The 21st century library requires an infrastructure that can support research and instruction in an electronic age side-by-side with the more traditional hard copy resources. Printed indexes and card catalogs coexist with cd-rom databases and CLIO, Columbia's online library catalog. Image databases bring fragile and valuable resources to every library user. Electronic text analysis expands capabilities beyond the concordance. Students and faculty pursue collaborative projects using computers in addition to paper and pen. Communication via email and voice mail has outpaced the capability of the pneumatic tube system that was considered so efficient in it's day The world inside the library now interacts dynamically with the world outside through the World Wide Web. Instructional needs in this electronic information age have also expanded to include electronic classrooms in various configurations. All of these changes in information storage and retrieval require modern, sophisticated systems to provide appropriate heating, cooling, ventilation, cabling, power, and other standard building services.

The need for major renovation of Butler Library has been recognized by the campus community for some time. The 1987 Report of the Presidential Commission on the Future of Columbia University (Strategies of Renewal) noted "the painful contrast between (Butler's) physical inadequacies and the richness of the collections." Later that year a committee was formed to analyze the mechanical systems and explore feasibility for expansion and renovation from a structural standpoint. Discussion of programmatic use of the existing space, including comparison to industry standards, together with the technical review revealed five major problem areas: 1) serious deterioration of the physical plant, 2) insufficient space, 3) poor use of existing space, 4) inadequate facilities for undergraduate instruction and 5) inability to accommodate new and future technologies.

Planning for the library continued through 1988/89 within the context of the development of a campus- wide facilities renewal master plan. Various options for the renovation of Butler were explored. Expansions (vertically and underground) and the relocation of selected activities and services were considered in addition to the basic rehabilitation of the building. Ultimately it was determined that all identified programmatic requirements could be met, with the most effective use of funds, by a comprehensive renovation of the building. In the summer of 1989 architects Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott were selected to develop a schematic design for the project under the guidance of the Butler Renovation Planning Committee, in consultation with students, faculty, and staff.

The redesign of Butler seeks to remedy the five problems identified in the earlier studies and is flexible to accommodate future advances in technology and library service. Much of the flexibility is achieved through careful provision for expansion and growth in the communications infrastructure and the implementation of a phased construction plan. Final furniture and equipment selection and layout is deferred until each floor is scheduled for construction. In this way, state-of-the-art technology and design can be evaluated just in time for use in the subsequent phase. Another important focus of the design is an effort to maintain original architectural detail. When possible, significant public spaces will be restored to their initial grandeur, highlighting the early 20th-century craftsmanship. Only the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, added to the 6th floor of Butler with its own infrastructure in the 1980s, will remain untouched by construction, although the four stack levels housing the rare book and manuscript collections are included in the stack renovation.

Overall the plan relieves the deteriorating physical plant through replacement and redesign of all mechanical systems. The infrastructure to support new plumbing, ventilation, heating, air conditioning, power, lighting, and telecommunications is being installed in the first phase of the project, July 1995-December 1997. As each floor is renovated, modernized systems will become operational. Old systems will continue to function in parallel with the new systems until the final floor is renovated. Elevators, fire safety systems, and windows will also be replaced.

Sufficient additional space for expanded services was recovered by relocating non-library activities outside Butler. Seating in the renovated library will be approximately double the current capacity. Technical processing and cataloging operations will be relocated to the renovated first floor at the conclusion of Phase 1, allowing several large, decorative rooms to be reclaimed for users. Additional comfortable seats will be added to these restored reading rooms. More appealing and efficient configurations for both individual and group study will be incorporated in the design. An effort is being made to provide a variety of types of seating to suit different study needs from individual, quiet concentration, to collaboration in groups and relaxed living room lounging. Furnishings, along with revised and improved lighting, will be of high quality and consistent with the architecture. A lounge near the main library entrance will be characterized by the ability to consume food and beverages while continuing study, working on a laptop, checking email, or unwinding with friends.

Although all reading rooms on all levels will be open to all readers, the redesigned Butler Library will focus undergraduate services on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors. Reading rooms on these floors will contain the undergraduate book collection. The college reserves collection service desk will remain on the 2nd floor, augmented by a media room where students at some 20 specially-designed stations can view VCR tapes and other media presentations soon to be available as part of the reserve collection. Reference and Circulation will remain on the 3rd floor, where they will be joined in a central information hub by the Electronic Text Service, and Interlibrary Loan. The periodical and microform collections will be consolidated on the 4th floor.

