Only a fortunate few were allowed access, so Jose Seligmann-Silva made the most of his time in the famed library Stacks.
“I had my office there and it was my preferred place to really concentrate and focus on my readings,” says the Inter-American Development Bank chief advisor, who earned his Ph.D. in economics from the UI.
“It was a magical place. Like being inside a huge data warehouse with plenty to be discovered and explored. Almost 30 years have passed, so I do not know if it remains the same.
“With my wife, also a UIUC alumna, we passed by the campus seven years ago, to show it, and in particular the library, to our two sons. Unfortunately, it was just before Christmas and the library was closed.
“Then we just headed to Espresso Royale, our preferred coffee spot.”
