"Breath of Life" Exhibition Opens

LOCATORplus on the Web

Reading Room, Rotunda Update

NGC Web Site Goes Live

African-American Health Issues, Voting Rights

Elizabeth Blackwell, M.D.

Worthy of Note

Louise Darling Dies at 87

Lederberg's Papers on "Profiles" Site

The "Difficult Woman"

MLA Time Capsule

HBCU Explores Internet

Older Adults and the Web

Names in the News

Products and Publications

NLM in Print

Major Overhaul Means Improved Customer Service, Greater Technical Flexibility, and a Classier Ambiance

If you haven't visited the National Library of Medicine's Building 38 since December, you may still harbor visions of rust-colored carpeting, slightly antiquated fluorescent lighting and computers that, while up-to-date, were sometimes in short supply, leaving patrons to stand in line, awaiting access.

What a difference two weeks make. In a carefully plotted blitzkrieg of activity that started just before Christmas and ended just after New Year's, NLM's Reading Room and rotunda were given a complete makeover for the new millennium. The areas were recarpeted in a soft blue, raised floors were installed (allowing greater flexibility of computer configurations for the Reading Room, and of lighting and powering exhibitions in the rotunda), and custom-crafted woodwork was put in place. The Reading Room saw a transformation of its lighting system, too. And the increased electrical capability enabled the Library to increase the number of public computer workstations from 15 to 33. "Now, many more simultaneous customers can search our new integrated online catalog, LOCATORplus," noted the head of NLM's Reference Section, Pamela Meredith.

NLM's Reading Room is used extensively by health professionals and scholars from the local community, as well as many who come to the Library from other parts of the country and abroad to make use of the world's largest medical collection. In addition, document delivery companies and students use the collection to obtain articles they cannot obtain anywhere else. An average of 1,500 items is requested from the closed stacks every day.

For about the past 20 years, the Library's patrons have used terminals or computers to search the NLM catalog. Until the recent renovation, each reorganization of Reading Room space and each expansion of equipment and databases available to onsite users required substantial work and a long lead time. Because of the concrete flooring, moving or adding equipment required either drilling through concrete or attaching wiring to posts. According to Betsy Humphreys, Acting Associate Director for Library Operations, "The new raised flooring provides the flexibility we need to respond quickly to new user requirements in the main Reading Room and to reconfigure power and network connections for the interactive components of new historical exhibitions." Plans for adding dozens of computers over the next few years would simply not be feasible without raising the floor for practical wire management.

Overall project manager for this effort was Theodore Youwer, Chief of NLM's Office of Administrative Management Services. "Planning for this operation actually started in late 1997," he explained. "We worked with an architect, who guided us not only in planning the best use of our space but in meeting ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act], safety and other requirements."

"We also collaborated with Lou Storey, a New York designer who has worked with NLM on several recent exhibitions," Youwer continued. "Lou helped us with color selections and the overall look. And of course we had to coordinate closely with many NLM staffers, including Kris Scannell and Ken Niles in the Reference Section, who oversaw the rearrangement of the Reading Room."

"There were many logistical considerations for this project," noted Ken Niles, Onsite Coordinator for the Reading Room. The many bookcases and their contents had to be removed, along with the existing computer workstations. The photocopiers, which handle approximately $30,000 in transactions each month, had to be carefully unhooked and moved, so that the monetary value on each could still be read.

"We knew up front, when planning to do this, that we'd have to shut the Library down," Ted Youwer noted. "But we wanted to do it as briefly as possible, so as not to inconvenience our visitors. I had orders from Library Operations and [NLM Director] Dr. [Donald A.B.] Lindberg that the whole thing should last two weeks, tops. It was finally agreed that the last part of December and early January was a relatively quiet time that would be optimal for the project."

Youwer then met with a general contractor, Brown and Root Services Corporation of Bethesda, Maryland. Reference Section head Pam Meredith was also intimately involved in the planning of this ambitious project. And two of Youwer's assistants, Alvin Harris and David Osborne "worked hand in glove with me to make sure it all came together on time," explained the Chief. "We had many things to think about, including security and other Library policies - things Brown and Root didn't know about but needed to understand," continued Youwer. "And we had to huddle closely with staff from OCCS [NLM's Office of Computer and Communications Systems], because besides changing our electrical wiring in the Reading Room, we were installing LAN [Local Area Network] drops and telecommunications drops, to give us state-of-the-art technical capability."

The raised flooring (which has the springiness of an aerobics studio floor) is one of the biggest changes in the remodeled area. The existing 20" thick concrete floor has been covered with a layer of 18" x 18" carpeted plastic tiles (much like Lego building blocks) that stand 3.5" high. Without the help of any special equipment, this raised flooring can be taken up anywhere on its surface, and the wiring, which runs between concrete and carpet, reconfigured. (Previously, if the wiring in the Reading Room or rotunda needed changing, holes had to be drilled in the concrete floor - not an easy proposition.)

"I don't care what the communications or LAN wiring technology is -- broad-band cabling, fiber optics or anything. We can put it under that floor," Ted Youwer told NEWSLINE. "And when it comes to telecommunications, we can add as many circuits as we choose. This should give us unlimited options and give the Reading Room and exhibition area a new lease on life."

"When I first thought about this plan, I had nightmares," laughed Ted Youwer. "But we're all very pleased with the outcome. No question, the place looks updated and airier, and we are able to add to and improve our services to the public."

In addition, the project came in on time (actually, slightly ahead of schedule) and on budget, which is music to any taxpayer's, or project manager's, ears. "I think the extensive effort we spent upfront on planning paid big dividends when the work got underway. Many people were involved in the project and they all did their work well," said Ted Youwer, with the satisfied smile of a general whose troops have just waged a successful campaign.

Ken Niles of the Reference Section concurs. "In spite of the many hours of extra effort on the part of staff, my impression is that both staff and NLM visitors find the new work environment much more pleasant and inviting. I, for one, am proud of the outcome of our group effort - something that is not always clear when you are in the middle of a big project!"

Caption:
These "during" and "after" shots capture the dramatic transformation of the NLM Reading Room and exhibition area. Color photographs of the process can be viewed on the NLM web site by going to /about/renovation.html, and selecting the link to before-and-after photos.

Select another issue

Cumulative Index