What’s going on in ESL?
Get the latest updates below. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: esl-feedback@mit.edu
Barker Reading Room is Now Open! Construction on Exterior of Dome Continues
The Barker Reading Room renovation project is now complete. Come check out the new lighting, furniture, carpet, and other enhancements to our space.
The construction on the exterior of the dome will continue through mid-November.
For further history and updates regarding the project, see previous posts on this blog, visit the Facilities update page, or email us.
Lindgren Library Collections Relocated to Hayden Library
The last day of service in the Lindgren Library (54-200) will be Friday, July 31, 2009. Lindgren’s collection of earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences’ books, journals, and CDs will begin to move to Hayden Library (14S-100) Monday, August 3. The relocated materials are expected to be in place and accessible by the end of the week. If any Lindgren materials are needed during the move, please contact Joe Hankins (3.9325, jhankins@mit.edu) or Chris Sherratt (3-5648, gscherra@mit.edu). The Hayden Service Desk staff (3.5671) can also be of assistance.
Final arrangements for the future locations of maps and theses formerly housed in Lindgren will be completed during the upcoming weeks. Contact information for Joe Hankins and Chris Sherratt will remain the same.
Aero/Astro Library collections relocated, fully accessible by July 2
As of Friday, June 26, the Aeronautics and Astronautics Library (Aero/Astro) will officially close its doors and its collections will be relocated to other areas within the MIT Libraries. The majority of the collections will move to the Barker Engineering Library. Barker will house all current, unbound Aero/Astro journals, as well as books, theses, CDs and DVDs. All materials are expected to be fully accessible to users by July 2nd.
Older bound journals have been moved to the Library Storage Annex. Electronic (PDF) files of articles from these journals can be requested through Barton. Whole volumes may also be requested through Barton and delivered to a library location of choice.
During the move, assistance is available for retrieving books formerly located in the Aero/Astro Library—call 617.253.5661, or inquire at the Barker Engineering Library Service Desk. Aero/Astro databases and other electronic resources will continue to be accessible 24/7, see http://libguides.mit.edu/aero for links to these resources. For additional information about Aero/Astro collections, contact Barbara Williams, the Aero/Astro librarian, via email or by phone at 617.253.5666.
Construction to Begin on Exterior of Barker Library
Exterior repairs to the dome to fix leaks will begin in earnest starting Monday, June 8, from 7am - 3:30pm. Work is expected to last from June through November.
Work from June through September entails replacing the stonework on the stepped part of the dome and chipping/grinding away residual concrete and filled-in spaces. From September to November, there will be repairs on the curved part of the dome.
A super-structure will be built over the dome to protect it from the weather and to allow construction regardless of the forecast. There will also be scaffolding on the 5th floor exterior spaces, with infrequent access needed from within Barker spaces. A construction trailer and crane will also be installed in the space between buildings 13, 12, 10, and 4. The crane will be in heavy use throughout the summer lifting new stone up and removing debris, so access to the doors in that alleyway will be unavailable.
For further history and updates regarding the project, see previous posts on this blog, visit the Facilities update page, or email us.
Reading Room renovations continue: closures this summer
The Reading Room of the Barker Library will be closed for our renovation project from Tuesday, May 26 through Friday, June 5. The Reading Room will re-open on Saturday, June 6.
All of the Barker Library will be closed for Commencement Day, Friday, June 5 due to previously scheduled events.
Beginning on June 8, the Reading Room will close again and remain closed until mid-August as our renovation project continues. We look forward to introducing you to the newly improved space in the fall!
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us.
Reading Room closed during Spring Break
There will be minor disruptions during the morning hours this week (before 10am) due to patching and painting of the walls. The Reading Room will be closed starting Friday, March 20 and reopening on Tuesday, March 31.
During the spring break, the study carrels and tables will be removed for refinishing. The interior of the dome will also be painted during this time.
Library hours will remain as usual, including special spring break hours.
8th floor closed until further notice
As of March 16, all library materials have been moved from the eighth floor to our off-campus storage facility. You can also read more about the details of this project.
All current journal issues (usually the latest year of a subscription) are now housed on the fifth floor between the reference section and the Barker Media Room, stacks four, five and six.
As usual, if you cannot find a particular item, please inquire at the Barker Service Desk.
Barker journals on the move
The Barker Engineering Library are in the process of moving its bound journal collection to the Library Storage Annex (N57, 1 State Street, Cambridge). Over the past couple of years the 8th floor of the library has experienced a growing number of leaks such that it is increasingly difficult on any rainy day to prevent water damage to the collections. While we expect repairs to begin during this calendar year, our responsibility for careful stewardship of the collection demands that we clear the floor in order to keep these valuable materials safe and undamaged. Once the repairs begin, we expect the floor to be unavailable for approximately one year.
These materials will remain accessible to the MIT Community by a variety of means:
- About 42% of the remaining volumes going to storage are currently available online. Check Vera (http://libraries.mit.edu/vera) and Barton (http://libraries.mit.edu/barton) for URLs for the journals.
- It is possible to request articles in PDF format from storage by using the request service in Barton (http://libraries.mit.edu/lsa/pdf-delivery.html). When you find the journal’s record, click on “All items”, find the volume you want, and click on the “Request PDF” button.
- If you want to look at a whole volume instead of a single article, on the same Barton page you can instead click on the “Request item” button and the volume will be delivered to the library of your choice.
- If you prefer to physically browse one or more volumes, you can also visit the Library Storage Annex by calling to let them know of your visit (617-253-7040). They are open Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm and are located in building N57 on State Street, a short walk up Massachusetts Ave.
Unbound print journals in Barker collection (usually the latest year of a subscription) will remain in Barker, but will move to the fifth floor.
This move comes towards the end of an aggressive storage process implemented over the past couple of years. Barker has already sent about 2/3 of its journals to storage because of the availability of full online backfiles. If considered in its entirety, about 80% of Barker’s journal collection is online. These moves have created growth space for circulating books and will allow us to develop more space for individual and group study.
We are interested in any feedback you may have about this change. Please let us know if this change impacts you significantly or if you would like to see any improvements in how you access the collection during this time. If you have any concerns or comments, please send them to esl-feedback@mit.edu.
