New Library

I was on campus yesterday afternoon with a friend in hopes of watching the women practice soccer. Unfortunately they weren't practicing so we wandered into the new library. On the first floor we found lots of desks with computers, tables and chairs, individual lounge chairs, several study rooms and one small shelf of current best sellers. We scratched our heads, a whole floor of a library and virtually no books. We wandered up to the next floor and it was the same situation. Lots of places to sit and study, but almost no books. We finally went to the basement and there they were. In large rows of shelves that are on tracks and must be separated electrically on rollers to spread them apart far enough for you to actually browse the shelf. So if someone has the shelves separated to get to rows 1 and 2, and you want a book in row 3, you have to wait until the person in rows 1 and 2 is done and out of the row, then you push a button and move shelf 3 so you can get to it. I wonder if the next incarnation of the library will have no books at all.

Thats pretty much the standard now for new library construction...

Even when I was attending UP almost a decade ago I rarely had to look at an actual book for research, it was always on a database like Lexis or JSTOR. That was even before you could look at pdfs on e-readers, iPad's etc.

Pretty sure the only book I ever cracked in there was the parallel Bible.

DaTruRochin wrote:Thats pretty much the standard now for new library construction...

Even when I was attending UP almost a decade ago I rarely had to look at an actual book for research, it was always on a database like Lexis or JSTOR. That was even before you could look at pdfs on e-readers, iPad's etc.

About the only time I looked for books was my theology or philosophy classes. I was a science major so most of my time was spent looking up journal articles, either in the basement or online. The only science books I used were my textbooks and reference books like the CRC Handbook.

I mostly hung out in the lounge area and read sports sections of the various newspapers they stocked. Not too may papers to write in the math dept. Now, don't subscribe to any papers. All on the 'net.

Took a tour of the new library recently....a wonderful facility that even UP Alums can enjoy using.

 I'm a little embarrassed to say the only times I recall going to the library during my college days was to get a date for the weekend......but after reading UP Sociology Professor Martin A. Monto's study that says “no evidence of substantial changes in sexual behavior that would support the proposition that there is a new or pervasive ‘hookup culture’ among contemporary college students"......it might be that today's student will use the library for the same purpose as some of us did in the '60's.

I took. Tour also. Had to find the basement to see any books, and you won't be happy if you are a browser type. Only one out of every 5 or 7 aisle of books can be opened at any one time.

PurpleGeezer wrote:.......you won't be happy if you are a browser type. Only one out of every 5 or 7 aisle of books can be opened at any one time.

Ha-ha, I too love to browse, but as you know, those of us in the Portland area are lucky enough to have Powell's Book Store for just such an occasion....while drinking coffee.

PurpleGeezer wrote:I took. Tour also. Had to find the basement to see any books, and you won't be happy if you are a browser type. Only one out of every 5 or 7 aisle of books can be opened at any one time.

And where's the damn card catalog!?!  

DaTruRochin wrote:

PurpleGeezer wrote:I took. Tour also. Had to find the basement to see any books, and you won't be happy if you are a browser type. Only one out of every 5 or 7 aisle of books can be opened at any one time.

And where's the damn card catalog!?!  

OMG, you don't think they've thrown out the Dewey Decimal System too!!

Actually, I believe Melvil's system is still working quite well with a few revisions and updates through the years......

For my senior design project (this was in 2009-2010) My partners and I did a redesign of the Library, most specifically the structural design. We met with the librarian staff and reviewed the master plan and all that good stuff. It was pretty interesting to talk to the librarian staff about the evolution of what Library's are now and their functionality. In the master plan, which included a comprehensive report with input from multiple professors/students/other faculty, it was a priority to add study space and to bring up the technology.

I will have to say there are certain design aspects of the new library that are pretty close to what my team had decided to do, which means that we did a good job of designing usable space.

As far as the movable book stacks, those things are a HUGE load on the footings for the building. I was in charge of designing those, and they turned out massive because of the massive loading over a small area, and they move. It all brings back good memories of a project that was pretty comprehensive.

I have to say that I feel like I had a small part in this new library. I guess that's an advantage of going to a place like UP.