Librarian Carson Holloway (left) gets a selfie with help from Kelley Lawton, Head of East Campus Libraries, on a recent staff tour of Lilly Library.
Last month, staff members from Lilly Library (currently working out of Bishop’s House) got a hard-hat tour of the renovation in progress. It’s been several months since most of them had been back inside the building, and the place is starting to look pretty different.
With the old stack core completely removed, the compact shelving taken out, windows boarded up, and the project still very much in the destruction rather than construction phase, it can take some imagination to picture what the future Lilly is going to look like.
But the walkthrough did prompt a number of fond memories and reflections from library staff, particularly those who have worked in Lilly for many years.
Since we can’t take everyone inside an active building site, we wanted to share a few images from their behind-the-scenes tour, as well as a few personal reflections from Lilly’s staff on what the experience brought to mind.
Do you have a memory of the old Lilly Library you’d like to share? If so, feel free to drop it in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
Plywood protects the marble floor and original architectural features in Lilly’s entrance atrium. After the renovation, a new second-story balcony walkway will cross this space, connecting the building’s two wings.“After thirty years of working in Lilly, I never realized how poorly the space was utilized until I saw everything removed from it. It was good for 1927, but the add-ons and add-ons resulted in a clumsy functioning we had all gotten used to. A complete start-over like this renovation was a great reminder of that.” — Lee Sorensen, Librarian for Visual Studies and Dance (pictured)Lilly staff explore the Few Reading Room. After the renovation, the well-loved study space will appear much as it did before, with updated wooden shelving, lighting, and furnishings.Standing inside what was once Lilly’s original stack core. “With the stacks completely removed from the back section, the space remaining became a cathedral. Handsome exposed brick to a height of three stories (!) and the large rounded windows shedding light in from the top. I found myself humbled again by the experience of architecture—and the long-gone workers who made it.” — Lee Sorensen, Librarian for Visual Studies and Dance
“I was surprised by how small and empty the stack tower felt. It was not nearly as tall as I’d imagined it would be. Shed of its steel bones, thousands of books, and poor lighting, I actually admire how the original building was adapted by introducing the interior framing during construction to expand from three to four levels.” — Carol Terry, Lilly Library Collection Services, Communications, and Social Media CoordinatorUpstairs in the historic Thomas Reading Room. “You know that over the years so many people have thought of this as their room or hideaway, and they have a personal connection to it. The intended use of the space as a haven for quiet study belies all the important and personal events we’ve hosted there—retirements and departures, baby and bridal showers, Eagle Scout inductions, celebrations of life for deceased faculty, graduation-related events, even presidential dinners (during the Brodie era) with honorary degree recipients.” — Carol Terry, Lilly Library Collection Services, Communications, and Social Media Coordinator (foreground, looking up)Pausing for a group photo. “We saw the car from the dumbwaiter in the old staff room and it brought back many memories of the numerous books that we sent between all the levels and was glad to see not too many books were found in the shaft. Several books were found, however, in the drop ceiling and under the compact shelving.” — Nathaniel Brown, Lilly Library Access and Delivery Services Manager (far right)Exploring the lower level, where students once studied among rows of compact shelving and cramped cubicles. “It is very exciting to see all the differences that the new Lilly will have. I especially look forward to the loading dock area and the workroom. I know colleagues from Smith are excited about the café and a place to get coffee.” — Nathaniel Brown, Lilly Library Access and Delivery Services Manager“I have been at the Duke University Libraries for over thirty years, and for at least fifteen of those we have been dreaming, contemplating, and talking about a Lilly Library renovation. So when I enter Lilly and see construction in progress, it feels a bit unreal. The stacks core and mobile shelving are gone; plaster and ceiling tiles have been removed; and the service desk is no longer in its place, but I can see what Lilly will be—a library that meets the research and study needs of students, a hub for East Campus programming, and a gathering spot for students, faculty, and staff. The combination of the beautiful historic reading rooms in addition to the new spaces and services will truly meet the needs of our users. Each phase of construction means that we are one step closer to opening, and I am thrilled!” — Kelley Lawton, Head of East Campus Libraries (pictured in front of her old office)
As the new year gets under way, we’re happy to report that the Lilly Library renovation is also entering a new and exciting phase.
Over the last couple of months, construction workers have removed all four levels of the library’s original book stack core, from top to bottom, almost like coring an apple.
