Vague plans as Orradre nears closing

By Nicole Laprade

University officials said recently that despite upcoming demolition of Orradre Library, they have no concrete plans where to place current services on campus during construction.

According to Ron Danielson, the university's chief information officer, temporary library service sites will depend on the space available on campus when the time comes.

Four possibilities for the interim site include: Kenna Hall, if the new business school building is complete; Nobili Hall, if the new Jesuit residence is complete; or the Benson Memorial Center. The last choice is to distribute books in different locations around campus â€" like residence hall basements.

Some students are upset that the temporary library location is still unknown. Associated Student Senator Ariana Khan feels that the decision should have been made before construction began.

"The library is my favorite place to study," Khan said. "And during my junior and senior years, I won't have a library to go to."

"During the interim period, (all books and library resources) will be in the Automated Retrieval System," Librarian Liz Salzer said. "That's one of the ways that we'll be able to keep all of our collections on campus."

The ARS is an advanced robotic service that retrieves books from storage for students. The system is currently being used at several other universities like Sonoma State.

Salzer said that the administration does not want to have a storage facility off campus that would require students to find transportation back and forth.

The ARS is scheduled to be completed in the winter of 2005. The demolition of the current Orradre Library and the construction of the new library rely on funds raised.

The total estimated cost of the new library is $75 million, $25 million of which has already been raised for the ARS. Once the remainder of the funds has been raised, construction will begin on the library itself.

"In the best of all possible worlds, we would have (the remaining) $50 million by the time the ARS is completed, then we would be able to begin construction in the summer of 2005," Danielson said.

The new library would be scheduled to open in the fall of 2007.

When the planning for the new library began five years ago, committees of students and faculty wanted to make sure that the new building was a welcoming space with lots of natural light and a space that is ready for new technologies.

Orradre Library, which opened in 1964, has been difficult to adapt over time. It was originally opened as a two-story building, and the basement was opened in 1980.

The more modern, expanded library will have four levels and nearly twice the square footage of Orradre. It will have capacity for over 1.1 million volumes. It will also have 34 group study rooms.

Santa Clara students may also find it helpful during the waiting period that the university is a member of LINK+, a service that allows students, faculty and staff from the 30-plus member libraries to borrow books from various college and public libraries throughout the state. To learn more, visit www.scu.edu/newlibrary.

û Contact Nicole Laprade at (408) 554-4546 or nlaprade@scu.edu.