Re-arranging the Killam? That sounds big – why?

Well, lots of reasons:

Killam Library was designed with an expected enrollment of 8,000 students. Our surveys have shown clearly that there is a great demand for increased study space of various kinds including Commons space. Two years ago we acquired offsite storage space to house journal collections that were duplicated electronically.

This building is hard to navigate. Currently, call numbers E-PQ on the 3rd floor, with A-D & PR-Z on the 4th. Government Documents are split between two different floors. This non-contiguous arrangement has confused users for years, and taken up a lot of staff time as well. This move, starting on April 24th and continuing for 15 weeks, will finally put the collection in a consistent sequence. When September comes, it will be much easier to find your way around.

The collection will begin with the A’s in the southeast corner of the 4th floor and proceed in clockwise call number order down to the northeast corner of the 3rd floor, with a small portion being located in the northeast corner of the 2nd floor.

The south side of the second floor will house government publications and oversize books and continue to house the maps collection. A major portion of the north side of the second floor will beconverted into much needed study space of various kinds.

But, I’m writing my thesis/attending summer session this summer – will the library be closed?

No, the library will be open regular summer hours during the move.

Wow, that’s a lot of movement – what about quiet study space?

Yes, there will be quiet study space, although the location of quiet areas will be constantly changing. Please watch for signage in the lobby, and postings here.

How will I know what is being moved, and when?

Stay tuned to this blog. We’ll be posting daily updates of our progress. You can also check the signs in the lobby each day.

What if I need material that is being moved?

Ask for assistance at the circulation desk. We’re doing our best to minimize disruptions in access to the collection.

How can I help?

We’re going to be doing our very best to provide all of the services you need during this major transition. Approximately 750,000 items will be shifted over the course of the summer in order to serve you better. Please tell us when there are problems so we can address them. Moving is always an adventure, and we appreciate your patience. We’re confident the new arrangement will be worthwhile.

The University Librarian’s official announcement about the move is here: killam-collection-move-07-announcement.pdf