0 0 ▁manuscript s ▁were ▁moved ▁from ▁Watson ▁Library ▁to ▁Sp encer , ▁allowing ▁K U ▁to ▁bring ▁together ▁previously ▁scattered ▁special ▁collections ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁grow ▁the ▁collections ▁and ▁establish ▁new ▁services . ▁ ▁Building ▁ ▁The ▁Kenneth ▁Sp encer ▁Research ▁Library ▁en comp ass es ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁square ▁feet ▁and ▁is ▁four - st ories ▁tall . ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁the ▁T anner ▁& ▁L ins c ott ▁architect ▁Robert ▁F . ▁Jen ks ▁and ▁built ▁by ▁B . A . ▁Green ▁Const ruction ▁Co ., ▁which ▁was ▁based ▁out ▁of ▁Lawrence . ▁According ▁to ▁Alex andra ▁Mason , ▁a ▁li br arian ▁who ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁library , ▁the ▁structure ▁was ▁created ▁" specific ally ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁rare ▁books , ▁manuscript s , ▁arch ives , ▁and ▁their ▁users ". ▁ ▁In ▁mid - to - late ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁library ▁renov ated ▁its ▁North ▁Gallery . ▁ ▁Col lections ▁ ▁The ▁Kenneth ▁Sp encer ▁Research ▁Library ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁collections ▁in ▁many ▁subject ▁areas : ▁▁ ▁University ▁Archives : ▁The ▁University ▁Archives , ▁which ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁official ▁collection ▁of ▁the ▁university , ▁focus ▁on ▁pres erving ▁all ▁documents ▁per tain ing ▁to ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁K U . ▁The ▁collection ▁compr ises ▁over ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁boxes ▁of ▁" p apers , ▁correspond ence , ▁reports , ▁publications , ▁sc