Highlights Archives
Library Renovation Gets Underway
Power tools and hard hats outnumbered notebooks and backpacks last week as the long-awaited renovation of the Society library's main reading room began in earnest. Outside the building, workers erected a second-story catwalk to transport rubble over the balcony and out to State Street (rather than risk damaging marble stairwells and mosaic floors). Inside the library they built a series of walls, like the one pictured above, to isolate most of the formerly public spaces from the construction work.
 Front entrance to the Society's headquarters with catwalk in place All library services and collections are available, however, and will continue to operate throughout the seven-month project. Visiting researchers have been good humored so far about the chaos. Most cheerfully commiserate with the staff about the noise, cramped quarters and circuitous routes (the closest restrooms, for example, are in the first-floor lobby).
Before You Visit
The most substantial inconvenience involves seating space. With most of the reading room closed, the number of chairs has shrunk from 75 to about a dozen. Additional seating has been added to every publicly accessible stack level to help compensate. On most days, the demand for electrical outlets also outstrips the supply.
Because of the reduced space, the library cannot accommodate large groups until 2010. So before contemplating a trip to Madison with your local genealogical group or high school AP history class, please call 608-264-6535 to check on the status of the ongoing construction work. Scarcity of tables, computers and research help may combine to make it best to postpone the visit.
What the Future Holds
Behind a temporary wall, most of the library's lobby is currently being dismantled. In September, when it has been reconstructed, all services will move into the new lobby space and the main reading room will be sealed off. Renovation of that majestic space will require the entire fall and much of the winter. The newly refurbished reading room is scheduled to open to the public about February 1, 2010.
Some visitors have always found the Society library hard to navigate. During the next few months, that opinion will be widely shared as walls go up and down, service desks move around, and temporary signs proliferate. So when you visit, don't be shy about asking the staff for help with even the most basic questions. They may be wondering about the best route to the bathroom this week, too.
For background on the project, see this 2008 article. For more information or the latest news on the project, contact Rick Pifer or Keith Rabiola, or call 608-264-6535.
:: Posted July 6, 2009
|
