Completed and dedicated in 1968, the library houses special collections materials including rare books, maps, archives, and photographs.

Over the course of thirty years, the Foundation donated millions of dollars to universities, museums, and other cultural institutions in the Kansas City area and across the Midwest.

Shortly after Kenneth Spencer's death in 1960, Helen was approached about donating her husband's personal papers and business records to the University of Kansas.

KU's Watson Library was deemed unsuitable, as the facility's lack of space already hindered librarians' efforts to process and make available special collections materials.

According to Alexandra Mason, a librarian who worked at the library, the structure was created "specifically to meet the needs of rare books, manuscripts, archives, and their users".