Duke Board Of Trustees Authorizes Planning For Major Library Expansion

Friday, October 5, 2001

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke University's Board of Trustees Friday authorized the start of planning for a major expansion of Perkins Library, the main West Campus library constructed in three stages between 1928 and 1968. The first phase calls for construction of an addition to Perkins behind the Old Chemistry Building and to the east of the 1968 expansion of the library. This addition, to be linked to the existing structure by a third-story bridge, would complement the planned Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering and Applied Sciences to be built to the north. Also in this first phase is renovation of the first floor of the 1968 expansion and construction of a pavilion cafe. "It is particularly significant that the Board of Trustees vote comes on Founders Weekend, because it reinforces the continuing commitment to the library at Duke," said University Librarian David S. Ferriero. "In his 1901 Benefactor's Day speech, the president of the Board of Trustees, James F. Southgate, quoting James B. Duke, said: 'No university can be great without a great library.'" The Perkins Library Renovation Committee appointed by Provost Peter Lange in August 2000 concluded with the assistance of outside architects that Perkins required an additional 72,000 square feet of space that will be provided by the new addition. "This additional area will permit both a slight increase over time in the number of volumes held on site and a vast improvement in the quality of the space alloted to library and academic services, collections and users," Pearce said.