College and Research Libraries


By H O W A R D ROVELSTAD 

More Library for Your Building Dollar: 

The University of Maryland Experience 

ON F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 1 9 5 6 , bids were opened for a library building to be 
constructed on the College Park campus 
of the University of Maryland. In the 
Baltimore-Washington area the winter 
months of 1956 were favorable for put-
ting a building out for bids: general 
construction work had slowed down, and 
contractors were anxious to obtain com-
mitments for work to be started the fol-
lowing spring and summer. 

Sixteen contractors submitted base 
bids that ranged from $2,354,200 to $2,-
519,000. T h e comparatively small differ-
ence (only $164,800) for a building of 
this size between the low bid and the 
high bid indicated that all the con-
tractors had made serious bids: they 
clearly needed the work to fill in their 
schedules. It is interesting to note that 
the value of building construction in 
Baltimore decreased from $87,551,000 in 
1955 to $64,750,000 in 1956. Similarly, 
in Washington, D. C., a drop of $21,082,-
000 was experienced in the value of 
building construction in 1956.1 In ad-
dition to the cost figure on the University 
of Maryland library each contractor 
stipulated in his bid the number of days 
that would be required to complete the 
work. These ranged from a low of 420 
days to a high of 700 days. T h e successful 
bidder submitted the figure of 425 days 
to complete the work. 

1 U. S. B u r e a u of the Census. Statistical Abstract of 
the United States, 1958. ( W a s h i n g t o n : U. S. Govern-
ment P r i n t i n g Office, 1 9 5 8 ) , p. 756-57. 

Mr. Rovelstad is Director of Libraries, 
University of Maryland. 

T o be assured that bids could be rec-
onciled with appropriated funds, eleven 
alternates were included in the bidding 
in the form of possible deductions from 
the base bid. One alternate in the form 
of a possible addition to the base bid was 
also included. T h e deductions covered 
bookstacks, metal partitions, interior 
painting, asphalt tile, wall around a 
parking lot, finish in one reading room 
(the Maryland and Rare Book Room), 
service desks, loan desk, acoustical tile, 
screens and screen doors, and water 
coolers. T h e one possible addition was 
for metallic waterproofing in the base-
ment. Because of the limited funds avail-
able at the time, alternates of the book-
stacks and the wall around the parking 
lot had to be deducted from the base bid 
and not included initially as a part of 
the general contract. T h e State Legis-
lature later appropriated funds for the 
bookstacks, which were added to the 
general contract. 

General construction conditions and 
climatic conditions (i.e., the best build-
ing season in the particular locality) are 
important factors in the final determi-
nation of the cost of a building. If a 
contractor is able to begin construction 
early in the spring, he will be able to get 
his building under roof by the time in-
clement weather of the late fall and 
winter sets in—with the result of fewer 
work stoppages and lower costs to him. 
For the Maryland building these factors 
were significant in keeping the square-
foot and cubic-foot costs low. But it is 
seldom possible to select deliberately a 
period of low construction activity or 

MAY 1959 189 



even a particular season of the year in 
which to let a bid; there are, however, 
in the planning of a building various 
means of keeping costs down over which 
one does have some control. 

From preliminary considerations in 
planning the University of Maryland Li-
brary it was obvious that in order to 
meet the board requirements of the pro-
gram—accommodations for at least 2,000 
readers and 1,000,000 volumes—it would 
be necessary to plan a very economical 
building. Various shapes, various ways of 
achieving flexibility, and the possibilities 
of modular-type construction were tried 
on the drawing board. 

It was soon determined that a rectan-
gular building approximately 120' by 240' 
would best meet functional requirements, 
would be most suitable for the proposed 
site, and would be most economical to 
construct. As desirable as flexibility is, 
it was decided that to allow for com-
plete interchangeability of reader space 
and book space was not feasible; books 
can be very conveniently and suitably 
housed in areas not necessarily comfort-
able for large numbers of readers. T h e 
number and size of columns, heights of 
ceilings, placement of electrical outlets, 
and types of wall construction, floor 
coverings, lighting, and heating systems 
are among the factors to be considered 
in comparing construction costs of reader 
areas with book areas. Fortunately, in 
smaller library buildings where flex-
ibility is more essential than in larger 
libraries the cost of allowing for it is 
relatively low. In larger library buildings 
some concentration of book storage and 
some concentration of reader accom-
modations are significant economy meas-
ures. 

T h e educational implications of a 
close relationship between books and 
readers were recognized and studied in 
developing the Maryland plans. T o make 
books easily accessible was a major ob-
jective. It was therefore decided to plan 

a central stack core that would be sur-
rounded on three sides by reading areas. 
T h e exterior wall at the rear of the 
building would enclose the fourth side; 
on this fourth side future additions to 
the building could be constructed. T h e 
stack areas were to be immediately ad-
jacent to the reading areas; in fact they 
were actually to extend into the reading 
areas, as will be explained below. 

