Perkins readies for major renovation

From the construction of Edens Quadrangle to the building of the Wilson Recreation Center, Duke has been no stranger to capital improvements over the last decade. But for the first time in over 30 years, it will soon witness major renovations to an institution at its heart-Perkins Library.

A renovation committee, recently formed by Provost Peter Lange, is in the process of crafting a vision statement for the building that may involve changes in information technology infrastructure, study space and the library's overall appeal.

"We see so many aspects that are less than ideal, whether it's the inadequate study spaces, the fact that it's not an inviting building, it's not an inspiring building, its technical infrastructure is inadequate, its services are fragmented...," said Assistant University Librarian Bob Byrd, who chairs the committee.

The 16-member group, composed of administrators from offices University-wide, will craft a statement within the next few months and then work with Geoffrey Freeman, an architect with Shepley, Bullfinch, Richardson and Abbott of Boston, to transform that vision into a concrete plan of action. Renovations, which may cost $50 million, could be initiated as early as fall 2002.

Technology and cataloging procedures have greatly changed since 1928, when Perkins was originally built.

Offices on the library's first floor were originally arranged based on their need to be close to the card catalog.

"Now those things can be done remotely," Byrd said. "We know we want to move them off the first floor." He said some of these offices, which now enjoy prime space, may even be moved out of the building.

Books, too, may be relocated to the Library Services Center, an off-site storage facility scheduled for completion in March.

Seven-hundred-thousand volumes are currently located in off-site storage, but the LSC will be able to house as many as 3 million.

But Graduate and Professional Student Council President Cybelle McFadden is a bit nervous about this possibility.

"I really don't think more study space should be created at the expense of collection space. They need to revamp the space they have." McFadden, a third-year graduate student in French, will work with the committee throughout the renovation process.

And although many books and articles will become available digitally, McFadden and others emphasized that online text cannot replace print.

"We're sophisticated enough... to know information technology does not compete with books," said committee member Cathy Davidson, vice provost for interdisciplinary studies. "People are using the web and buying more books than ever before. We need a library that underscores the unity and continuity of different kinds and sources of information."

Digital books and articles are not the only improvements linked to information technology. Committee members are also investigating the implementation of a wireless network, which would allow users to access the Duke network from portable computers.

"It's difficult to do in our current configuration because wireless does not transmit well through the book stacks," said committee member Ed Gomes, head of library information systems. "There is a lot of electrical interference; it's something we're looking at."

In the interim, a wireless system may be installed at The Perk.

To facilitate the growth in technology infrastructure, the library's long-range plan calls for the relocation of Technical Services to a "pleasant, ergonomically designed and efficient workspace."

In addition, the plan suggests that library users have access to staff from the Office of Information Technology and the Center for Instructional Technology in some type of teaching lab.

Others have pointed out that the stacks, because they were designed for librarian use, are not comfortable.

"It wasn't designed to be user friendly because the idea was that the librarians would be the primary users in the stack area," said senior Jason Bergsman, Duke Student Government vice president for academic affairs. "It wasn't designed for users.... One of the greatest [challenges] is building a [facility] that's targeted to the customer."

Thirty million dollars for the renovations has been secured thus far-half approved by the Board of Trustees in May 1999 as part of the a plan to renovate dormitories and other facilities, and half from The Campaign for Duke.

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