2008 Woodie Awards
Study Spaces May Be Crunched By Library Construction
Emily Gravett
Issue date: 11/12/04 Section: News
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As Case Library Construction becomes more visible (and audible) around campus, uncertainty has circulated regarding the construction's impact on student study space.
Much of this uncertainty comes from the architect change, from Pickard Chilton Architects to Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott and Tai Soo Kim, and the fact that interior designs of the library have not been finalized.
Senior Student Government Association representative Kevin McAvey said, "With the second architect, as we make the transition, there is probably going to be a delay of 90 days or so," McAvey said. "What they are looking for right now is to keep the library open for next semester in its entirety."
Frank Gavett, Head of Access Services and Projects for Case Library, agreed. "There will be no changes until after finals spring semester, through the end of this academic year," he said.
Though McAvey predicted that the library will shut down entirely in the fall of 2005, Gavett explained that a final decision had not been made about maintaining occupancy of the building. He weighs both options.
"If we stay in the building, we will be limited to half of one floor for everything that we do," he said. "The only thing we would keep in the building as far as student study space would be some computing space and the space that's necessary to support reference and a small amount of additional seating for a total of 100 seats."
Gavett explained that they have been looking more seriously at the other option, the one McAvey predicted.
"We have started thinking more seriously about moving out of the building for a number of reasons," Gavett said. "One is that we've had some experience with the kind of disruption that construction causes in an occupied building. You can hear it now. And it's only going to get worse."
Disruptions would obviously adversely affect students. "We want to provide a high quality space for students and that's going to get very difficult in this building," he said.
Much of this uncertainty comes from the architect change, from Pickard Chilton Architects to Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott and Tai Soo Kim, and the fact that interior designs of the library have not been finalized.
Senior Student Government Association representative Kevin McAvey said, "With the second architect, as we make the transition, there is probably going to be a delay of 90 days or so," McAvey said. "What they are looking for right now is to keep the library open for next semester in its entirety."
Frank Gavett, Head of Access Services and Projects for Case Library, agreed. "There will be no changes until after finals spring semester, through the end of this academic year," he said.
Though McAvey predicted that the library will shut down entirely in the fall of 2005, Gavett explained that a final decision had not been made about maintaining occupancy of the building. He weighs both options.
"If we stay in the building, we will be limited to half of one floor for everything that we do," he said. "The only thing we would keep in the building as far as student study space would be some computing space and the space that's necessary to support reference and a small amount of additional seating for a total of 100 seats."
Gavett explained that they have been looking more seriously at the other option, the one McAvey predicted.
"We have started thinking more seriously about moving out of the building for a number of reasons," Gavett said. "One is that we've had some experience with the kind of disruption that construction causes in an occupied building. You can hear it now. And it's only going to get worse."
Disruptions would obviously adversely affect students. "We want to provide a high quality space for students and that's going to get very difficult in this building," he said.