The University of Michigan (UM) will move forward with plans to build a $175 million library repository after receiving the green light from the Board of Regents. The project is officially moving into the design phase. The construction date will be released after the facility’s schematic design receives approval.
The library repository will serve as the centralized hub containing all physical collections of historic documents around five miles from Central Campus. These materials are currently located across multiple locations, housed in environments that aren’t suited for long-term preservation of fragile documents. Housing these materials in the repository will help protect them from common hazards such as mold, insects and water.
Once completed, researchers will have access to a permanent facility that processes, digitizes and preserves approximately 8 million volumes and materials that are part of the university’s collection. The facility will also address current capacity issues, alleviating available space concerns and mitigating overcrowding at existing campuses.
The building will provide an optimal climate-controlled environment for the collection. It will feature state-of-the-art infrastructure and improved retrieval practices to quickly deliver physical materials and digital scans as needed to authorized personnel.
While the project is officially moving into the design phase, concrete details on building features and amenities are still in development. UM officials will reveal more information as they develop the facility’s schematic design.
Photo by Marisa Sias from Pixabay
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