Preservation Services at Dartmouth College: The Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center

Welcome back everyone. We in Preservation Services hope you all had very happy holidays! It's a new year (happy 2012!) and here at Dartmouth we're fortunate to have a brand new facility on campus. The new Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center is AWESOME!

I was able to tour the facility with some of my colleagues and was blown away; it is magnificent in every way. The building is energy efficient, has beautiful public spaces, fabulous lab space, and state of the art classrooms that maximize interaction.

Much has been written about the energy efficient building, the flexible and innovative classroom design. Here are a few photos help tell the story:

The research labs.

Public space.

Window view.

Smart displays guide visitors through the building.

There is a greenhouse on the top floor.

This classroom is ringed with white boards and large monitors so that students can gather around the monitor, attach a laptop, and collaborate on a project.

The tour got me thinking back to when Preservation Services and other collection services departments moved in 2000 from Baker Library to the current location in Berry Library and what a tremendous difference it made on our day to day work. Our new home in Berry Library was purposely designed to link Acquisitions and Cataloging so that our staff could easily and effortlessly consult one another. When we were in Baker Library a simple question could involve traveling upstairs, through study stacks, or other connecting routes. From the first day that we moved into Berry and our department spaces were connected, the work dynamic changed. We found that by being physically closer, collaboration and communication effortlessly increased.

A well-designed building can enhance the work-life of its inhabitants. Walking through the Life Sciences Center got me thinking again about space dynamics and the differences they can make if thoughtfully planned.

Now, how to get a greenhouse on the top floor of Berry Library...

Written by Barb Sagraves. Photos provided by David Seaman and his iPad.

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Contributors

Deborah Howe Is the Collections Conservator at Dartmouth College Library. She's been involved in the book community for over 20 years. She is a member of the Guild of Book Workers and teaches classes in the Book Arts program.

Ryland Ianelli Is a cartoonist and Project Specialist in the Dartmouth Preservation Services department. He graduated from Reed College with a BA in Art History in 2008 and, more recently, from the Center for Cartoon Studies with an MFA in Cartooning in 2010. In addition to his work in Preservation and the Digital Production Unit, he is currently drawing and writing for various independently published comics and anthologies.

Barb Sagraves has been head of Preservation Services since its creation in 1995. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan SLIS program, has an MA in Medieval History from Michigan State University, and a BA in History from the University of Oklahoma. In her role as department head, Barb has overall responsibility for the preservation program and policies at Dartmouth College Library and is in charge of the Book Arts Program.

Jenny Mullins has been the Digital Preservation Librarian for Dartmouth College Library since May of 2014. Prior to coming to Dartmouth, she preserved video and audio collections, helped build a digital repository and worked in book and paper conservation labs. Jenny is a member of ALA and co-chair of the Preservation Metadata Interest Group for 2015-17.