ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 366 / C&RL News ■ May 7 999 FOCUS ON LIBRARIES A new face for an old building by Beth M. Russell O n October 20, 1998, nearly 300 donors, scholars, and descendants of Edward Ben­ jamin Cushing joined with Library Dean Heath, Cushing Library D irector D onald Dyal, and members of the university adminis­ tration to hear Sir Roger Elliott of Blackwell’s Ltd. discuss “Scholars, Collections and the Re­ search Library.” This gathering celebrated the official rededication of the Cushing Memorial Library at Texas A&M University (A&M) in College Station. The ceremony focused appre­ ciation on the role o f the university library and the special place for research collections, such as those housed in the newly renovated building. The reception marked the end o f a four- year long process of rebuilding and renovation designed to bring the special collections and archives of the university to a wider audience in secure and attractive surroundings. While the aesthetic intent of the renovation was to return the building to its neoclassical grandeur, m odern services and technology were also made available, many for the first time. In­ creased visibility for the collections and a higher public profile have also been realized through the renovation process. The building Cushing Library, w hich o p en ed in 1930, was the first building on the A&M campus specifi­ cally built as a library. It was nam ed for E. B. Cushing, a former student and administrator who ensured the survival of A&M. When the school faced closure in 1912, Cushing not only Fr marshaled support from the state legislature and brought legislators to College Station to ed experience the school firsthand, but he also personally guaranteed notes of credit to assist the school after a series of disasters. Upon his death in 1924, Cushing’s private library was given to the Agricultural and Mechanical Col­ lege o f Texas and formed the nucleus of the school’s library. Over the years, several additions w ere at­ tached to the rear of the building to accom­ modate the expanding library collections of the growing school, which was renam ed Texas A&M University in 1963- With more modern additions in 1968 an d 1979, the original Cushing building was subdivided to serve as­ sorted functions. The large reading room, with a hand-stenciled ceiling, was packed with study carrels. A lounge and snack machines occupied much o f the second floor. The university library’s cram ped “old stacks” housed theses and other rarely used materials on open metal flooring. The remainder of the building be­ came office space, housing at various times the university archives, remote computing facili­ ties, and several academic departments. This deterioration of Cushing into a “catch-all” for u n iv ersity an d library n e e d s c o n tin u e d throughout the 1980s. In 1992, the administrative unification of the university’s archives and special collections departments signaled a change. Soon thereaf­ ter, the most heavily used archival collections were moved into space shared with special col­ lections in the university’s Evans Library. The About the author Beth M. Russell is cataloging librarian a t Texas A&M University, e-mail: brussell@tamu.edu Cushing Memorial Library mailto:brussell@tamu.edu C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 1 9 9 9 / 3 6 7 A n e x t e r io r v ie w o f th e C u s h in g M e m o ria l Lib ra ry . r e m