"Clark Hall of Science, the largest and most expensive structure ever put up on the Cornell campus, brings men [sic], books and research apparatus together from a broad spectrum of the physical sciences."

W. Van Alan Clark earned an engineering degree at Cornell. He began working for the California Perfume Company, which later became Avon, in 1920. He and his wife, Edna McConnell Clark, donated funds for the construction of Clark Hall. Clark Hall is fire proof and is the first building on campus to have its upkeep endowed.

The Physical Sciences Library, which is named for Edna McConnell Clark, is located on the second floor of Clark Hall. The Library consolidated the astronomy, chemistry and physics departmental collections. In 1965/66, there were 40,000 volumes in the collection and the library subscribed to 1,000 periodical titles. In 1997/98 the library contained 104,930 volumes and subscribed to approximately 750 periodicals. Although we currently subscribe to fewer journals in paper format, we have electronic access to many journals for which we do not own the paper version. In 1965 the Physical Sciences Library had two full time librarians, Ellen Thomas and Mary Ann Wilkins. There were 3 full time and 8 part time staff in addition to student assistants.

In addition to reference and circulation services, the Library provides bibliographic instruction, a table of contents service, and an article photocopy service. The Library shares responsibility for the production of the "EMPSL Standard" newsletter with the Engineering and Mathematics libraries.

In January of 1998 the Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences libraries were merged into one administrative unit: Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Library [EMPSL]. While the library units still exist in three distinct geographic locations, management decisions are made jointly. In September, 2004, the Veterinary Medicine (Flower/Specher) Library joined EMPSL and we became the Associated Science and Technology Libraries (ASTech).  Jean Poland, who served as the Associate University Librarian for first EMPSL and then ASTech, became the Associate University Librarian for the Subject Libraries Group (SLG) in the fall of 2006.  Jean now oversees ten library units. Leah Solla, Chemistry and Biological Chemistry Librarian, accepted the position of Coordinator of the Physical Sciences Library .

Although the patrons of the Physical Sciences Library are primarily graduate students and faculty in the fields of astronomy, chemistry and physics, the Library is also used by undergraduates and other members of the Cornell Community.

For more information, contact Pat Viele by telephone at 255-4016 or by email at ptv1@cornell.edu.