NCSU Libraries Focus Online

Volume 25 number 2 - Winter 2005

• advanced application of digital information technology and access to electronic materials;
• individual and collective study spaces for quiet, contemplative study and collaborative interactions;
• access to all of the required print materials.

It is critical that the Libraries overcomes its current deficiencies, which include:

• overcrowding and inadequate seating;
• antiquated building systems;
• inefficient use of space;
• sufficient space for growth and use of collections.

The Master Plan calls for renovating the East Wing of the D. H. Hill Library (Phase I); building a companion library on the Centennial Campus (Phase II); demolishing and rebuilding the West (Erdahl-Cloyd) Wing of the D. H. Hill Library (Phase III); and adding onto the Centennial Campus library (Phase IV).

Phase I entails a major upgrade of the East Wing infrastructure in the D. H. Hill Library and complete renovation of the ground and first floors. Infrastructure upgrades will include replacing all windows, providing energy efficient and comfortable HVAC systems, increasing the capacity of electrical wiring and network cabling, and improving building security and life safety systems.

The renovations also will make it possible to relocate staff work space to the ground floor and open up more of the first floor for use by students and faculty. Work on the first floor will include the creation of a museum-quality exhibition gallery to display materials from the Libraries' Special Collections Research Center and to host traveling exhibits, a well-appointed reading room for quiet study and use of Special Collections materials, and a redesigned area for individual and small group computer use and collaboration.

The East Wing renovation project will take approximately eighteen months to complete and will be done in stages, because the entire ground and first floors cannot be completely vacated at one time. There will also be some disruptions on the second and third floors as windows are replaced and an additional HVAC unit and related duct work and fire suppression system upgrades are installed. For the most part, however, students and faculty should experience minimal interruptions in library services. A preview of the relocated service points and staff offices is provided in accompanying articles in this issue.

Although the bulk of the funding necessary for the basic infrastructure upgrades is provided from bonds approved by the voters of North Carolina, the Libraries seeks donations to enhance the quality and function of the public spaces students and faculty will enjoy once the project is complete. Those interested in supporting the Libraries in this way can learn more in the naming opportunities article on page 5.

When students and faculty return for the spring 2005 semester, they will find ample signage directing them to the relocated Reference Desk (in the West Wing near the Reserve Desk), computers, printers, and photocopiers. Those interested in keeping up with the project's progress can find more information at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/renovation.