The University of Chicago Opens New High-Density Library

Designed to serve the needs of today's "hybrid culture" of print and digital resources, the University of Chicago on May 16, 2011 opened the new Joe and Rika Mansueto Library, which is centrally located on campus and houses a high-density underground storage system with the capacity to hold 3.5 million volume equivalents. Judith Nadler, Director of the University Library, observed that: "We believe that having materials close by enhances their use, and that storing them remotely will do the opposite. By not providing ready access to materials, we de facto reduce their value, and we impact research in ways we wouldn’t want.”

Designed by architect Helmut Jahn, the the library is topped by an elliptical, glass dome which encloses the library's Grand Reading Room and other above-ground facilities for research, digitization, and preservation initiatives. The library will be formally dedicated on October 11, 2011 after the initial transfer of library materials is completed. For additional information on Mansueto Library's construction and operation, visit the library's web site.