The MIT Libraries plan to install compact shelving in a section of the Hayden Library basement (Building 14S) this summer. The projectwill replace existing shelves to create more capacity, reducing the need to move books and journals into storage. New lighting will also be installed above the new shelving.
Compact shelving, currently in use in the Lewis Music Library and the Aeronautics/Astronautics Library, is movable shelving on tracks, with safety features. The library gains additional book space by reducing the floor space needed for the aisles.
The work is scheduled to begin immediately after finals end in May and will continue throughout the summer. Temporary shelving will be installed in the reading rooms of the Science Library on the first floor and the Humanities Library on the second floor. Collections from the basement shelving sections being replaced will be moved to the temporary shelving during the duration of the project.
Library operations will continue throughout the summer and all efforts will be made to provide uninterrupted service to those who use the Science and Humanities Libraries. At times, some volumes may be in transit and difficult to locate.
During the project, the Athena cluster in the basement will be closed, elevator use may be limited, and there will be some construction noise. The Libraries will keep the public and Building 14 neighbors informed of the status of any temporary inconveniences or upcoming changes.
For further information, contact Carol Fleishauer, x3-5962, or Jim Mullins, x3-7059.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on April 11, 2001.
