The Palm Beach Atlantic University Warren Library
Collaborative. Comfortable. Conversational. Casual. These are the words that describe the atmosphere of PBA's Warren Library.
While there are places for solitary study, the overall atmosphere of the Warren Library encourages conversation and collaboration. The comfortable three-story, 86,000-square-foot facility has Wi-Fi and houses 350,000 volumes, 121 computers and 28 study rooms.
Originally the library was named after E.C. Blomeyer, the former chair of the board of what is now GTE Corporation. His wife donated $80,000 in her husband’s memory out of respect for Dr. Jess C. Moody, PBA’s founder and the former pastor of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach. Mrs. Blomeyer also made gifts for additional library resources for many years to come.The library’s Lassiter Rotunda, dedicated in 2009, began as the church’s sanctuary in 1932, after the great hurricane of 1928 leveled most of West Palm Beach. The church was built after an enterprising group of men used bricks from places such as a saloon and bootlegger’s establishment that were damaged or destroyed in the hurricane.
The Warren Library, dedicated on January 26, 2007, is named after longtime PBA supporters Dr. Donald and Bebe Warren. With their help, guidance and inspiration, the university undertook the $32-million project. During Phase 1, the old library was demolished to make way for the current, three-story facility.
The Lassiter Rotunda is named after longtime PBA supporters Aneice and William G. Lassiter Jr. The $12-million renovation of the historic octagonal building, completed by the library’s contractor, the Weitz Company, included returning the structure to its 1932 grandeur. The steel roof was assembled on the ground and then was placed atop the structure with a crane. A cupola, 73 feet above ground, tops the building. The Rotunda also features stained glass windows, designed by McMow Art Glass of Lake Worth, Florida.
The Warren Library contributes to the success of Palm Beach Atlantic University by providing the learning community with the scholarly resources, inviting spaces, and responsive services that inspire intellectual engagement and spiritual reflection.
