Library Program Committee Blog

Library Program Committee Update Fall 2007

Between January and September 2007 the design team from Shepley Bulfinch and H+L Architecture conducted a series of workshops on campus to define the role of the library and its ideal physical form. Broad input was sought from faculty, staff and students, including the Library Program Committee, the Facuty Executive Committee and Senior Staff. Staff from the Learning Commons, Tutt Library and Information Management were also involved in refining space needs. Over the course of these meetings, a number of different options for renovationg and expanding Tutt Library, as well as alternatives for a new library were considered. During the September 2007 meetings, two options were selected as viable solutions. One is a new library on the North Palmer Quad (Option F), and one is a transformed Tutt Library with an addition to the West (Option G). Conceptual studies of these options may be viewed in a display on the second floor bridge of Tutt Library.

Program Committee selects SBRA/H+L as Consultants

The Library Program Committee interviewed three architectural firms in November to provide programming services for the library building project, selecting the Boston firm of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott (SBRA). Architects Janette Blackburn and Geoff Freeman will work in collaboration with Mike Ossian and Phil Scott of H+L Architects of Denver and Colorado Springs.

Over the next year, they will help us define the building program and develop recommendations for siting the project on the campus. You can download a step-by-step schedule here (2MB PDF). Their work will include an assessment of Tutt Library and evaluation of the feasibility of a renovation and addition as one of the alternatives. The final recommendation will include detailed descriptions of the function, size and capacity of each program component, critical adjancencies and spatial characteristics, technical issues, phasing, implementation, and cost estimates

During Block 5, the architects were here for their first campus working sessions, and met with student, faculty and staff focus groups, as well as the Library Program Committee and Senior Staff. There will be more opportunities for community participation as the project moves forward.

Principles and Goals for the New Library

The Library Program Committee spent the 05/06 year considering the overall goals for a new library building. This process included committee discussions, open sessions with the campus community, consultation with faculty and staff colleagues, a student survey, and site visits to other libraries. The next step will be to hire a program consultant to work with the committee and campus stakeholders over the next year+ to write a specific program of spaces and requirements for the new (or newly renovated) building. This process will be guided by the following goals and principles. Your comments are welcome.

Colorado College library photos

Interior and exterior photos of Coburn Library and Tutt Library can be found at http://flickr.com/photos/tuttlibrary/sets/72057594097880019/

"Changing a Cultural Icon"

"Changing a Cultural Icon: The Academic Library as a Virtual Destination" by Jerry D. Campbell, published in Educause, January/February 2006. One of the best articles I've read about the challenges facing academic libraries in the coming decade and how difficult it is "to imagine what an academic library will be and do in another decade." Campbell is Chief Information Officer and Dean of Univerity Libraries at UCLA.

Colgate University-Case Library

Colgate is renovating and expanding the existing library to create a new Case Library and Center for Information Technology. Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abott are the architects for this $52.5 million project. The building is closed for the 2005-2006 academic year, with library services being delivered from the student union. Collections are stored in an automated storage facility that will be incorporated into the renovated building. Read their FAQ on interim service to get an idea of the preplanning and staging required to deliver library services during a renovation project.

Library Buildings--2005

The annual Library Journal review of library building projects. Includes tables with features and costs per sqare foot for new library buildings, renovations, and additions. Also in this issue is an article titled Power Users -- Designing buildings and services from the end user’s viewpoint transforms access for everyone.

Boley Law Library- Lewis and Clark

Members of the Library Program Committee visited the Boley Law Library recently. We loved it! The undulating wood celing and expansive views through to the park beyond, wood finishes, great study furniture, and quiet study spaces were all part of the experience. The scale of the spaces just felt good. Here's a virtual tour from their site, but it does not give a very good sense of the space. Additional study spaces in Wood Hall, which is connected to the library and houses library offices.

University of Chicago student survey supports expanding space for knowledge

"A new library survey supports expanding space for knowledge"
From the article: "A new student survey backs the hunch of University faculty and administrators that the demise of the book has been vastly overstated."

"The poll of 5,700 students’ library usage habits on campus reveals the use of electronic resources is not crowding out use of libraries for research using conventional stacks, reference materials and other physical resources, as some have feared."

Good site for information on recent library building projects.

Library Journal's web site has a section on buildings and facilities with links to recent projects and articles. One of particular interest is an article published in September 2005, Expert Opinion:Six experienced library architects advise on creating new facilities