A student uses OBIS--Oberlin's online card catalogue--at the electronic resource center in front of the circulation desk. PHOTOGRAPHS BY LIZ FOX
			Conservatory Library Reopens Tuesday, September 5 By Marci Janas
			Do you hear it? It's the absence of jackhammers and power drills...the sweet, dulcet tones of silence. After a summer of intensive labor, the Conservatory Library will re-open--at least partially--Tuesday, September 5 at 8 A.M. In truth, the construction workers haven't really left the building, although they shouldn't be making noise where it will matter. But the first phase of the renovation project that officially began on May 22 is nearing completion. The entire main floor of the library--including the east room and the west wing--will be available to the public. Deborah Campana, conservatory librarian, says that not only is the renovation project on schedule; in some respects, they are ahead of the game. "We did not expect our collection to be returned to us until October, but the entire collection is now on site." she says. All first-floor materials will be readily available to patrons. Materials housed on the second floor of the west wing-- miniature and oversize scores, bound periodicals, books and scores in the Dewey decimal system, music education kits, and concert tapes--can be obtained by requesting them from the library staff. The elevator should be installed by the end of this month, so after fall break, patrons will be able to access these materials themselves. The library expansion required the addition of a new staff person. Faith Hoffman has been hired as evening and weekend supervisor to help oversee service issues. Besides the new face in the library, the new Electronic Resource Center in front of the circulation desk, and the compact, mobile shelving behind it, are among the most noticeable changes. Other, less visible changes have included reinforcing the west wing first floor ceiling with steel to allow for mobile, compact shelving on the second floor. A new conference room on the second floor, the new electronic classroom in the former first-floor seminar room, restrooms, a quiet study space with Internet access, and an additional workstation area complete with copy machine should also be completed by the end of the month. And finally, another card catalog has gone the way of the dinosaur. "We removed a catalog from the public area," says Campana, "because, with the completion of the scores retrospective conversion project, OBIS contains all bibliographic information about scores." All 84,000 of them. The library staff is glad to answer any questions about the library renovation. Stop in or call them at 440/775-8280.
			This is the last nonelectronic card catalogue left in the con library after the renovations. It catalogues the Gehrkens Collection, a collection of donated LP's.
			Back to the Backstage Pass