Construction is well underway on the second module of the Syracuse University Libraries’ storage facility on South Campus, which will house some of the University’s most treasured multimedia and special collections holdings. The 15,000-square-foot facility will include cool and cold storage vaults with carefully regulated humidity controls to provide optimal environmental conditions to safely store and prolong the life of materials that are crucial to the teaching and scholarship happening each day on Syracuse University’s campus.
When the facility opens in the Spring 2022 semester, materials from the Libraries’ Special Collections, University Archives and the Belfer Audio Archive will be relocated—specifically, materials composed of unique paper, film, audio and photographic materials, all of which are very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Relocation of these materials will not only extend the viability of these invaluable assets for generations to come, but allows additional time to complete important digitization projects that will ultimately make the materials more permanent and more accessible. It also frees up processing space in Bird Library and other locations for archivists working in the Libraries.
“The materials that will be held at the module-2 storage facility include some of jewels in the crown of our Libraries’ holdings,” says David Seaman, dean of Syracuse University Libraries and University librarian. “From wax cylinders that captured some of the first mass-produced audio broadcasts to enormous amounts of film, negatives and photographs, and encompassing a range of rare and delicate materials that are used by students and professors in nearly every discipline on campus. This project will safeguard some of our most valuable, culturally impactful materials for decades to come.”
Construction of the facility is made possible, in part, by generous donors, including Library Advisory Board members Joan Brodsky ’67, G’68 and Judith C. Mower ’66, G’73, G’80, G’84, and their respective spouses, William J. ’64, L’68 and Eric ’66, G’68. The facility’s structure was completed in October, and the contractor has moved on to roofing and the completion of the exterior envelope to “dry in” the facility and protect it from the elements. Once the building is dry, interior work will begin with the addition of electricity, lighting, finishes, the installation of the refrigeration and freezer units, and motorized shelving. Those providing support to the construction of the module-2 facility are helping ensure the treasured artifacts and voices of our past will be accessible to future generations.
“The expansion of the Libraries’ storage facility to include the module-2 building enhances and protects our reputation as a top-tier international research university, as it will hold some of our primary social science and humanities research collections,” says Steven Bennett, senior vice president of international programs and academic operations. “This project represents a significant capital investment in the academic core and is critical to the academic and research missions of Syracuse University.”
