1834: Dr. Louis Alexander Dugas, Professor of Anatomy, was sent to Europe by his fellow Medical College of Georgia Faculty with $6,324 to purchase “an anatomical museum, chemical apparatus, [and] Library” (MCG Faculty Minutes, March 3, 1835). It is believed that the Library was housed on the first floor of the Old MCG Building located on Telfair Street.
1913: The Medical College of Georgia moved from the Telfair Street building into the former Augusta Orphan Asylum which was on the current Health Sciences Campus. This building became known as the Newton Building and the Library was located on the first floor, next to a chemical laboratory. MCG administration offices, classrooms, and laboratories were all housed in the Newton Building.
1914: The William J. Young Library Fund was established with an endowment of $25,000 to the medical school’s library. At the time, this gift from Dr. Young of Fairfax, SC, was the largest single private donation given to the medical school in its history. It continues to fund book purchases for the Greenblatt Library.
1954: The Library moved to its third home, the newly constructed G. Lombard Kelly Administration Building, but the space was nominal and constricting in regards to the study area for the students. MCG was growing in the number of degrees it offered and in the number of students. In addition to students studying for medical degrees, there were students in nursing, medical technology, medical illustration, and advanced graduate studies.
1959: The Board of Regents approved the construction of a freestanding building for the Library and preliminary planning began.
1962: On January 19, the official groundbreaking was held.
1963, Spring: Construction is completed and the Certificate for Occupancy is granted.
1963, Summer: The Library moves its holdings from the Kelly Building and opens to the MCG Faculty and Students and the public.
1980: After two years of construction, the addition to the 1963 Library Building is completed, increasing the size of the building by almost 50,000 square feet from 29,641 (1963) to 79,313 square feet.
Known as the Medical College of Georgia Library or MCG Library for a little over 150 years, the Library was officially re-named in 1988 as the Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library. Dr. Greenblatt was an internationally known endocrinologist and Professor Emeritus of MCG who passed away in 1987.
Over the years the Greenblatt Library has undergone renovations in order to meet the needs of the Augusta University Health Sciences Campus. In 2022 a new HVAC system was installed for the whole Library Building while the second floor was renovated with additional study rooms, new carpeting, and new lighting. The Historical Collections & Archives was expanded with exhibit and storage space. The additional entrance on the first floor was completed in April 2023 and faces the Laney-Walker Boulevard.