Although the interior arrangements 
of the library were planned before the 
exterior, it may be well in explaining an 
economical use of space to view the 
building as an empty shell—no par-
titions and no floors, but rather 1,974,569 
cubic feet of space enclosed by exterior 
walls and a roof. T h e n the problem that 
presents itself is how to make the best 
use of the cubic space available. 

In a library are many activities that 
can be comfortably accommodated in 
areas with low ceilings. A floor to ceiling 
clearance of eight feet or less is suitable 
for bookstacks and for such smaller 
rooms as offices, seminars, studies, con-
ference rooms, toilet facilities, and 
closets. Higher ceilings are desirable in 
large areas where there is to be a concen-
tration of readers. T h e higher ceilings 
are especially essential in these areas 
when air conditioning is not a possibility, 
and they are also thought desirable by 
many people because of psychological 
factors involved. It must be mentioned 
in passing, however, that many new 
libraries have been constructed recently 
with reading rooms of ceiling heights of 
eight to eight and one-half feet that are 
pleasant, comfortable and completely 
acceptable to their users. 

On the second floor of the Maryland 
library, the main operating floor, are 
included two large reading areas, each 
measuring 108' x 52' and located at the 
north and south ends of the building. 
On three sides of each area are balconies 
that extend seventeen feet on one side 
and eighteen feet at the ends into the 

190 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH L I B R A R I E S -



McKeldin Library 

room. T h e balconies in the two rooms 
provide 5,616 square feet of floor space— 
sufficient space for almost 225 readers or 
for approximately 56,000 volumes. T h e 
area under the balconies is suitable for 
books or readers. Accommodations for in-
formal furniture or for current periodi-
cal shelves in these low-ceilinged areas 
give these large rooms a more attractive, 
informal appearance than one might ex-
pect. 

T h e balconies of the two rooms are 
the north and south extremities of a 
mezzanine floor which extends through 
the building. T h i s mezzanine floor is a 
part of the bookstack core of the build-
ing, i.e., the stack floor extends into the 
reading rooms to form balconies. 

On the third floor a similar pattern is 
followed: a large reading area (with bal-
conies) at either end of the building. T h e 
fourth floor is similar, but there are no 
balconies as the reading areas are some-
what smaller than on the lower floors. 
T h i s floor does include a high-ceilinged 
auditorium seating 160. 

In areas with seven and one-half feet 
clearance from floor to ceiling through-
out the building are located all offices, 
fourteen seminar rooms of various size, 
open carrels, faculty studies, receiving 
room, and bookstacks. In the low-ceil-
inged area on the second floor are located 
the card catalog, bibliography area, tech-
nical services, offices, conference rooms, 
and toilets. T h e loan desk and card cata-
log are under low ceilings but are im-
mediately adjacent to a foyer and hall 
respectively with fifteen-foot ceilings. 

Because a rather high percentage of 
activities in a large university library 
can suitably be accommodated under low 
ceilings, it is economical to use this kind 
of space for them. T h e Maryland library 
has four floors, three intervening mez-
zanine floors and a basement. Each mez-
zanine floor has at least three-fourths as 
much floor space as has one of the main 
floors. T h e combination of main and 
mezzanine floors gives the library well 
over fifty per cent more floor space than 
the main floors alone could provide. 

MAY 1959 191 



Thus by using low ceilings in bookstacks, 
work areas, etc., and high ceilings in large 
reading areas it is possible to use both 
efficiently and economically the cubic 
footage that a building provides. 

As indicated above, the decision in re-
gard to ceilings and to the relative 
positions of stacks and reading areas 
called for a low-ceiling core in the build-
ing. This core is made up of 12' x 
modules. Modules of these dimensions 
are less costly to construct than large 
modules such as those measuring 221/4' 
x 221/9': higher gauge steel can be used 
in the supporting uprights and in the 
steel reinforcements of the concrete. T h e 
12' x 131/2' dimensions are suitable for 
book shelves and aisles: the 12' dimen-
sion will accommodate four sections of 
shelving, and the 131/2' dimension will 
accommodate two single-face and two 
double-face ranges of shelving as well as 
three three-foot aisles. T h e type of con-
struction of the core is reinforced con-
crete. Bookstacks are anchored to the 
floor and ceiling, thus eliminating the 
need for lateral and diagonal sway 
bracing, except where the core extends 
into the reading areas (here, free stand-
ing stacks are used). T h e core area is 
flexible to the extent that the inter-
mediate upright supports of the book-
stacks are not supporting members of the 
building. T h e anchoring of bookstacks 
to the floor and ceiling makes changes 
from stack space to reader space some-
what difficult and costly, but in a library 
of this size it seemed highly doubtful 
that any large conversion would ever 
take place. 

