Geology Library Closing August 6, 2010

The Geology Library, located in the Natural History Building, will permanently close to the public at 5 p.m. on August 6, 2010.

In recent years, the University Library has been consolidating collections housed in the Geology Library with those held in other Library units, including the Grainger Engineering Library and the Map and Geography Library, as well as moving many materials into the Oak Street Library Facility, which provides an ideal environment for long-term preservation of Library materials. While the University Library had originally planned to close the Geology Library in August 2011, upon receiving recommendations from the New Service Models’ Geology Planning and Implementation Team, it has been forced to close the unit earlier due to structural problems recently discovered in the 1908 addition to the Natural History Building.

While the accelerated timeline for closing the Geology Library may make some of its materials inaccessible for periods of time during the evacuation of the Natural History Building space, Library faculty and staff remain committed to providing the resources and services for which the Geology Library has been known for more than 50 years. Throughout this move, Library users will retain 24/7 access to digital content made available through the Library Gateway and the Geology Web Portal (under development). Patrons wishing to borrow print materials currently housed in the Natural History Building may request delivery of those materials to another Library unit or to a campus mailbox (faculty, staff, and graduate students only) through the Library Catalog. Please note that there may be short delays in delivering these items to other campus locations throughout Fall 2010 due to limited access to Geology materials in the Natural History Building. Every effort will be made to get patrons the materials they need as quickly as possible. Users with questions about access to Geology materials may seek assistance at any Urbana campus library, including the Chemistry Library and the Grainger Engineering Library, and may also seek assistance online through the Ask-a-Librarian service.

Beginning in Fall 2010, the Geology Librarian will be available for consultation at the Grainger Engineering Library, and will offer assistance by appointment, by phone (217-333-2676), or by e-mail. Further information on Geology Librarian Office Hours and contact information for research consultation or other assistance will be posted on the Geology Library Web Portal this fall.

The University Library appreciates the use and support of the Geology Library over the past half-century, and looks forward to continuing to serve its patrons’ teaching, learning, and research needs on campus and through its digital collections and services, as well as through the ongoing access to print materials to be located in the Grainger Engineering Library and in other Library units.

The University Library would also like to acknowledge the Geology Library staff who have delivered excellent service for more than five decades. Their hard work is especially appreciated during this transition.

Please contact Lura Joseph, Geology Librarian, with any questions about Geology resources and services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Please contact Jeff Schrader, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Facilities, with any questions about the Geology Library space in the Natural History Building.