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| New Location for Special Collections |
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Planning for the new Special Collections area, underway since 2006, began in earnest in 2008 with the selection of RMC Architects of Bellingham as the project designer. The final design wraps around the roof terrace, a feature of the 6th floor of Wilson Library since the early 1970s, but long since closed to public access. The completely refurbished space will feature a greatly improved research area, climate-controlled storage space, an attractive conference room, expanded work areas for processing and digital projects, lockers for researcher use, and generously-sized display cases for exhibits of Special Collections resources. The entire area will be accessible to all as well climate-controlled for researcher comfort and to enhance preservation goals.
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| Main Entrance |
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Entrance to Research Area
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The main entrance to the new Special Collections will be found just west of the southwest elevator in Wilson Library. Visitors will enter through wide glass doors and proceed to the entrance to the research area, which will be located in the northwest corner of the floor. They will perhaps want to pause to examine the display in the nearby exhibit case. Once inside the research room, visitors will find lockers in which to deposit backpacks, briefcases, and similar carry-alls, which are not allowed in the research area.
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Visitors will next encounter the service desk, where staff will be available to answer questions, provide reference service about Special Collections resources, retrieve materials from the storage area, and otherwise assist researchers.
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Service Desk
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Looking Back to Research Entrance | |
Looking back toward the research room entrance, visitors will easily see the lockers for their use, as well as the exhibit case that separates the research room from the conference room just beyond.
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The view from the service desk will also take in the northwest corner of the research room, where there will be an area specially designed to showcase The Fly Fishing Collection, one of Special Collections' signature collections. Exhibit cases will display resources from the collection, including books, artwork, flies, rods, reels, and other objects related to the sport.
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Fly Fishing Cove | |
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Conference Room |
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The conference room at the opposite end of the research room will accommodate small groups of up to ten. From the conference room, visitors will be able to enjoy displays in the exhibit case that forms the northern wall of the room. The displays here will principally highlight the Special Collections Children's Literature Collection and the Helene Whitson Collection of unique format children's materials, including pop-up books and book with movable parts. Additional materials from these collections will be available near the display case in the research room.
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| Floor Plan |
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| Renderings by RMC Architects |
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