The University is considering ways to replace the upper floor of Gerstenzang Library with classrooms in order to accommodate academic programs that need to be relocated due to the closing of the Kalman and Friedland science buildings scheduled for later this year, according to Provost Marty Krauss.Krauss stated that while the science library will not close, it may not continue to exist on both floors. She clarified that in this situation the lower floor will continue to operate as a library.

"I have to look at the budgetary implications [of relocating academic programs], and I'm working on [the budget] sort of as we speak," Krauss said. She added that some preliminary budgets for relocating certain programs have been drafted. She declined to specify the particular academic program that the University will consider relocating to the library.

Some academic programs have already been relocated to the new Carl J. Shapiro Science Center, according to Vice President for Capital Projects Dan Feldman. However, there is still a need for classroom space to accommodate the remaining programs, because some of the rooms in the Center are teaching labs that have specialized uses and thus cannot be used as ordinary classrooms, Krauss explained.

A variety of plans regarding how the books that are currently housed on the top floor will be accommodated should the upper floor become classrooms was discussed at the Provost's Advisory Committee meeting last Tuesday, according to Adam Ross '09, chair of the committee.

"The books that we currently have that we also have electronic form are probably going to be donated to some other institution or given somewhere," Ross said. "The other resources that we don't have in electronic form or that we want to keep will be moved to a storage space downstairs or potentially moved to the Science Center," Ross said.

However, Chief University Librarian Susan Wawrzaszek said, "We've done some preliminary measurements . in discussion mode, but we're pretty confident that in either the upper floor or the lower floor we could accommodate all the print collection."

Feldman explained, "[Kalman and Friedland] are coming down because they are the two oldest buildings in the complex; they are in terrible condition." Feldman estimated that Friedland will close in the late summer and Kalman by the end of this calender year.

Krauss explained that the Gerstenzang Library staff has been taking hourly statistics of the number of students who come to the library in order to "to make sure that we're using our resources as efficiently as possible." She said that the statistics showed that the lower floor of the library, which currently includes computer clusters and seminar rooms, still has a "tremendous amount of space" that could be better utilized.

"I might be able to reuse the top floor for other academic purposes and still have a tremendous capacity [on the lower floor] to meet student and faculty needs, which is our goal," Krauss said.

"From the way [Krauss] was sounding [at the Advisory Committee's meeting] it doesn't seem like they are going to be doing any renovation to [the top floor of the Gerstenzang library] but only reorganizing it," Ross said.