a i n i n g m a t e r i a l s , w h i c h f o r m e d t h e b u l k o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n , w e r e m o v e d t o a n o f f - c a m ­ p u s s t o r a g e f a c i l i t y . I n 1 9 9 4 , C u s h i n g w a s c l o s e d t o b e g i n t h e l o n g p r o c e s s o f r e n o v a t i o n a n d r e b u i l d i n g . D u r i n g t h e r e n o v a t i o n , t h e i n t e r i o r o f t h e b u i l d i n g w a s g u t t e d t o r e m o v e a ll t r a c e s o f a s ­ b e s t o s a n d l e a d p a i n t . W a l l s t h a t h a d b e e n a d d e d d u r i n g t h e 1 9 7 0 s a n d 1 9 8 0 s w e r e r e ­ m o v e d a n d t h e o l d s t y l e m e t a l s t a c k s w e r e d i s ­ a s s e m b l e d a n d r e p l a c e d w i t h s t a n d a r d f l o o r s . V a r i o u s s t a g e s o f b u i l d i n g a n d d e c o r a t i n g c u l ­ m i n a t e d i n a c o l o r f u l y e t c l a s s i c f i n i s h e d i n t e ­ r i o r a n d a r e f u r b i s h e d a n d n e w l y a c c e s s i b l e e x t e r i o r . A d d i t i o n a l w o r k , s u c h a s t h e h a n d - p a i n t i n g o f c o l u m n s a n d b e a m s o n t h e f ir s t f l o o r , w a s c o m p l e t e d a f t e r t h e l ib r a r y r e o p e n e d i n A u g u s t 1 9 9 8 . T h e e n t r y f l o o r n o w b o a s t s a b e a u t i f u l r e ­ s t o r e d t e r r a z z o f l o o r c o n t a i n i n g t h e s e a l o f t h e A g r i c u l t u r a l a n d M e c h a n i c a l C o l l e g e o f T e x a s a s it a p p e a r e d i n t h e 1 9 3 0 s . E x h i b i t s p a c e a n d a s p a c i o u s s e m i n a r r o o m , a l o n g w i t h s e v e r a l o f ­ f i c e s , c o m p l e t e s t h e f ir s t f l o o r . T h e s e c o n d f l o o r c o n t a i n s t h e s t r i k i n g m a in r e a d i n g r o o m . T h e c e i l in g , w i t h a b s tr a c t d e s i g n s i n s p i r e d b y N a t iv e A m e r i c a n a r t w o r k , w a s r e c ­ r e a t e d b y s t u d e n t v o l u n t e e r s w h o s i g n e d t h e i r n a m e s o n a b e a m n e a r t h e n o r t h w e s t c o r n e r o f t h e r o o m . O r ig in a l o a k b o o k c a s e s a n d w a i n s c o t ­ i n g w e r e c a r e f u l l y r e s t o r e d . T h e o r i g i n a l o a k s t u d y t a b l e s a n d c h a ir s s e r v e d a s a m o d e l f o r th e n e w t a b l e s a n d c h a ir s , w h i c h w e r e e n d o w e d b y d o n o r s a n d c o n t a in In te r n e t h o o k u p s a n d p o w e r c a b li n g . A d d itio n a l e x h i b i t s p a c e w a s c r e a t e d f o r t h e l i b r a r y ’s a r t, a r t i f a c t , a n d p a p e r c o l l e c t i o n s o n t h e s e c o n d flo o r . T h e t h i r d f l o o r a n d b a s e m e n t a r e a s , b o t h s t a f f w o r k a r e a s , w e r e f u r n i s h e d w i t h a t t e n ­ t i o n t o c o m f o r t a n d e f f i c i e n c y . T h e y n o w h o u s e c a t a l o g i n g , p r e s e r v a t i o n , a n d o t h e r p r o c e s s i n g o p e r a t i o n s f o r t h e l ib r a r y . A ll s t a f f w o r k s t a t i o n s a r e e q u i p p e d w i t h e r g o n o m i c f u r n i s h i n g s , a n d m a n y f a c u l t y a n d s t a f f w e r e p r o v i d e d w i t h p e r s o n a l o f f i c e s o r c u b i c l e s f o r t h e f ir s t t i m e . T h e e n t i r e b u i l d i n g w a s w i r e d t o t h e l i b r a r y ’s L A N a n d m a d e a c c e s s i b l e a n d A D A - c o m p l i a n t . C l i m a t e c o n t