The Augustus Long Health Sciences
Library: A Giant Step Forward

C. LEE JONES
 

Y' If ^HE long-inadequate library facilities of Columbia's Col-
I     lege of Physicians and Surgeons and School of Dental and

>y Oral Surgery have finally been replaced. Though plans
for the replacement were begun more than twenty years ago, only
in April 1976 did the new Augustus Long Health Sciences Library
finally open for business. Thus, one era passed into history and
another began.

The four floor Long Library is located on two subgrade floors,
the lobby and second floor of the new twenty story education and
research building on the corner of i68th Street and Fort AVash-
ington Avenue. Above the library in this new building are located
on floors three through six multidisciplinary laboratories, audi-
toria and seminar rooms of a variety of sizes, all designed to sup¬
port the health sciences instructional program. The seventh floor
is occupied by the Institute for Human Nutrition and the Audio¬
visual production facilities. The eighth floor is a utility and air
handling equipment floor. Floors nine through eighteen accom¬
modate the laboratories, offices and seminar rooms of the Institute
for Cancer Research and the Cancer Research Center.

The building itself is clad in Corten steel, glass and brick. Its
location provides superb views of the Hudson River, the George
Washington Bridge and the New Jersey Palisades. The building
is the first medical center building excluding dormitories that is not
connected in some way with the other buildings on the campus.
Though such a connecti(m is highly desireable for movement of
both Medical Center personnel and patients, the cost (f 1,000,000)
is prohibitive at this time.

The planning for this new library attempted to achieve three

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