Another feature of the core construc-
tion that resulted in efficient use of space 
was the employment of a so-called star 
column as the structural upright member 
in the module. It is star-shaped, with 
four points, rather than H-shaped, as is 
usual. This star shape allows for the 
erecting of sections of shelving between 
structural columns with virtually no loss 

of space because of supporting columns. 
In order to use load-bearing columns in 
this way all column center-lines must be 
held within a tolerance of ±l4"> a s 
standard shelving must fit between the 
columns in one direction. A good con-
tractor can meet this requirement. T h e 
additional shelf space allowed by the 
star column is an important factor in al-
lowing for a maximum amount of usable 
floor space in a given area. 

T h e modular core of the building is 
surrounded on three sides by a steel-
skeleton type of construction. This type 
of construction allows large reading areas 
free of columns. T h e combining of the 
reinforced concrete (as in the core) and 
steel-skeleton methods seems to present 
no special problems in construction. 

T h e proximity of bookstack areas to 
reading areas is important functionally. 
T h e fine arts area, for example, includes 
not only the reading room where refer-
ence materials and current journals in 
music, art, architecture, photography, 
theater, and recreation are housed, but 
also the adjacent core or stack area 
where listening facilities and a piano 
(in sound-proof rooms provided for those 
studying recordings and scores), and all 
related materials in the main collection 
are located. Similarly the social science 
area is a center of information in the 
fields of economics, education, history, 
law, political science, sociology, travel, 
and customs and folklore: in the room 
itself reference materials of all kinds and 
current periodicals are readily available 
to readers; in nearby stack areas are 
shelved the library's holdings in these 
fields. A student who is working in 
zoology will find all his books and jour-
nals in the technology and science room 
or in the bookstacks immediately ad-
jacent to the room. Similarly, users of the 
general reference and humanities rooms 
will find related materials in readily ac-
cessible areas. 

Materials used in the construction of 

192 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH L I B R A R I E S -



the building include Alabama limestone 
and red colonial brick on the exterior. 
T h e roof is of gray slate. Interior walls, 
with few exceptions, are finished in 
plaster. Wainscots of Norwegian rose 
marble are used in main lobbies and 
halls. Hardware, stair rails and balcony 
rails of satin aluminum give the building 
a modern, clean appearance. T h e Mary-
land and Rare Book Room is colonial in 
design with painted wood paneling and 
ornamental windows. Floors are of as-
phalt tile, terrazzo, and ceramic tiles. Air 
conditioning is provided in only about 
5 per cent of the building; convectors 
will allow air conditioning in an ad-
ditional 10 per cent of the building. T h e 
bookstack area has forced ventilation and 
humidity control. 

T h e building will accommodate 2,000, 
and in addition fourteen seminar rooms 
will seat 360 and a small auditorium will 
seat 160. T h e r e are 57 studies, 130 open 
carrels, and 400 lockers. T w o elevators 
service the building, and 34 display cases 

ranging in size from 4'6" high x 10' wide 
x 2'2" deep to 3' x 4' tack boards behind 
sliding glass doors. T h e book capacity 
is a million volumes. 

T h e total cost of the building, includ-
ing architect's fees and bookstacks, was 
$2,467,227. Floor space totals 190,839 
square feet, constructed at a cost of 
$12.93 a square foot; cubic feet of space 
totals 1,974, 569, constructed at a cost of 
$1.25 a cubic foot. Compared with costs 
of other library buildings constructed in 
today's building market, these figures are 
low. T h e cost of new furniture and 
equipment, and of refinishing old fur-
niture was $200,000. 

T h e University of Maryland accepted 
the library building on December 15, 
1957. During the following three weeks 
and a day all materials, equipment and 
furniture were moved from the old li-
brary building to the new. W h e n stu-
dents and faculty returned to the campus 
from Christmas vacation the doors of a 
functional, attractive, and economically 
constructed library were open to them. 

Retrospective Catalog Cards for the 

Short Title Catalog Microfilm Series 
A n u m b e r of libraries have expressed an interest in o b t a i n i n g a set of cat-

alog cards for the titles in the Short Title Catalog microfilm series. T h e s e titles 
have been cataloged by the University of Michigan Library in A n n Arbor. U p 
to the present time approximately 11,000 catalog cards, representing some 
9,000 titles, have been produced. 

T h r o u g h the cooperation of the University of Michigan Library, these cards 
will be made available for reproduction by the Xerox-Copyflo process, using 
regular catalog card stock. A copy of every catalog card produced for titles 
filmed through 1957 will be furnished. L h i s project will not continue beyond 
1957, as current cards are available on a subscription basis from the Univer-
sity of Michigan Library. 

If a sufficient n u m b e r of libraries are interested, University Microfilms, I n c . 
will reproduce the cards for five cents each, or approximately $550 for the 
11,000 cards. 

Please write to J a m e s E. Skipper, Assistant L i b r a r i a n , Michigan State Uni-
versity Library, East Lansing, if your library is interested in this project. A 
firm price will be established before libraries are asked to place their formal 
orders. 

MAY 1959 193