Exiled in the River dorms during the fall of 1999, I barely noticed or cared much about the massive structure being built on Baker's northern side. Returning for the summer term, I was surprised by the new building. I saw it as a symbol of Dartmouth's future and welcomed the improvement to Dartmouth's facilities that I assumed it would provide -- but by the first week of the Fall term 2000, all I wanted for Christmas was the Kiewit print-output window back.
On the third floor of Berry there are purple cardboard signs that apologize to patrons for the construction "- offering earplugs and facemasks at the information desk for those who want them. Using Berry daily, I have been bothered neither by mechanical noise nor dust particles in the air. It is the stupidity of the library's design that bothers me. Some of the choices made by the planners seem to indicate a rejection of the project's overall objectives and a lack of common sense. Who in their right mind builds a building with three elevators yet makes it impossible for patrons to travel in any of them from the bottom floor to the top floor?
The purpose of the new building was to ready Dartmouth for the 21st century. Priorities for the project included the addition of greater study space, the integration of Dartmouth's computing and library services into one building, and the development of a dining facility for patrons and staff. Although the facility is an improvement over the antiquated Baker library, the new building has ridiculous flaws that should be addressed.
One of the goals that the College had for the new facility was to build additional 24 hour study space. What did they do to accommodate this need? Well, in typical Dartmouth fashion they closed the existing 24-hour study space and opened an inefficient new area that still doesn't come near to accommodating the needs of the campus "- ever try to find a seat at Novack between midnight and 2 a.m.? The decision to close the reserves, instead of keeping them open as a Novack alternative, deviates from one of the project's major missions, demonstrates a lack of common sense, and is an example of where temporary facilities need to be improved.
Novack's efficiency is plagued by the contradictory roles that it was designed to play "- a good break area, by definition, cannot be a good work area. Long lines at Novack are a testament to its popularity and how crucial an asset it has become for the library. It provides for a social gathering place within the library walls where students can take study breaks and staff can get their morning coffee, but the caf is not a good environment for studying because of rampant overcrowding and the social (rather than studious) atmosphere that have emerged.
Seeing their mistake, the powers that be have reopened the reserves on 24 hour basis, yet the reserves are only accessible through Baker's eastern door. The old west-side entrance (under Carpenter) is blocked by construction, and the traditional Baker doors are locked. The benefits of access from that side of the building would outweigh the costs of erecting a temporary gate to keep people off Baker's western stairs while Baker is closed.
There are plans for the reading room to be overhauled during the latter stages of the project, but some of the reading room's needs could be addressed on a temporary basis to relieve stress on Novack. Wired tables (like the ones on Berry's main floor) could temporarily meet needs for the room until it comes time for the entire corridor to be revamped. Then it could be removed, stored and replaced to accommodate the overhaul. The best addition to the entire Baker/Berry/Gerry project would be if the planned reading room printout window were built over spring break or a temporary one created. It would relieve stress on the poorly planned Berry print window.
During the days of Kiewit, the task of picking up a paper on my way to class did not resemble a tour of Carlsbad Caverns and a game of 52 pickup. To get their printouts on their way to class this year, students have to walk up a flight of stairs, tunnel through the stacks, walk down a flight of stairs, enter a stairwell (which for some reason is not accessible from the floor they were just on), descend another flight of stairs, and finally search through hundreds of printouts to find their own. In order to curb lost printouts, accidental duplicates and give users waiting at the window an estimate as to when they should go get their paper, I suggest that a BlitzMail machine be installed in the dungeon and that all computers on campus be given a permanent unique printout ID. Of course, this dungeon would have been a much better location for the Novack caf, and Novack caf's current spot would have been a great place for the print window.
The most puzzling and irreversible design flaw is that Berry library, made up of six levels, has three elevators and three stairwells, yet no direct route from levels 2-4 to either of the lower levels. Why does navigating Berry have to be so difficult? I assume that the security of books was the main reason why travelling between the lower levels and upper floors is inexcusably inefficient; patrons are forced to use the main stairs so that they can pass through security devices. That third elevator was cheaper than additional security devices? Yeah right, I wonder which elevator subcontractor got that kickback.
I must applaud the project designers for overall success. There are plenty of BlitzMail machines, Ethernet connections, and telephones in the library. The lighting, staff areas, and general study spaces are improved compared to those of Baker. Still, the problems and possible solutions I have mentioned need to be addressed in a space such as this because the Baker/Berry/Gerry project has not met the great potential that the project had when it was first envisioned.
The goal of building a library for the 21st century was not an easy task. The designers did well on the 21st century part (the library and computer services will be integrated completely when the project is complete, for example), but lost sight of age-old issues such as transportation, temporary facilities and the constants of college life. The development of more 24 hour study space and Novack Caf's partial failure occurred because the planners seemed to have overlooked the fact that food makes for social gatherings and that college kids don't stop studying at midnight.
Mistakes in Berry's design must be addressed as Dartmouth embarks on the Student Life Initiative. It calls for the building of many more facilities where age old issues such as transportation, temporary facilities and the constants of college life will need to be better addressed. By the way, why does the fourth floor of Berry lack a BlitzMail machine, restroom, and drinking fountain but has a telephone?
