The new Berry Library, the futuristic companion to Baker Library, which is scheduled to begin construction in 1996 or 1997, is being billed as the library of the 21st century by members of the task force responsible for its development.
Berry is scheduled to be built on Elm Street, which the College has purchased from the city of Hanover, said Nancy Marion, economics professor and task force member.
The $30 million gift for the new library has been invested and may reach $40 to $50 million by the time the library is actually built, Marion said.
Berry Library is in its earliest planning stages, according to Bill Scott, classics professor and chair of the task force.
"There isn't any need for us to get specific yet," he said.
The task force has been gathering information by visiting libraries on campus and listening to presentations on new technology and preliminary architectural options, Marion said.
Marion said one of the main issues the task force is discussing is the new library's focus on electronics as opposed to storage of volumes in hard copy.
"We're going to think about a library with a huge book collection," English professor and member of the task force Alan Gaylord said.
But he said the more science-oriented task force members are focusing on creating a kind of "virtual library."
The virtual library would consist mainly of a huge computer network which would improve access to materials, Gaylord said.
One of the main features of the library of the future will be flexibility, Margaret Otto, librarian of the College and task force member said.
"The technology is moving at a rapid rate. What we're trying very hard to do is to look to the future," she said.
The task force is looking at more progressive library systems such as the one at Emory University in Georgia for ideas on how to employ electronics.
The task force also asked for students' input in a survey during Fall term, said Della Bennett '96, who conducted the survey.
Bennett said one of the most common suggestions from students was to avoid "an architectural blunder like Gerry and Bradley."
