In 1926 a new building was built specifically for the library and it was named “Forsyth” after Brevet Brigadier General George Alexander Forsyth. General Forsyth had been stationed at Fort Hays in the 1880s. When the library was dedicated on July 10, 1928, Forsyth Library contained 14,000 volumes. This collection sustained major damage when the flood of May 1951 flooded the first floor of the library with 16 inches of water. When the library moved to its present location the original building was renamed and still stands as McCartney Hall.
The present building was completed in 1967 at a cost of $1,192,321, with one-third of the funds supplied by the Federal Government. It encompassed 105,414 square feet with an unfinished basement, two floors, and a structural capacity for a future third floor. The basement level of the building was finished at a cost of $384,000 in 1974.
In 2017 Forsyth Library housed 506,746 volumes in the physical collection as well as 279,866 electronic books available online.
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Remarks for Library Dedication
Marc T. Campbell
This black and white one page document features the remarks given at the Forsyth Library Dedication on October 21, 1967.
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Department Requisition: Grinnan Fixture Company
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This color one page document features a department requisition for library equipment from Grinnan Fixture Company of Minerva, Ohio.
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Department Requisition: Lawrence Metal Products
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This color one page document features a department requisition for library equipment from Lawrence Metal Products, Inc. of Lynbrook, New York.
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Department Requisition: Wallach & Associates
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This color one page document features a department requisition for library equipment from Wallach & Associates, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio.
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Forsyth Library Entrance Diagram
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This black and white one page document features a hand-drawn diagram of the traffic control system at the entrance of Forsyth Library.
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Forsyth Library Selection Policy
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This black and white one page document features a memo indicating a desire by Forsyth Library librarians to use the Library Bill of Rights as a basis for the library selection policy.
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Forsyth Library Statistics
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This black and white one page document provides statistics on the new building for Forsyth Library located at 502 S. Campus Drive.
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Hand Drawn Floor Plan - Forsyth Library First and Second Floor
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This black and white one page document features a hand drawn floor plan of the first and second floors of Forsyth Library.
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Library Fixture Colors
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This color twelve page document features a list of equipment in Forsyth Library along with their corresponding quantities and color selections. The first page is lime green.
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Library Phone Colors
Forsyth Library, Fort Hays Kansas State College
This color two page document features a handwritten note detailing the colors of telephones for individual rooms and staff members.