1. Status of the Main Library renovation. Wes Boomgaarden, Preservation Officer and Manager of the Main Library Renovation Project, provided Council with an update and report on the progress of the Architectural Feasibility Study now underway for the William Oxley Thompson (Main) Library.

April. A series of Town Meetings were held in the Main Library on April 5 and 6, as reported at the May Library Council meeting. These open meetings were opportunities for the entire library staff; for the faculty and staff at Ohio State; and for the student body to make suggestions and inquiries about what the Main Library should become. In addition, two focus groups were convened to hear in more depth from some primary users (faculty and students) of the Main Library. The open meeting and focus group process identified the major concerns with the building and its renovation, including:

• What should be the size of a renovated facility? What options do we have for building up, down and sideways?
• How can it be re-designed to be as flexible as possible for changing technologies?
• What will the capacity for books and other media be? How many people will it seat?
• How can it be made efficient and comfortable, functional yet beautiful, friendly and secure, for those learning and working within?

May. With the input from these meetings, augmented by data being gathered on library usage, and including what is being suggested via the Libraries' Web page link, the architects have begun to outline the programmatic needs in a renovated facility. This involves assessing a wide variety of factors, including

• the number of user seats desired for the building
• the size of the collection to be housed in the building
• the number of librarians, staff, and student assistants who work in the building
• other program requirements such as conference rooms, study rooms, training facilities, exhibitions, and many other components.

Also in May, the architects met with the University's Design Review Board, an important University oversight committee, to present an interim report on progress, assumptions, and planning and, in turn, to hear from the Design Review Board.

June 5 & 6. The architects will return to campus to review of these draft programming plans, and will begin writing the program drafts.

In June the University Administration made public the priorities for the fy2003-2005 Capital Budget, which indicates that the Main Library is number 1 on that list of large-scale renovation projects.

July /August. The project architects will undertake historic preservation research on the Main Library, using documents and images from University Archives to gain insight about aspects of the planning done in the past that might inform the future. It will also include close examination of the physical structure itself. Another group of contractors will begin the cost estimates for the various components of the renovation work. This will include the process of estimating the considerable costs of replacing and upgrading the building's infrastructure such as, heating / ventilation / air conditioning (HVAC) systems; electrical and wiring; elevators; window repairs and/or replacements; fire and life safety; Americans with Disability Act (ADA)- required changes; and others.

September. The architects will meet with the Architectural Review Board and others to discuss the early draft plans for the renovation.

October. The draft plan for the renovation of Main Library will be released for public comment. Open meetings will be held to discuss the option(s) put forward from the feasibility study. Changes will be made the report based upon the comments received.

November. The final plans will be delivered to University Administration.

January 2002 and beyond. Once the architectural feasibility study is completed, and with the written recommended plans in hand, the renovation project will enter a quieter phase for a few months, a time when the merits of each option is carefully studied on campus. Shortly thereafter, we hope, the capital budget will enable us to hire architects to begin the renovation process, first by creating detailed drawings and plans in fy2003. And, later, with full funding for the renovation itself beginning in fy2005.

2. Library Budget Outlook for 2002-2004: Prof. Branin observed that the fiscal outlook for this biennium looks difficult, a parallel to that from the economic downturn in the early 1990s. As a contrast, in the ten-year period of the 1990s, growth of the library collections has been steady due to the University's excellent budget support through the Library Materials Index, which provided a 5-8% annual rate increase during this period. For fy2002 the Index will be supported again, but only as one-time cash rather than a permanent addition to the Libraries' base budget. Prof. Scott encouraged the Council to support the Libraries budget as part of President Kirwin's Academic Plan.

3. Scholarly communication. Prof. Branin outlined a plan to engage the University's faculty in the topic of scholarly communication in the next academic year. He seeks input from members of the Council in regard to the format of the programs, names of speakers, and specific topics for the series. Prof. Scott recommended Profs. Rob Perry (Physics) and Jane Case-Smith (Allied Medical Professions) be considered as presenters.

4. The Libraries' role in Information Technology (IT). Prof. Branin described his efforts to expand the Libraries' IT operations, and to partner with others to expand capacities. He noted that the Libraries' last two Academic Enrichment proposals, both of which were intended to expand imaging and imaging infrastructure support, were unsuccessful. (Four, of several dozen submitted, were funded campus-wide.)

5. Future of the Library Council. Prof. Scott noted that the University Senate committee review and restructuring process has recommended that the Library Council become the Information Access and Technology committee. This is unresolved at this time.

6. Election of the Library Council chair for 2001-2002: Prof. Philip Smith (Educational Policy & Leadership; Art Education) agreed to serve as Interim Chair. He will set up the first Fall 2001 Library Council meetings with Libraries Administration, and will be on hand during the Summer to serve as needed.

Wesley Boomgaarden for
Joseph J. Branin