NEW PROJECTS
Foyer exhibit case: Completed, May 2005
Piano: A small Yamaha grand piano was purchased for the Woody Tanger Auditorium.
Woody Tanger Auditorium upgrade: to be completed 2005-06, using a combination of Student Technology Fee funds and the Woody Tanger gift. This project includes adding a new projector and enhancing teleconferencing capabilities.
Information Services Conference Room: The book shelves were removed from this space, giving it greater flexibility as reception space for persons hosting events in the Woody Tanger Auditorium.
Data Loggers: This year data loggers-electronic instruments that record temperature and relative humidity-were purchased for the Special Collections stacks. These small, battery-powered devices are equipped with a microprocessor, data storage, and sensors. Information collected from the loggers is uploaded to a PC, then converted to an Excel spreadsheet. This gives us clear, reliable, scientific data to use when discussing temperature problems with facilities, data produced by digital monitoring devises trusted by archives, museums, and scientists around the world.
ON-GOING PROJECTS
Conservation laboratory expansion: We await news on our $300,000 grant application.
Public address system upgrade: We now have drawings of the original wiring plans for the PA system: an analysis of these drawings should help determine whether additional wiring and speakers are needed.
HVAC balancing: Testing of the building's 600+ HVAC sensors is ongoing. Work designed to address noise and air volume problems in the LaGuardia Reading Room was conducted, but with no success; the contractor and the State must decide how to proceed. The Multipurpose Room continues to be a problem: if it is to be used for anything more than entertaining, the noise generated by the HVAC fans must be curbed. Only the most robust speakers can talk above the din.
Water problems: While the Library continues to experience occasional leaks, one of the causes has been identified: the outer lip of the building's gutters is higher than the roofline. When the gutter drains clog, rainwater collects and spills onto the roof, cascading through the nail holes in the slate tiles and down the interior walls. The College will pay greater attention to the gutters and will bore holes in them below the roofline, facilitating drainage. The building's master drains remain an issue: DASNY has engaged a consultant to undertake a thorough, systemic investigation of the problem, which also involves Whitehead Hall. His report is expected by the end of June.
Information Services & ILL space: This was one of several projects to be funded using the Library project's remaining F&E (furniture and equipment) budget, about $360,000. However, the State has frozen these funds, pending the resolution of some contractor claims. We hope to identify a new funding source, enabling us to relocate interlibrary loan to the third floor and expand Information Services into ILL's present space.
Custodial Services: Miriam Deutch's new brochure "Library Maintenance, Security, & Emergency Procedures" has proven very helpful to the staff. The College continues to struggle to support the number of custodial supervisors the campus really needs. Presently, we share a supervisor with another building; his services are critical because if the building is neglected, before long it will become irreclaimable. In AVP Steve Czirak and Vice President Little we are lucky to have Facilities managers who genuinely care about the Library.
Security: Donald Wenz and Ursula Chase work with the Library Cabinet to ensure sound security for readers, staff, and collections. This year we revised procedures for using the staff-only back door to the building and re-keyed several gates in archival storage areas. Food remains a troubling issue, and we are considering a citation form which would be issued by Security officers.