In an effort to provide more quality space for users, the library has been moving materials and rearranging space to improve access to the collections, as well as improving patron space.  This ongoing project is being planned and executed so that there will be as minimal an impact on our patrons as possible.  This process will be accomplished over several phases.

Phase one (Summer 2005): 

• Library staff relocated over 50,000 volumes of library materials to remote storage in Loyola Hall. Any library item listed in OSCAR that has as its location: Loyola Hall Remote Storage may be requested either at the circulation desk or the reference desk by filling out a Loyola Hall request form. Materials in Loyola Hall will be retrieved once daily.
• Installed access gate in law library, in preparation for the lack of undergrad library facilities.

Phase two (Summer 2006):

Relocating the reference collection, the reference service desk and the reference staff offices. This was necessary for several reasons. First to deal with the issue of noise emanating from the reference desk and to create additional office space for our expanded reference staff. Planning for this part of the project took most of the last academic year.

• The bulk of the reference collection has been temporarily relocated to our Compact Shelving Area
• Some reference materials have been added to the collections in the stacks
• Computer stations from the old DiNapoli Lab have been absorbed into both the Toso and Ruffo Labs
• Di Napoli is being repurposed as a conference room
• Three new conference/group study rooms have been converted from the former Reference department area
• Some additional furniture changes are still contemplated in this area
• All study carrels from the former reference area have been relocated, re-networked and given electrical power

Phase three (Fall 2006):

• Relocate duplicate copies of California Reports, California Appellate Reports and West’s California Reporter first to compact shelving and then to Loyola Hall
• Shift the entire California Collection
• Remove some shelving in the California Collection to make room for some informal study seating along the windows
• Shift the entire first floor stack collection
• Remove more shelving to provide study space along the window walls
• Add power and network connections to the reconfigured study areas
• Recarpet the first floor of the library
• Install shelving from the former reference stacks in the main reading room
• Relocate the Reference collection, currently housed in Compact Shelving, to the main reading room, near the Shepards collection. The materials that had been on the index tables have already been moved to the Shepards’ area.

Phase four (and beyond):

• Shifting the entire second floor collection
• Remove more shelving to provide study space along the window walls
• Add power and network connections to the reconfigured study areas
• Recarpet the second floor of the library

So please pardon our dust as the staff rearranges, relocates and repurposes the collections and spaces within the library.  Areas will be set up for casual seating, eventually roomier carrels will replace the current ones, and chairs will be replaced over time. 

We will keep you updated on this blog as changes occur.