Construction projects infiltrate the entire campus area, and the university is preparing to embark on yet another one. The Main Library is scheduled to undergo major renovations, but first some important decisions must be made.

One decision is whether to remove the stacks tower from the building.

“We are really down to two schemes,” said Joe Branin, director of university libraries. “We had architects here last week, and there were open meetings. They did present three options, but we are really debating two right now.”

As the pros and cons of each are evaluated, both schemes are being given equal consideration.

“One scheme keeps the 1913 building, the book tower that was built in 1950, and adds to those two,” Branin said. “We are calling that the tower scheme.”

“The other is called the new core scheme – where we keep the 1913 building, but we tear down the tower in the 1977 addition,” he said.

Scott Conlon, project manager for the university architect’s office, said differing opinions mean a final decision will have to wait.

“Librarians would take down the tower because it is incredibly inefficient in today’s world of libraries,” Conlon said. “Obviously, we do not want to take down the tower. It is a landmark as far as we are concerned. We are not at a point to even make a decision. We just finished up what we call pre-design.”

Branin said a decision is likely to be made in early December.

“It is probably going to take at least a couple weeks more, if not longer,” Branin said. “We have been going over the pros and cons of it. It is partly my decision and partly the architect’s decision.”

Depending on what is decided, others may be included in the decision-making process.

“If we decide that we are going to recommend the option that takes the tower down, we will probably bring that to the president and the provost to make sure they support that,” Branin said. “Although it was built in 1950, it is a landmark.”

Craig Anderson, a senior in marketing, said he would be saddened if the tower was removed, mainly for the posterity factor it holds.

“For my entire college career, I have looked at the stacks as a symbol of the Oval,” Anderson said.

Keeping the tower not only maintains a campus landmark, but it could assist the financial aspect of the project, Branin said.

But, “taking the tower down allows us to do new design work and create a more modern structure,” he said.