University plans more shelving in Firestone

As part of an ongoing renovation process that will take at least 10 years, the University plans to begin construction on the A- and C-floors of Firestone Librarythis summer to increase the amount of shelving space available for special collections. Though the University has not yet finalized plans or approved a definitive timetable for the renovations, it hopes to proceed with construction through the summer and into the fall and spring semesters, University spokeswoman Emily Aronson said in a e-mail.

The renovations on the C-floor would target the southeast corner of the library, where the walls facing the University Chapel and Washington Road meet. Study spaces for students are not located in this area, which is currently used for offices and storage space. “The work will not affect the locations where students study or the study carrels on the floor,” Aronson said.

Last winter, the University renovated the staff lounge on the B-floor of the library from late January to late February, causing significant disruptions for some seniors working on their theses.

Beginning the project in the summer would further minimize disruption to the library’s users, University Librarian Karin Trainer explained in an e-mail. “We always try to schedule maintenance and improvement projects during school breaks to minimize the disruption for students and faculty,” she said. “Our goal is to start this project in the summer, too, because the first phase, taking down some interior walls, will be noisy.” Trainer noted that the library also hopes to build more offices on the A-floor this summer.

Aronson said that these renovations would provide a starting point for future construction, in line with the University’s long-term plan for the library. “The shelving work on the C-level would be laying the foundation for the long-term, phased renovation work that the library hopes will happen later,” she said.

While the specifics of the long-term renovation process remain under discussion and depend in large part on funding approval, the University has outlined a number of different goals for future construction projects in Firestone. These include upgrading the library’s emergency fire systems, improving the quality of study spaces and making the building easier for users to navigate.