r o l , s e c u r i t y , a n d s t o r a g e s y s t e m s a r e s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t t o e n ­ s u r e t h e s a f e t y o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n s . The c o lle c tio n s C u s h i n g h o u s e s t h e r e s e a r c h c o l l e c t i o n s o f A & M , t h e o l d e s t p u b l i c i n s t i t u t i o n o f h i g h e r l e a r n i n g i n t h e s t a t e . S i n c e t h e m e r g e r o f s p e ­ c i a l c o l l e c t i o n s a n d a r c h i v e s , t h e s e c o l l e c t i o n s h a v e i n c l u d e d b o o k s , m a n u s c r i p t s , w o r k s o f a r t, m e m o r a b i l i a , h i s t o r i c a l a n d p e r s o n a l a r t i ­ f a c t s , f il m , p h o t o g r a p h s , a n d m u c h m o r e . T h e u n i v e r s i t y ’s a r c h i v a l c o l l e c t i o n , w h i c h i n c l u d e s a r t i f a c t s o f g r e a t h i s t o r i c a l i m p o r t a n c e t o t h e u n i v e r s i t y a s w e l l a s o f f ic ia l p u b l i c a t i o n s , r e c o r d s , a n d m a n u s c r i p t s , i s o n e o f t h e m o s t p o p u l a r c o l l e c t i o n s a t C u s h i n g . M u c h o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n h i g h l i g h t s t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e i n s t i t u ­ t i o n a n d t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f o u t s t a n d i n g a l u m n i . C l i p p i n g a n d v e r t i c a l f i l e s a t t r a c t s t u d e n t s r e ­ s e a r c h i n g p r o j e c t s r a n g i n g f r o m m a t h e m a t i c a l s t u d i e s o f c a m p u s m o n u m e n t s t o d e s i g n s f o r s t u d e n t g r o u p t - s h i r t s t o t h e s e s a n d d i s s e r t a ­ t i o n s o n t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e s c h o o l . C u s h i n g ’s l a r g e r e s e a r c h c o l l e c t i o n s in m il i ­ t a r y h i s t o r y , T e x a s l o c a l h i s to r y , a n d r a n g e a n d l i v e s t o c k s t u d i e s a r e w e l l - k n o w n . L ite r a r y c o l ­ l e c t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g s c i e n c e f i c t i o n a n d c o l l e c ­ t i o n s o f p u b l i s h e d a n d u n p u b l i s h e d w o r k s b y a u t h o r s s u c h a s R u d y a r d K i p l i n g , S o m e r s e t M a u g h a m a n d P . G . W o d e h o u s e , a l s o b r i n g r e s e a r c h e r s t o t h e l i b r a r y . I l l u s t r a t i o n , i n b o t h p r i n t a n d b o o k f o r m , is w e l l - r e p r e s e n t e d . S e v ­ e r a l n o t a b l e g i f t s in r e c e n t y e a r s h a v e j o i n e d t h e u n i v e r s i t y ’s s i g n i f i c a n t r a r e b o o k s c o l l e c ­ t i o n , i n c l u d i n g c o p i e s o f t h e K e l m s c o t t C h a u c e r , t h e 1 6 3 2 S e c o n d F o l i o e d i t i o n o f S h a k e s p e a r e ’s w o r k s , a n d a s i z a b l e c o l l e c t i o n o f A f r i c a n a . F i n a l l y , C u s h i n g o w n s t h e l a r g e s t a r t c o l l e c t i o n o n c a m p u s , m u c h o f it o n d i s ­ p l a y t o t h e p u b l i c i n t h e n e w g a l l e r i e s . S e rv ic e s in th e n e w b u ild in g T h e g r e a t e s t i m p r o v e m e n t i n s e r v i c e s i n t h e n e w b u i l d i n g is t h a t p r o v i d e d b y t h e “e l b o w r o o m . ” I n t h e t e m p o r a r y q u a r t e r s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y ’s m a i n lib r a r y , r e s e a