About the Library - History

The original Shaw University library, now Tyler Hall, was erected in 1910 as the hospital building and was originally known as Library Hall. During the early years of Shaw, this building also housed the Home Economics Department and the Teacher’s Club. 

In 1932, alumnus Dr. Robert Tyler donated $5,000 for the renovation and enlargement of the library. The name of the building was later changed to Tyler Hall. Today, Tyler Hall houses the Business Office and Human Resources. This building housed the library until 1968 when, under the leadership of the seventh president, Dr. James E. Cheek, a new library building was erected in the center of the campus. 

The James E. Cheek Learning Resources Center serves today as the main campus library. The two-story building built in 1968 covers 26,196 square feet of floor space. The circulation and technical services departments, a reading room, a computer area, reserve textbooks, Archives and library administrative offices occupy the first floor of the library. The Reference Department, the African-American Materials Collection, the Mollie Houston Lee and John Wilson Fleming Special Collections, a computer lab, and the Mass Communications Department occupy the 2nd floor of the library.

The James E. Cheek Learning Resources Center houses a collection of approximately 94,000 volumes. The collection includes: 

• monographs (books) 
• serials (newspapers, journals and magazines)  
• audiovisual materials 
• electronic resources