Vice-Chancellor's email to colleagues and students
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
Subject: Education Resource Centre user arrangements
Dear colleagues/students,
The University Library and Property & Campus Services (PCS) have been in lengthy negotiations with builders tendering for construction of the Eastern Learning Hub on access for library users to the Education Resource Centre (ERC) during the construction period.
A major improvement in arrangements for ERC users has been achieved with the agreement that a substantial proportion of all ERC collections will remain in-situ - with access available to academic staff and students - throughout the construction period.
Full library services will be provided, subject to minor disruption from time to time.
The construction works over the five levels of the ERC will be staggered over four stages.
Library materials which will remain in-situ are:
- approximately 246,000 items in the general collections in the ERC, the highest users of which are from the Education Faculty. To ensure uninterrupted access, it may be necessary to relocate the high-use reserve material to the Baillieu Library during stage 4.
- around 172,000 of the 327,000 items in the B and AB collection with a further 55,000 items to be temporarily relocated to specially-converted space in the north wing of the Old Quad. The University has allocated $250,000 to complete cataloguing which will make the entire collection available to scholars who are currently prevented from browsing by time or location and therefore from knowing what the collection holds.
Browsing and borrowing of these collections will be available.
These library items have been selected after consultation between the academic community and Library staff.
Library materials to be decanted, partly to the Old Quad with the balance to the Dawson Street Store in Brunswick, are:
- The collection on Levels 1 and 2 (south) - approximately 48 per cent of the AB and B collections housed in the ERC, comprising the AB (Australian and Pacific region collections), the folio-sized portion of the B collection covering content from the rest of the world and the subject areas philosophy, psychology, religion, social sciences and some of the language materials from the B collection. Some reference works such as encyclopaedias will also need to be moved.
Retrieval services (one working day) from the Dawson Street store will be available and the Library is exploring the possibility of providing browsing facilities.
The Staged Construction Plan
Details of the Staged Construction Plan are still being fine-tuned as the Library and PCS look for the very best way to deliver optimum library services during the construction period.
The staged process, as advised by Property and Campus Services, is:
Stage 1: All collections in the northern sections of Levels 1 & 2 will remain for academic browsing. Access will be via the northern doors. The construction work areas on Levels 1 & 2 (South) will be hoarded off and dust sealed.
Stage 2: The refurbishment of the Level 2 Maps area will be prioritised so that the existing Level 4 maps can be relocated to the new Level 2 Maps area to provide a secure area for the maps. Access to academic browsing on the northern sides of Level 1 & 2 will continue.
Stage 3: The new staff office and amenities construction works areas on level 4 will be hoarded off and dust sealed. Construction work will be carried out in those areas whilst the building is occupied and operating.
Although there will be some noise from time to time, any prolonged construction noise (drilling/hammering) will be carried out after hours.
Builders' access to the works area will be via the rear fire escape stairs wherever possible.
Stage 4: On completion of the Level 4 new staff office and amenities, Level 3 staff will be relocated to the new Level 4 office area, and collections will be relocated from Level 3. The major refurbishment works to Level 3 will then commence.
Access from Level 4 to Levels 1, 2, & 5 will be via the lift and the rear fire stair.
Updates will be posted at http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/erc/relocation.html on the Baillieu Library and the ERC websites.
I would like to thank all the people in the University Library, Property & Campus Services and the relevant academic departments who, in a tremendous spirit of goodwill, have worked towards this greatly improved arrangement which will enable staff and students to continue their work with minimum disruption.
Glyn Davis Vice-Chancellor