r c h e r s u s i n g m a - 3 6 8 / C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 1 9 9 9 t e r i a l s o f t e n s h a r e d t a b l e s w i t h s t u d e n t a s s i s ­ t a n t s p r o c e s s i n g c o l l e c t i o n s , w h i l e a b i b l i o g r a ­ p h y c l a s s p a r t i c i p a t e d i n a p r a c t i c u m o n h a n d p r i n t i n g i n t h e c o r n e r . T h e r e n o v a t i o n a l l o w s a l l u s e r s o f t h e l i b r a r y t h e c h a n c e t o v i e w , a p ­ p r e c i a t e , a n d s t u d y t h e c o l l e c t i o n s i n a s p a c i o u s , w e l l - l i t , a n d a t t r a c t i v e l y f u r n i s h e d a r e a . T h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t s e r v i c e o f f e r e d i n t h e n e w l y r e n o v a t e d b u i l d i n g w i l l c o n t i n u e t o b e s u p p o r t f o r r e s e a r c h u s i n g t h e l i b r a r y ’s c o l l e c ­ t i o n s . N e w , c o m p a c t m o b i l e s h e l v i n g t h r o u g h ­ o u t t h e b u i l d i n g o f f e r s e a s y r e t r i e v a l , w h i l e a n e l e c t r o n i c f i l i n g s y s t e m k e e p s t h e p o p u l a r v e r ­ t i c a l a n d p h o t o g r a p h f i l e s q u i c k l y a c c e s s i b l e w h i l e r e q u i r i n g m u c h l e s s s p a c e . I n a d d i t i o n , u s e r s w i ll b e n e f i t f r o m c o n n e c t i o n s in t h e r e a d ­ i n g r o o m , w h i c h w i l l a l l o w t h e m t o s e a r c h t h e A & M L i b r a r i e s ’s g r o w i n g l i s t o f e l e c t r o n i c d a t a b a s e s a n d t h e I n t e r n e t . R e c e n t s t a f f i n g a d ­ d it i o n s h a v e m a d e p r o f e s s i o n a l s t a f f m o r e a v a i l - A s t u d e n t w o r k s in o n e o f t h e lib ra ry 's n e w r e a d in g ro o m s. a b l e t o a n s w e r r e f e r e n c e q u e s t i o n s b o t h i n t h e r e a d i n g r o o m a n d b y p h o n e , e - m a i l , o r l e t t e r . S e c u r i t y is m u c h i m p r o v e d i n t h e n e w s p a c e , a s w e l l . L o c k e r s o n t h e f ir s t f l o o r h o u s e p e r s o n a l b e l o n g i n g s f o r r e s e a r c h e r s , w h i l e a c ­ c e s s t o t h e s t a c k s i s t i g h t l y c o n t r o l l e d . T h e f r o n t d e s k i s a t t e n d e d a t a l l t i m e s t o a n s w e r q u e s t i o n s a n d g i v e d i r e c t i o n s . M a n y p e o p l e v i s i t t h e l i b r a r y “ju s t t o l o o k a r o u n d ,” a n d f o r t h e s e p e o p l e s e l f - g u i d e d t o u r s a r e p r o v i d e d . P l a q u e s d e s c r i b e f e a t u r e s s u c h a s t h e o r i g i n a l o r n a t e i r o n g a t e w a y i n t o t h e r e a d ­ i n g r o o m , w h i c h c o n t a i n s b r a n d s f r o m n o t a b l e T e x a s r a n c h e s . A t t e n d a n t s a t t h e f r o n t d e s k a n d t h e s e c o n d f l o o r r e a d i n g r o o m c a n a l s o a n s w e r q u e s t i o n s t h a t m a y a r i s e a b o u t t h e b u i l d i n g o r t h e c o l l e c t i o n s . T h e e x h i b i t s p a c e c r e a t e d i n t h e n e w b u i l d ­ i n g w i ll a l l o w a m u c h m o r e v i g o r o u s e x h i b i t p r o ­ g r a m , a n d r o t a t i n g e x h i b i t s w i ll b e c o m e o n e o f t h e m a jo r w a y s t h e u n i v e r s i t y a n d l o c a l c o m m u ­ n i t i e s e x p e r i e n c e C u s h i n g . D u r i n g t h e r e d e d i ­ c a t i o n , a n e x h i b i t f o c u s i n g o n t r e a s u