Needless to say, accomplishing such a task in a century-old building presents all kinds of interesting logistical challenges, as the original steel stacks were load-bearing and anchored into the surrounding brick walls.
Each floor of stacks was held up by a grid of steel pillars supporting a deck of white marble flooring, all of which needed to come out, starting at the top and gradually moving down to ground level.
The old steel stacks were the state-of-the-art in 1927, when the library first opened. But over the years they presented numerous challenges and limitations, including their inflexibility, cramped and narrow aisles, and shallow shelf depth, which didn’t work well for housing Lilly’s many large-format art and photography books.
After the renovation, Lilly’s new book stacks will be located in the bottom level of the building in brand new compact shelving, in order to increase their holding capacity and free up space in the upper levels for library users.
We wanted to share some before-and-after shots, showing the progress of the stack demolition and removal. It’s a dramatic transformation, we think you’ll agree—the first of many to come! Stay tuned and check back soon for more renovation updates. And don’t forget to visit Lilly’s home-away-from-home during the renovation at Bishop’s House!
A view of Lilly’s stacks before the renovation. Note the low ceiling and narrow, cramped aisles.The shallow depth of the steel shelves was never ideal for housing Lilly’s sizable collection of large-format art and photography books.A view of the stack demolition in progress.Each floor of the original stacks was held up by a grid of steel pillars supporting a deck of white marble flooring. Here, the marble floor has been removed, exposing the level below.Because the stack core was load-bearing, construction workers had to start at the top and gradually work their way down to ground level, almost like coring an apple.In addition to removing the stacks, workers also had to remove the plaster covering the original brick walls and remediate hazardous materials like asbestos.Getting down to the original brick walls that surrounded the steel stack core structure.The original brick walls, now exposed, which anchored the stacks in place.Demolition complete! The space is now ready for its next transformation.
Bishop’s House on East Campus (behind Bassett Residence Hall), will serve as a temporary base of library services while Lilly Library is being renovated. The location is open to library users as of August 1!
A few months ago, while Duke was preparing for commencement exercises, here in the Libraries we were gearing up for a commencement of another sort—the official start of the Lilly Project! The library’s doors were locked, CLOSED FOR RENOVATION signs were posted, and the tricky work of packing up and moving an entire library began in earnest.
While Lilly’s staff were busy reshelving piles of returned books from the end of the semester, they also had to decide which ones should go to temporary storage for the next two years, and which to Perkins and Bostock Libraries on West Campus. Staff offices and workspaces had to be boxed up and relocated (with help from our tireless Facilities and Distribution Services team). Thank goodness Lilly’s extensive art collection had already been moved over spring break! But tens of thousands of books still had to be taken off the shelves and out of the building—without damaging anything or getting them out of order.
Needless to say, it’s been a busy summer for Lilly’s staff. Today, as we open the doors of Lilly’s temporary renovation quarters at Bishop’s House, we thought we would share some scenes from the move—a parting glance, if you will, at the old Lilly Library before the makeover really begins. Many of these were originally posted on Lilly’s Instagram account, but we also wanted to share them here as we begin to track the renovation’s progress over the next two years. Check back soon for more updates!
Lee Sorensen, Librarian for Visual Studies and Dance at Lilly, reviews materials before they’re boxed up and moved.Carts of books from Lilly’s stacks, shrink-wrapped, carefully labeled, and ready to be loaded out.Movers load the book carts onto trucks for transfer to temporary storage during the renovation.The Few Reading Room. Just a few weeks earlier, this space was full of books and students cramming for final exams.Lilly’s main service lobby, empty of computers, printers, furniture, and almost everything else!Shelves that once held Lilly’s extensive collection of DVDs and films, most of which have been relocated to Perkins Library during the renovation.Anybody here? A few lonely study tables are all that’s left in Lilly’s basement.David Felton, Lilly Media and Reserves Coordinator, collects bookends and checks for any overlooked items left on the shelves.Lilly’s staff take a break for one last group “shelfie.”The entrance to Bishop’s House, Lilly’s home away from home for the next two years. A small number of free 30-minute parking spaces are conveniently located next to the building for visitors.The library service desk in Bishop’s House, where users can pick up holds, access course reserves, and get help with any questions. Note the antique fireplace, one of many architectural charms of Lilly’s temporary renovation headquarters.Library users can still find scanners, copiers, printers, and other equipment they need at Bishop’s House.These antique school desks on the front porch of Bishop’s House could be your new favorite study spot. Stop by and pay us a visit!
