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Jean Cleveland
More than 20,000 boxes of materials have been moved from the main library to a repository in preparation for an extensive renovation of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in the original portion of the building.
The $4 million project is expected to take four years. The most visible sign of the project so far has been changes on the second floor, where most government documents have been relocated either to the repository or to the reference area. Some documents, including the Congressional Record and U.S. House and Senate reports and documents, will remain in the annex portion of the building.
“Since we haven’t had many users who needed government documents asssistance, we’ve been on what I  call a honeymoon during the summer,” says Susan Tuggle of government documents. “Our goal is for our normal users to be prepared when they return this fall.”
All materials remain accessible, but users will need to plan ahead for class projects, tours, library instruction and special needs.
The renovation will be done one floor at a time. Departments in areas being worked on will be moved to the second floor of the original building--the front portion of the main library. Materials located there have been shifted to the annex, or south, side of the floor, previously occupied entirely by government documents.
“We have tried to anticipate which documents will be most frequently requested and have kept them here in the library. Other documents will be housed at the repository and can be retrieved if requested,” says Carol Wheeler, of government documents. “Circulation has been outstanding in retrieving the materials.”
The parking lot on the east side of the building is closed for the duration of the project. Two book drops are being installed at the front doors of the main library to replace the drive-up book drop in the parking lot.
While patrons are certain to notice the project, library staff--most of whom are housed in the “old” building--will be most directly affected. Staff members have been volunteering their time to assist in boxing and moving materials.
“We could not have done it without the support of the library staff,” says Eric Matthews, a member of the three-person committee overseeing coordination of the project. “And the physical plant personnel, who have been here with us since the first of June, have been outstanding.”
The library building opened in 1952. Originally there were large, open stack areas on each floor, and the HVAC system was designed to heat and cool the stacks. As use of the space changed and the equipment aged, the renovation became necessary.
“This was a very innovative building and the HVAC system is very unique and wonderful,” says John Casey, manager of engineering at the physical plant. “But it’s only applicable with open spaces. Every time you partition an office off or put six students at computers in a room, you decrease its effectiveness.”
MORE INFO
Additional details are available on the libraries Web site (www.libs.uga.edu).
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