r e s o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n s d r e w e n t h u s i a s t i c p r a i s e f r o m t h e a t ­ t e n d e e s , w h i l e t h e d i s p l a y o f a r t w o r k i n o t h e r s p a c e s h i g h li g h t e d th is l o n g - n e g l e c t e d r e s o u r c e . A n o t h e r f o r m o f o u t r e a c h m a d e p o s s i b l e b y t h e n e w b u i l d i n g i s t e a c h i n g . T h e l i b r a r y o w n s a w o r k i n g r e p r o d u c t i o n o f a w o o d e n h a n d p r e s s , b a s e d o n a 1 6 t h - c e n t u r y d e s i g n . T h i s p r e s s is n o w h o u s e d w i t h v a r i o u s s e t s o f t y p e a n d o t h e r p r i n t i n g e q u i p m e n t o n t h e l i b r a r y ’s t h i r d f l o o r . C l a s s e s w i l l b e a b l e t o w o r k w i t h t h e p r e s s t o s t u d y t h e h i s t o r y a n d t e c h n i q u e o f p r i n t i n g in a m u c h m o r e c o m f o r t a b l e s p a c e . O t h e r c o l l e c t i o n s a n d m a t e r i a l s t h a t s u p p o r t t e a c h i n g w i ll b e m u c h m o r e a c c e s s i b l e a n d e a s y t o d i s p l a y i n t h e n e w b u i l d i n g , w h i l e t h e s e m i n a r r o o m o n t h e f i r s t f l o o r w i l l m a k e it p o s s i b l e t o h o l d c l a s s e s u s i n g C u s h in g m a ­ t e r i a l s w i t h o u t d i s t u r b i n g r e ­ s e a r c h e r s i n t h e r e a d i n g r o o m . S i n c e t h e b u i l d i n g r e o p e n e d , m a n y c u r i o u s v i s i t o r s h a v e c l i m b e d i t s s t o n e s t e p s a n d o p e n e d its d o o r s . P u b l i c i t y , r a n g ­ i n g f r o m n o t i c e s i n l o c a l n e w s ­ p a p e r s t o m e n t i o n i n t h e m a i n l i b r a r y ’s b i b l i o g r a p h i c i n s t r u c ­ t i o n c o u r s e s , h a s y i e l d e d a n i n ­ c r e a s e d v i s i b i l i t y f o r t h e b u i l d i n g a n d f o r i t s c o l l e c t i o n s . T h e c o n ­ s t r u c t i o n i t s e l f p i q u e d t h e c u r i o s i t y o f m a n y v is i­ to r s w a n t in g t o s e e w h a t h a d b e e n h a p p e n i n g b e ­ h i n d t h e s a f e t y b a r r i c a d e s . C o m p a r e d w i t h t h e C u s h i n g ’s f o r m e r l o c a t i o n i n a lo w - v is ib ilit y a r e a o f t h e s e c o n d f l o o r o f t h e E v a n s L ib r a r y , th is p r o m i n e n t p u b l i c p r o f i l e c a n o n l y i n c r e a s e i n ­ t e r e s t i n a n d u s e o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n s . T h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e r e n o v a t i o n t o t h e s t a f f a n d t h e c o l l e c t i o n s a r e o b v i o u s , a n d i n c l u d e m o r e s u i t a b l e s t o r a g e a n d w o r k s p a c e a n d g r e a t e r s e c u r i t y . E q u a l l y i m p o r t a n t a r e t h e b e n ­ e f i t s t h a t t h e n e w l y r e n o v a t e d b u i l d i n g o f f e r t o t h e u n i v e r s i t y a s a w h o l e . B y s a v i n g o n e o f t h e o l d e s t b u i l d i n g s o n c a m p u s , t h e u n i v e r s i t y h a s p r e s e r v e d a p i e c e o f i t s h i s t o r y , m u c h a s t h e c o l l e c t i o n s o f t h e C u s h i n g M e m o r i a l L i­ b r a r y w i l l b e p r e s e r v e d f o r g e n e r a t i o n s o f f u ­ t u r e r e s e a r c h e r s . ■ C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 1 9 9 9 / 3 6 9 3 7 0 / C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 1 9 9 9