Firestone Library renovation project still on schedule after summer start

The ultimate goal of the project is to create an organizational system that is easier for patrons to navigate, by integrating a single call system throughout the library, according to the library’s website.

The Richardson classification system is unique to Princeton and was created by University Librarian Ernest Richardson in the early 20th century as an alternative to the Dewey decimal system. The Library of Congress classification system has been in existence since 1897 and has since been adopted by many large research libraries.

“The work so far has been in all of the graduate study rooms and the classics on the third floor,” Jeff Rowlands, fiscal officer for the library, said in an e-mail. “They are currently working on philosophy and religion, also on the third floor.”

Rowlands said that work in classics, religion and philosophy sections will likely be finished by the end of October. “From then until the end of December, the work will focus on about half of the Richardson 2000–2499 range, the 0900s and the 9000s” on the B- and C-floors, he said.

Rowlands stressed that student access to books would not be disrupted during the process.

“We have taken senior thesis work into account,” he said. “Books that are being reclassified are typically unavailable for less than 24 hours, and any urgent needs can be taken care of by the circulation/reserve desk.” Rowlands noted that reclassified books will be searchable under both classification systems during the transition.

John Logan, literature bibliographer at the library, said that the work done so far has been “very quiet.” He added that the company completing the reclassification work, Backstage Library Works, “specializes in this kind of work.”

“The graduate students in the Scribner Room have been especially pleased,” he noted. Reclassification of the volumes in the Scribner Room, which doubles as a study space on the B-floor, was completed this summer.

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In addition to the reclassification project, work over the next months will focus on constructing additional shelving and spaces. Areas on the A- and B-floors have been converted into temporary office space, in order to accommodate those with offices located on the C-floor, where a new space for rare books and special collections will be constructed. Work is also being completed in the periodical reading room on the A-floor to provide temporary shelving as volumes are reclassified to the Library of Congress system. Additional shelving will also be added to the A-, B- and C-floors through the fall.

The work completed thus far marks only the beginning of a larger construction plan, Rowlands said. “All of the construction work so far has been preparation work for the first phase of the building renovation ... The real visible work is set to begin next year about this time and will take several years.”

“Construction on the first phase will begin next month,” Rowlands said. “This work involves extending the stairs from the first to third floor in the northwest corner and creating collection space in the southwest corner of C-floor.”

Rowlands said that construction has been off to “a very smooth start, and all work so far has been completed on schedule,” noting that there have been few student complaints about adjusting to the new system.

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The University will also look to incorporate sustainability goals during its renovations by installing a new energy-efficient heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system; low-energy lighting; and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

Parts of the B-floor have also been sectioned off to evaluate different types of shelving and lighting fixtures.

The library has made efforts to keep noise at a minimum, as seniors in the humanities and social sciences work on their theses in the carrels. A blog maintained to keep students and faculty informed about renovations progress warns about “low to moderate” noise in areas where work is being done from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Heavy construction over the course of the renovations will be contained to times of the year when the library is less heavily used, according to the campus plan website.

Plans for the Firestone renovations were released when the University unveiled a 10-year campus plan in 2008. It calls for creating a “proper environment for one of the world’s great book and manuscript collections,” according to the campus plan website.