College and Research Libraries B y G . F L I N T P U R D Y W a y n e University Library Buildings Dr. Purdy is director of libraries, Wayne University. WA Y N E U N I V E R S I T Y w a s established in 1 9 3 3 by action of the B o a r d of E d u - cation of the C i t y of D e t r o i t consolidating the administration of six separate colleges and professional schools. E n r o l m e n t dur- ing the f a l l semester of 1 9 3 3 w a s 6 2 0 9 , of w h o m approximately 2 6 0 0 w e r e f u l l - t i m e students. B y the f a l l semester of 1 9 4 9 , the university had, in its ten colleges and schools, 2 0 , 2 5 7 students of w h o m 8 9 3 7 w e r e f u l l - t i m e . I n 1 9 3 3 , the entire university, except the Colleges of M e d i c i n e and P h a r m a c y w a s housed in a building which w a s erected in 1 8 9 7 t o house the C i t y ' s C e n t r a l H i g h School. E x c e p t f o r the M e d i c a l L i b r a r y , the L a w L i b r a r y and a small N u r s i n g - Social W o r k collection, the university's library facilities remain in that building today, in f o r m e r classrooms, laboratories, offices, auditorium and cafeteria. D u r i n g 1 9 4 9 , the taxpayers of the school district approved a mill special annual levy f o r five years, primarily to enable the B o a r d of Education to expand its school plant, which lagged seriously behind needs. One-half mill w a s assigned to the university and 3 million dollars allocated to construct and furnish a university library building. S h o r t l y thereafter, the K r e s g e Foundation granted one million dollars to the university to erect and equip a science library building. I n J u l y of 1 9 4 9 , a library building pro- g r a m w a s presented to the architects ( P i - lafian and M o n t a n a of D e t r o i t ) . T h e pro- g r a m w a s subsequently revised to provide a separate K r e s g e Science L i b r a r y building The Kresge Science Library Building (left) and the General Library APRIL, 1953 i 143 Detroit Times and f u r t h e r revised to bring costs w i t h i n the b u d g e t . C o n s t r u c t i o n of the K r e s g e b u i l d i n g w a s begun in J u n e , 1 9 5 0 , the G e n - e r a l L i b r a r y about a y e a r later. Schedules have been in the r e a l m of m y t h o l o g y , but the K r e s g e b u i l d i n g is n o w scheduled f o r completion on F e b r u a r y 1 5 , 1 9 5 3 . W e d e v o u t l y hope to be in f u l l operation in both buildings by the opening of the f a l l semester of 1 9 5 3 . O u r b u i l d i n g p r o g r a m e v o l v e d o v e r a dozen y e a r s and t h r o u g h as m a n y distinct stages. T h e LTniversity L i b r a r y C o m m i t - tee played a m a j o r role in the p l a n n i n g process. W e g r a d u a l l y agreed on the f o l - l o w i n g basic conclusions and a s s u m p t i o n s : 1 . T h a t our full-time enrolment would reach 12,000 within a decade, and that a build- ing which would meet the needs of full-time students would also be adequate f o r part-time students, the two groups being on the campus largely at different times. 144 2. T h a t centralized library service to the colleges and schools located on the main cam- pus is dictated f o r the foreseeable f u t u r e by economic considerations. 3. T h a t changing patterns of higher edu- cation, here and elsewhere, dictate a high de- gree of flexibility of plant. 4. T h a t maximum accessibility of library materials is a primary necessity, conservation important but secondary. 5. T h a t our projected 12,000 full-time stu- dents w i l l be served more efficiently by f o u r subject-divisional service units (plus the L a w L i b r a r y ) , under one roof, than by a smaller or larger number of units. 6. T h a t maximum accessibility will be furthered by a separate open shelf collection in each subject division f o r undergraduates. T h e p r o g r a m presented to the architects prescribed a broad subject o r g a n i z a t i o n of m a t e r i a l s and services, " d e s i g n e d to f a c i l i - tate the subject approach to print, w i t h user-level recognized as a subordinate or- COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES L g a n i z a t i o n a l f a c t o r w i t h i n the . . . d i v i s i o n s " (humanities, science and engineering, the social studies, and e d u c a t i o n ) . T h e L a w L i b r a r y constitutes a f i f t h service unit, the first floor general circulation and i n f o r m a - tion