The Harold B. Lee Library began as a small collection of books kept in the office of Karl G. Maeser during his time as Principal of Brigham Young Academy. The small library relied almost exclusively on gifts, donations and free material from the Federal Government. The J. Reuben Clark Library was constructed to help accommodate the growing collections of the Grant Library. In 1961, 300,000 volumes were moved into the J. Reuben Clark Library although the building was not dedicated until October 10, 1962. In 1973 the name of the J. Reuben Clark Library was changed to the Harold B. Lee Library, in honor of the former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As the University continued to grow, so did the library collections and need for additional space. The current library has about 98 miles of shelving for the more than 6 million items in its various collections. In addition to the increase in collection space, the library also has a seating capacity of 4,600 people and is the equivalent of 2½ football fields from North to South. With over 10,000 patrons entering the building each day, the Harold B. Lee Library has grown significantly from the small collection that began in Principal Maeser’s office.