The Saint Louis University library system is going to receive an overhaul this summer, according to Pius XII Memorial Librarian Dave Cassens. The overhaul comes after several months of preparation by the University.
In April 2007, Pius Librarian Gail Staines addressed the Student Government Association about her concerns with space issues at Pius. She told SGA that the librarians would be forced to “put books on the floor” in just 10 months.
Cassens says the library will be relieved of spatial issues after the University builds a housing space this summer. SLU is currently considering building a library archive behind the Salus Center on campus. It would be operational by the 2008-2009 academic year.
Built in 1958, Pius XII Library was designed to hold up to one million serials, volumes and items. Cassens said the library is “past capacity” and currently holds almost 1.5 million items.
“We are full, and when I mean full, I mean we just have too many books,” Cassens said. “Our plans are to move 300,000 items out of Pius and an additional 100,000 items from both the Health Science Center Library and Omer Poos Law Library.”
Moving the volumes out of Pius will open additional space in the library. Cassens says the University plans to add additional study space for group studies and quiet study, as well as new furniture.
Plans are already in the works for a new archive building. Dan Goodman, director of Facilities Management, said his team has been “authorized to plan for the building, but is not authorized to build.”
The volumes expected to make the move to the new building include government documents and older serials. Cassens said “single topic” books would stay in the library.
“The extra shelf space will also allow us to add the volumes that SLU faculty and students request,” Cassens said. “Right now, we just can’t hold it all.”
The library plans to retrieve books upon request twice a day. Cassens said individual articles will also be copied from the archive building and e-mailed by request. He doesn’t expect SLU to pursue a technological database of online volumes because of the dependability.
“We can’t depend on data. You know, will it be there in 10, 25, 50 years? We just don’t know,” Cassens said. “Plus, not all volumes are issued electronically. But we are making a shift to requiring more electronic versions of print volumes.”
Cassens also said that he hopes that moving books from Pius will lead to a full renovation of the library. Cassens suggested that fundraising by the University would be required to pay for the project.
SLU administrative officials were not available for comment.
