The following article originally appeared in the March 1996 issue of Kaleidoscope, the monthly CUL staff newsletter.

Anyone who doubts that the new off-site facility will be a reality in 1997 will be heartened to learn that the project to expand and renovate the Library Annex has reached the schematic design phase. Following a series of review meetings in the autumn, the university's Architectural Services Department hired the architectural firm Quinlivan Pierik & Krause (QPK), of Syracuse, to design and build the new structure. QPK previously worked for Cornell on the feasibility study for the building.

Reese Dill, one of the creators of the Harvard model for library storage and a busy warehouse consultant, was also hired for the Annex project for his particular expertise on the design of warehouse-style shelving. Consultants who specialize in environmental conditions, superflat floors, and other special aspects of the building may be hired as the design process unfolds.

During the past several weeks architects and mechanical engineers have drawn and redrawn plans as ideas are proposed and problems identified. Project meetings are scheduled every week during the spring semester for the schematic design and design development phases. The purpose of these meetings is to develop the plans that university administrators and local government officials need to review and approve before the building can become a reality.

During the spring semester there will be negotiations between the university administration and the library administration about funding. The culmination of this lengthy, detailed process will be approval by the Buildings and Properties Committee of the Board of Trustees to start construction in fall 1996. The construction documents will be drawn this summer. If all goes according to schedule, the building will be ready in fall 1997.

The topics of the meetings of architects, engineers, and Cornell library staff range from fire protection to closets, from shelving to the loading dock. The new and renovated staff and public spaces are taking shape according to the floor plans that were widely distributed last October and November. A particular challenge is to design flexible workspaces than can be redesigned and rearranged as the demand for services changes. For example, the space must accommodate the processing of two thousand volumes per day for two years along with a modest level of circulation and then be equally able to accommodate a growing volume of circulation with a much smaller processing operation in subsequent years.

And because we want to add some features to our building that none of the other high-density storage facilities around the country have managed to do well or at all, we have added to the challenges facing the architects and engineers. Some of the crucial elements are conveyors to minimize the need for staff to lift shipping bins filled with books; a document delivery space where staff will scan, e-mail, and fax documents, as well as prepare them for shipping; and multifunctional workstations for staff so that all of the software and network access they need is available on their desktops/worktables. Other desirable features are staff workspaces that are comfortably lit with enough natural light to feel airy, a quiet reading room for users that is visible from the processing area, an attractive staff lounge, adequate storage spaces for library supplies and personal belongings, excellent building security, and ADA compliance.

The high-density warehouse part of the new Library Annex presents plenty of challenges as well. The most important need is to design a structure and HVAC system that is capable of maintaining the desired temperature and relative humidity in the highly variable Ithaca climate. Other issues include fire protection, lighting, shelving design, and loading/unloading spaces.

While the architectural design develops, members of the library staff are busy planning and selecting books and other materials to move to the new facility. Several selectors, faced with increasingly severe shortages of space, are already identifying volumes and preparing them for faculty review. In the Engineering Library and the Asia Collections staff are also hard at work preparing for the move.

At the presentation of the building concept to the Library Board and the Olin Users' Committee in December, both groups expressed interest in the building concept especially and in participating in the review of materials. If their reaction is any indication of support, the opening of the new off-site facility will be greeted with enthusiasm by both library staff and the user community.

Catherine Murray-Rust is Associate University Librarian.