Floors 5-9 will be dedicated to supporting graduate research in research reading rooms and assignable carrels with lockable storage. The Oral History collection will remain on the 8th floor. Research reading rooms on the 5th and 6th floors represent a collaboration between librarians and teaching faculty to bring scholars together with frequently consulted, non-circulating books and journals and workstations for access to related databases in each subject domain. Seminar spaces for group discussion, in addition to space for self-directed study, will contribute to the collegial atmosphere. In the renovated structure, scholars and students will have access to scholarly resources in all forms, from cuneiform tablets to electronic databases. The new reading rooms will be adjacent to the already renovated Rare Book and Manuscript Library (6th Floor) and the Oral History Research Office (8th Floor) which will continue to provide resources for scholarship and advanced study. Thanks to a grant, a pilot reading room in Ancient & Medieval Studies has been in operation since Fall 1995. The design and layout of these special rooms will be developed and refined as the renovation progresses up through the building to the upper floors in the years to come.

Considerable space will be allocated to support the use of an ever expanding number of electronic resources and to provide all students access to high-end equipment they may not personally own. Moreover, because librarians and teaching faculty are increasingly working together to supplement course materials with electronic information resources, the renovated library will include three electronic classrooms for library instruction in addition to the existing, 24-hour computer lab. Following the successful Columbia University Academic Information Systems (AcIS) model, each electronic classroom will include 12-18 computers, a teacher's workstation with projection capability and a shared printer. These classrooms will be arranged so the instructor can view all screens and have easy access to all workstations. When not in use for scheduled classes, these classrooms can double as computer labs. There will also be one large, smart lecture hall seating 60 people for multimedia demonstrations and presentations. Columbia Net terminals will be distributed liberally throughout the building starting with four stations in the main lobby. The aim is to make it as convenient as possible for students to have the electronic tools they need in proximity to hard copy collections, one-on-one librarian assistance, and new study areas.

All 15 levels of stacks will receive a face-lift including temperature and humidity controls, new lighting, and improved study areas. Stack entrances will be opened to afford direct access to the collections from the reading rooms.

Current and future technologies will be accommodated through the creation of a new telecommunications center on the fifth floor, housing state-of-the-art computer communications components capable of handling very high-speed, high-volume data communications. This advanced network will enable distributed multimedia applications and services throughout the renovated building.

Equal in importance to the design in the success of the projected $70 million renovation is getting the job done while maintaining 24-hour library services and access to the collections. As the design is finalized, careful analysis results in a sequencing plan for each phase. It is a complex logistical challenge to meet construction requirements, accommodate the academic calendar, minimize the number of temporary relocations, and achieve the desired result. All work in the building is carefully coordinated by the library, Columbia's Design and Construction department and the construction management firm. Every effort is made to reduce inconvenience and disruption for the roughly 15,000 people using the library each week. A concerted effort is made to keep users, staff and the Columbia community informed about ongoing work in the building through signage, email announcements, and a bi-monthly newsletter.

As Phase 1 renewal of the infrastructure and construction of new technical processing and cataloging work areas on the first floor nears on-time completion in December 1997, final planning for Phase 2 is well underway. Phase 2 restoration and construction will include the 2nd floor (undergraduate reading rooms, College Reserves, media viewing, Library Information Office, lounge, two collaborative classrooms, the smart lecture hall and the computer lab), the 3rd floor (Reference, Circulation, Electronic Text Service, Interlibrary Loan, the third collaborative classroom, additional undergraduate reading rooms) and the next few stack levels. Future phases will complete the renovation of the Undergraduate Library on the 4th floor as well as the research reading rooms on the upper floors.

Comprehensive renovation of Butler, a massive building that is busy and so badly in need of refurbishment , is admittedly a painfully slow process. As Phase 2 and the 20th century come to a close, exciting, comfortable, beautifully restored "new" reading rooms and information services on the 2nd and 3rd floors will be unveiled. All involved in renovation planning hope the completed spaces will inspire students, faculty, and staff to persevere through the remaining phases of this ambitious undertaking towards a contemporary library for the 21st century.