![[Photo]](betsy.gif)
Betsy Wilson standing under the suspended floor
of the remodeled Engineering Library
Library buildings however adequate or advanced eventually wear out and need upgrading. New technologies and services require new wiring and power. Students and staff need more and better utilized space. Several University of Washington Libraries have recently completed or started renovation or rebuilding projects to upgrade their facilities.
Betsy Wilson standing under the suspended floor
of the remodeled Engineering Library
On March 23, 1995, Libraries Staff and College of Engineering administrators gathered to celebrate the opening of the new Engineering Library Instruction Center. This center was the culmination of a three year remodeling effort in the Engineering Library funded from a 1991-93 capital improvement budget and from funds made available from the integration of the Computing Information Center (Computing & Communications) into the Engineering Library. The Instruction Center, in the northeast corner of the third floor, contains several workstations contributed by the College of Engineering which are connected to both campus resources and a network of CD-ROM databases. The primary use for the center is for library instruction in such eletronic resources as Compendex, Inspec, patents, and the World Wide Web.
Originally built in 1968, the Engineering Library had recently experienced an explosive expansion in the use of computers and networks. Wiring and network connections could no longer accommodate the increased equipment and new technologies necessary to support up-to-date engineering education. In addition to the Instruction Center, a number of other remodeling projects were completed.
The first floor circulation services desk and staff area were expanded, and the Patent and Trademark Depository Library research area was equipped with new furniture, equipment and carpeting. Individual offices were built for the librarians.
Probably the most challenging and dramatic aspect of the renovation was the filling in of the fourth floor for an additional study area. As the design for this space developed, planners decided that an additional "suspended" mezzanine floor could be built over the top of the fill-in, thus creating even more study space.
The Music Library Listening Center completed a facility upgrade in September 1994. For decades, the Listening Center consisted of small listening stations with fixed seating that lacked flexibility and the basic comforts necessary for the extended study of sound recordings and accompanying musical scores. With the assistance of Arun Sukvivatn, Facility Management Office/Design Division, and Betty Jo Kane, libraries facilities coordinator, the Listening Center staff was able to incorporate new technology with additional patron comfort and space in the new design. The facility upgrade includes new carpeting, headphones, video monitor and 22 carrels with posture chairs. The Listening Center now has three computer stations for computer assisted instruction in addition to two UW Libraries computer stations.
When the newest section of the Health Sciences Library and Information Center (HSLIC) was opened in 1973, the library was designed as a facility that could comfortably accommodate the growth of services, staff, and collections for 15 to 20 years. By 1990 the journal stacks were approaching gridlock, half the group study rooms had been converted to staff use, and the electronic revolution was affecting every aspect of library operations. To address these problems, HSLIC embarked in 1991 on a series of small renovation projects designed to retrofit a mid-70s building for 21st century technology.
HSLIC's renovation efforts have focused primarily on physical changes needed for library users and staff to function in a computer-oriented environment, upgrading electrical and telecommunications services to support information technology, and maximizing ever-dwindling space to accommodate expanding collections and services.
Major changes in the last four years include:
The Business Administration Library will also expand as a result of the new School of Business Administration addition currently under construction. The renamed Albert O. and Evelyn Foster Business Administration Library will be an underground facility with a 10-foot by 80-foot skylight providing natural light. Seating will serve approximately 220, including eight group study rooms. The majority of seats will be wired for power and data. The construction of the addition, funded from both private gifts and matching State monies began in March 1995 and is expected to be completed winter quarter 1997.