June 2002 Council on the Libraries minutes

Council on Libraries
June 7, 2002
Treasure Room, 12-1:30
Topic: Berry 3rd Floor Quiet Reading Space

Present: James Aronson (Chair), Richard J. Callahan, Teoby A. Gomez, Douglas A. Irwin, Lawrence M. Levine, Richard E. Lucier, Cyndy Pawlek, Cindy Shirkey (Staff)

The meeting was convened at 12:15.

James Aronson (JA) began the meeting by stating that the purpose of this session was to discuss reactions of fellow faculty members to the plans for the Callander Room

Earlier in the academic year, the COL had extensively discussed the notion of producing a Quiet Study Room in the Library , prompted by several faculty who had approached the CoL. It became an issue that resonated with the CoL, as well. After a tour of Baker/Berry the Council recommended to the Director ( Richard Lucier) that the triangular stacks area of Berry Level Three be remodeled to create a suitable space.

The Council considered Berry Level Three to be ideal for this purpose for three reasons: it is directly connected to the Baker Stacks via the Bridge, the arrangement of this floor is awkward and can be improved upon and finally, there is a North-facing view on that floor that should be given more prominence. This location also meets a need for security for users and materials. On receiving this recommendation from the COL and based on it, Richard E. Lucier (REL) then secured a donor (the Callendars) to support the design and creation phases of this project.

The Council on Libraries now reaffirms its position on the creation of such a Quiet Study Space. Given everyone’s needs, the Council thinks it is an important and needed addition to the Baker/Berry Library and will improve the functionality of the new Library. On the other hand, the Council and the Library recognized to the extent possible the constant need to keep the in-print collection available in the Library. To this end, the Library has looked into some economies of space and will preserve as much of the linear shelving footage to be displaced in the creation of the Quiet Study Space as possible within the Baker/Berry Library. REL expressed confidence that a high proportion could be preserved and is directing the staff to accomplish this.

The timeline of events for the proposed Callendar Room would be roughly this: REL will ask for a Working Group to be appointed by the Provost and comprised of at least one Council on Libraries faculty member, other faculty representing several user perspectives, and include some student perspective as well. Then a design firm would be hired sometime around or after August, 2002.

The space-issue confronted here will not go away. We formally recognized that it is critical for the COL to constantly address the long-term issue of how to successfully continue the future growth and development of the physical library at Dartmouth.

During the meeting it was uniformly expressed that there is a need for reinforcing ways for the faculty at large to provide input to the Council’s decision-making process. We therefore approved that REL and the next Chair of the Council begin on this path by holding two yearly Town Meetings for faculty beginning Fall, 2002. These Town Meetings will be a forum for communication between the Council on Libraries and the faculty at large.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:30.