databases for documents such as journal articles. Then, in 1990, the library joined the Library of Congress American Memory pilot program, a large innovation that creates digital copies of Library of Congress materials for computers and optical discs. By 1991, they had added the Educational Resources Center (now the Multimedia Support Center) for audiovisual services. 

Then, in 1993, the William W. Jefferies Memorial Archives, already housed in the library, were formally brought under its administration as the Special Collections and Archives Division. Lawrence E. Clemens, who assumed the position in 2017, served as the library director until January 2024.

Now and the Future: Ever-Expanding Information and Knowledge

This brings us to today. Keeping up with the technology and resources is a continuous (and daunting) task. As of the latest records for 2022-2023, the library housed:

• Print books: 589,907 
• Databases: 322
• Print journals/magazines: 5,036
• Electronic journals/magazines: 74,160

It is a hub of learning and connection, with spaces, services,and resources for the entire Academy. The library offers comprehensive library services to midshipmen and faculty, while also providing services to USNA military and civilian staff, as well as their family members. The library also provides services to personnel attached to the other activities of the Annapolis Area Naval Complex, local retired faculty members, and retired military personnel. Other residents of the Annapolis community and authorized researchers may make use of the library's resources under specific circumstances.

Most Recent Developments

• 2022 FEDLINK Large Library of the Year Award: In spring of 2023, Nimitz Library received this prestigious award for their work leading up to and including 2022. The FEDLINK Large Library of the Year Award recognizes ”the many innovative ways that federal libraries, librarians and library technicians fulfill the information demands of the government, business and scholarly communities and the American public.” This award was truly well-earned!

• 50th Anniversary: In the fall of 2023, Nimitz celebrated its 50th anniversary, commemorated with a full semester's worth of events including a retrospective exhibit highlighting the library through the years, library/information-themed faculty research talks, a naming contest for the recently renovated space on the main deck, a Nimitz-themed coffee shop, and a memory share from alumni and current midshipmen, faculty, and staff (see Instagram and Facebook posts from fall 2023).
• Naming Contest: Nimitz hosted a naming contest as part of their 50th celebration for a highly-used space on the recently renovated main deck. The winning submission was the Fantail, submitted by Second Class Midshipman Ethan Borst.
• Retirement: Their previous USNA library dean, Larry Clemens, retired in January after dedicating 30+ years of his professional career to the Naval Academy.
• New Dean: Dr. Alan Karass has been appointed as dean for information services and director of Nimitz Library effective July 15.

Nimitz Library also hosts regular events and opportunities for midshipmen and faculty: 

Faculty Research Talks: Spotlight the impressive research being conducted by faculty throughout the Yard, served up for an audience of non-experts. All midshipmen, faculty, and staff are welcomed and can participate in a question answering session at completion. 

USNA Band @ Nimitz: These highly anticipated lunchtime band concerts give faculty, staff, and midshipmen music by the world-class USNA Band. The audience can grab lunch at the coffee shop in Nimitz Library or bring their own.

Book Displays: The library has an ongoing collaboration with midshipmen to design some of their intriguing displays, usually commemorating important dates and cultures like Black History Month, Women's History Month, or Asian Pacific American Heritage. 

Lucky Bags: Take a peak at history. From 1894 on, the Nimitz Library has carefully preserved copies of the USNA yearbook The Lucky Bag.

Visit the Yard

That’s not everything! There are always new fascinating events to attend as well, so check their calendar often. Whether you take in this incredible library from the outside, or venture in to explore the wealth of information and knowledge inside, the USNA library is a true living treasure on the Yard. It will continue to grow to meet the needs of the Academy as it’s done for more than a century. We look forward to the evolution.