desks a sixth. I n the G e n e r a l L i b r a r y building, the first floor w i l l be occupied by the public catalog, the collection of trade and national bibli- ographies, an i n f o r m a t i o n desk w i t h a s m a l l collection of r e a d y - r e f e r e n c e tools, the gen- eral circulation desk w i t h its accompanying office and w o r k r o o m , the acquisitions and processing area, the a d m i n i s t r a t i v e offices, the staff lounge, the L a w L i b r a r y , and the W a y n e R o o m . T h e second floor w i l l house the H u m a n i - ties D i v i s i o n , the third floor the Social Studies D i v i s i o n , and the f o u r t h floor the E d u c a t i o n D i v i s i o n . T h e H u m a n i t i e s and Social S t u d i e s floors each h a v e : I. A central core area with a circulation desk, a reference desk and collection, the divi- sional catalog, a limited collection of current periodicals on display-type shelves, a small closed-reserve collection, staff office-workroom space, the book conveyor and pneumatic tubes, elevators, stairways, restrooms, a typing room and a micro-reading room. 2. A n undergraduate reading area (about 10,000 sq. f t . ) with approximately 250 chairs, and alcove-stacks f o r 25,000 volumes. 3. A stack-research area (approximately 12,000 sq. f t . ) with 55 carrels, six graduate study alcoves with 78 chairs, three seminar rooms, stacks with an immediate capacity of 125,000 volumes, and 1 3 5 lockers ( 1 5 " x 1 5 " x 1 8 " and 1 8 " x 1 5 " x 1 8 " ) . O n the E d u c a t i o n floor, w e departed f r o m the plan of subdivision by level of user. I n s t e a d , the east end of the floor w i l l house the " E d u c a t i o n L a b o r a t o r y " col- lection of j u v e n i l e materials, textbooks and c u r r i c u l u m materials, plus t w o classrooms, t w o seminar rooms, f o u r audio-visual rooms and f o u r f a c u l t y consultation offices. T h e • I • -P i ' a ^ i i j ; .."Jf.'c. 0 K " CiOt tCICNCt LI60MV S H K f r J i S S ^ O • , S T A C K A B E A J - > J , » i j APRIL, 1953 12 7 core includes a closed stack and the w e s t end of the division w i l l house the alcove collection of open shelf m a t e r i a l s , and f a c i l i - ties f o r their use. T h e basement of the G e n e r a l L i b r a r y in- cludes about 1 1 , 0 0 0 sq. f t . of stack space, the receiving room, a bindery preparation and book repair room, the photographic l a b o r a t o r y , the v a u l t , storage space and mechanical equipment. I n the K r e s g e b u i l d i n g , w h i c h w i l l house the Science D i v i s i o n ( t h e K r e s g e - H o o k e r Scientific L i b r a r y ) , the first floor includes the core facilities, the u n d e r - g r a d u a t e open shelf collection w i t h r e a d i n g room space f o r its use, a s m a l l a u d i t o r i u m ( 1 3 4 seats) and the " o f f - c a m p u s s e r v i c e " 1 offices. T h e 1 Our "off-campus services" are offered to industry and to the world of scientific scholarship on a self- supporting basis under the sponsorship of the Friends of the Kresge Hooker Scientific Library. Translations are the major service, but photographic duplication, off- campus lending, and bibliographic services are also offered. second and third floors w i l l be occupied by stacks, c a r r e l s , seminar rooms, lockers, l o u n g e chairs, and side chairs at tables. M u c h of the f u r n i t u r e has been specially designed and m a n u f a c t u r e d . N e a r l y a l l chairs are c o l o r f u l l y upholstered in plastic i m p r e g n a t e d f a b r i c s — a decision w h i c h w e m a y r e g r e t t w e n t y y e a r s hence ( o r l e s s ) . T h e stack installation is by G l o b e - W e r n i c k e . R e m i n g t o n R a n d has the con- t r a c t f o r c a t a l o g cases, loan desks, etc. T h e t w o buildings combined h a v e 2 0 2 , 3 8 4 square f e e t of floor space ( 2 , 6 7 3 , 0 0 0 cubic f e e t ) . T h e contract cost of the G e n e r a l L i b r a r y , exclusive of equip- m e n t , w a s $ 1 . 3 0 per cubic f o o t — $ 1 6 . 6 0 per square f o o t . T h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g costs f o r the K r e s g e b u i l d i n g w e r e $ 1 . 3 7 and $ 2 0 . 2 6 . I n i t i a l capacity of the t w o buildings com- bined is a p p r o x i m a t e l y 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 books and 2 2 0 0 readers. 146 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES