Parks Library at 100: Art, Architecture, and Innovation

Wednesday, 16 Apr 2025 at 6:00 pm – 198 Parks Library

2025 marks the 100th year of Iowa State University’s beloved Parks Library.  The University Library has been the heart of Iowa State since it first welcomed students in 1869, and students have been the pulse of Parks Library from its opening day on January 6, 1925.In celebration of 100 years of discovery, exploration, and collaboration, Parks Library will host a panel with Hilary Seo, dean of the University Library, and Sydney Marshall and Alison Ranniger Van Zante from University Museums, and Paul Mankins, FAIA, LEED AP, founder and consulting principal at Substance Architecture, to discuss the roles of art, architecture, and innovation over the past 100 years at Parks Library. Paul MankinsPaul Mankins (FAIA, LEED AP) is the founder and consulting principal at substance Architecture in Des Moines. Prior to founding substance in 2004 he was an associate principal at Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck Architecture. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Iowa State University and a Master of Architecture from Yale University. Mankins is currently a professor of practice in architecture in the College of Design.Mankins will speak on the Parks Library architecture from the original 1925 building through three significant additions. His insight lends an understanding of the evolution of the library building and its impact on the campus overall.Sydney MarshallSydney Marshall is a curator for University Museums at Iowa State University, overseeing the Art on Campus Collection and the Anderson Sculpture Garden. She earned a bachelor’s in anthropology and history from Iowa State in 2015 and a master’s degree in museum and field studies at University of Colorado Boulder in 2019. Alison Ranniger Van Zante Alison Ranniger Van Zante is the curator of the Christian Petersen Art Museum at Iowa State University. She holds a BA from Central College in Pella, Iowa, and a master’s in arts and Culture, specializing in art history and theory, from Leiden University in the Netherlands, where she served as a curatorial assistant for Museum Beelden aan Zee, focusing on national and international sculpture. Ranniger’s professional focus includes exhibitions that address historical and contemporary cultural narratives, with an emphasis on the Christian Petersen Art Collection and the University Museums’ public art collection. Marshall and Ranniger Van Zante will speak on Parks Library as a primary location for campus visual arts starting in the 1920s, the Grant Wood Murals, Christian Peterson boy and girl, and sculpture work by other artists.Hilary SeoHilary Seo joined the library in 2003 and has been the dean of library services since 2021 after serving as interim dean. Seo has led carefully considered renovations to Parks Library, aiming to enhance student collaboration and access to technology. These include creation of versatile collaboration spaces that reflect the needs of students, additional seating, and modern furniture. Seo has a BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an MA in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and advanced training in preservation administration from the University of Texas at Austin.Seo will reflect on the importance of the library on campus and adapting to emerging technology and student needs to ensure access to cutting-edge resources, innovative tools, and enhanced learning experiences.This lecture will be recorded and ready to view on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event. The recording will only be available for three weeks from the date of the lecture.

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2025 marks the 100th year of Iowa State University’s beloved Parks Library.  The University Library has been the heart of Iowa State since it first welcomed students in 1869, and students have been the pulse of Parks Library from its opening day on January 6, 1925.In celebration of 100 years of discovery, exploration, and collaboration, Parks Library will host a panel with Hilary Seo, dean of the University Library, and Sydney Marshall and Alison Ranniger Van Zante from University Museums, and Paul Mankins, FAIA, LEED AP, founder and consulting principal at Substance Architecture, to discuss the roles of art, architecture, and innovation over the past 100 years at Parks Library. Paul MankinsPaul Mankins (FAIA, LEED AP) is the founder and consulting principal at substance Architecture in Des Moines. Prior to founding substance in 2004 he was an associate principal at Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck Architecture. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Iowa State University and a Master of Architecture from Yale University. Mankins is currently a professor of practice in architecture in the College of Design.Mankins will speak on the Parks Library architecture from the original 1925 building through three significant additions. His insight lends an understanding of the evolution of the library building and its impact on the campus overall.Sydney MarshallSydney Marshall is a curator for University Museums at Iowa State University, overseeing the Art on Campus Collection and the Anderson Sculpture Garden. She earned a bachelor’s in anthropology and history from Iowa State in 2015 and a master’s degree in museum and field studies at University of Colorado Boulder in 2019. Alison Ranniger Van Zante Alison Ranniger Van Zante is the curator of the Christian Petersen Art Museum at Iowa State University. She holds a BA from Central College in Pella, Iowa, and a master’s in arts and Culture, specializing in art history and theory, from Leiden University in the Netherlands, where she served as a curatorial assistant for Museum Beelden aan Zee, focusing on national and international sculpture. Ranniger’s professional focus includes exhibitions that address historical and contemporary cultural narratives, with an emphasis on the Christian Petersen Art Collection and the University Museums’ public art collection. Marshall and Ranniger Van Zante will speak on Parks Library as a primary location for campus visual arts starting in the 1920s, the Grant Wood Murals, Christian Peterson boy and girl, and sculpture work by other artists.Hilary SeoHilary Seo joined the library in 2003 and has been the dean of library services since 2021 after serving as interim dean. Seo has led carefully considered renovations to Parks Library, aiming to enhance student collaboration and access to technology. These include creation of versatile collaboration spaces that reflect the needs of students, additional seating, and modern furniture. Seo has a BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an MA in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and advanced training in preservation administration from the University of Texas at Austin.Seo will reflect on the importance of the library on campus and adapting to emerging technology and student needs to ensure access to cutting-edge resources, innovative tools, and enhanced learning experiences.This lecture will be recorded and ready to view on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event. The recording will only be available for three weeks from the date of the lecture.