Evolutions in Space
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In a pre e-book age, accessing course reserves generally meant using materials in the library, in a room designated for that use. The original Reserve Reading Room was located in the space now occupied by the Hawkins Carlson Room. The trestle tables (original to the 1930 building) are still used in the stacks.
Lining up to sign out books on reserve.
Dedicated in 2005, the Hawkins-Carlson Room is used for visiting speakers, special gatherings and important meetings. It is named for Chester Carlson, the inventor of Xerography and his mother Ellen Hawkins Carlson.
Space on the ground floor was created for reserve reading and a ready reference collection. Between 1970 and 2018, the space evolved from a Reserve Reading Room to the Computing Library and Resources Center (CLARC) to the Information Technology Services (ITS) Center. This desk area is (roughly) located where the seating area outside of the iZone glass doors is now.
In 2018, the Barbara J. Burger iZone opened in the renovated space, with a new mission.
The 1970 addition was really a construction and renovation. Spaces throughout the original building were renovated to accomodate new aspects of research. Services including circulation, reference, and interlibrary loan moved from the Great Hall to the first floor.
Seen here in 1930, what is now the Great Hall once housed the circulation desk, card catalog and exhibition cases.
As the collections grew, the space added more card catalogs, an enlarged circulation desk, interlibrary loan, and a machine to make copies. The main entrance to the stacks was through the Great Hall.
In 1970, the circulation desk moved down to the first floor.
The main public entrance to the stacks also moved down one floor.
In 2016, the space was renovated to become Evans Lam Square.
The area currently designated as the Gleason Library was once occupied by library staff undertaking all aspects of work related to the physical collections: acquisitions, processing, and cataloging.
In 2007, as space needs for processing physical collections were reduced due to the increasing dominance of electronic resources, the Gleason Library was opened.
