Bowman Library - From Dining Hall to Study Hall

Photo © Scott Lincke

A stop on Menlo College Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

This low building at the edge of the lawn is Bowman Library, the academic center of campus. Besides books, study tables and research help, it is home base for Menlo's free course tutoring and its Writing Center, where students can book one-on-one sessions in person or online. Once a month the library also hosts a group study night with faculty and peer tutors on hand.

The building did not start out as a library. It was Menlo's dining commons until a new dining hall opened in 1962. John Bowman and his wife then paid to convert it, in memory of their son Timothy Dillon Bowman, a Menlo freshman who died in a car accident in 1956. The library still carries his name.

Library access for visitors can vary, so check at the front desk or on the library website before going in. From outside, notice how the building faces the lawn, a short walk from the classroom halls and the residence halls.

Getting here: From the gym, follow the path south a short way to the low building on your left at the edge of the lawn.

Did you know?: Menlo students can apply to work as peer tutors here, and the program is especially eager for tutors in math and upper-division finance, accounting and business analytics.

Photo op: From the lawn side, frame the library entrance with the open grass and the big trees in the foreground.

Bowman Library - From Dining Hall to Study Hall

Stops on this tour