Founders Memorial Library’s new director must choose either to reduce study space or to move some books to off-campus storage to solve the library’s immediate space problem.

Historian Steve Marquardt, former director of libraries at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, became the director of the NIU library system on Aug. 21.

Solving the library space problem is Marquardt’s first priority. “This overriding problem needs to be addressed immediately,” he said.

Marquardt said it will be eight to 10 years before funding can be found to build an addition for the library. Until then, the library will have to cope with the problem by reducing student study space or by moving some older materials to an undecided off-campus storage site.

Marquardt said he does not know which solution to the space problem he will choose.

However, Student Association President Huda Scheidelman said generally she favors putting the less used books elsewhere. “Some students can’t study where they live at all,” she said.

Elizabeth Titus, assistant director for public services for the NIU library system, agreed that a lack of space was a big problem at the library.

In general, libraries across the state face a space shortage, Titus said. “To a student, this means the libraries are crowded,” she explained.

Although the library is expanding their computer access capabilities over the next five years, making information at the library easier to locate, Titus said the expansion creates new demands for the limited space at the library.

For example, the compact disc—read only memory (CD-ROM) work stations for accessing indexes to periodicals make finding information much easier for students, but the work stations take up more space at the library.

Titus also said the library is dedicated to building its collection, but the purchase of new journals and books makes the library more crowded.

Marquardt said the environmental and space problems in the branch libraries and a new library for the college of engineering and engineering technology are two other issues he hopes to solve soon.

Scheidelman said she thinks the problems with the library escalators, the acquisition of new books and journals and the possibility of a small smoking lounge for the library are three important issues that should be solved during the 1989-90 school year.

One of those problems has already been solved. “All the escalators have been repaired and are operational except for those going to the lower level,” Titus said.

Titus did not have a specific date for when the lower level escalators would be working again.

In the next two to three weeks, Scheidelman will appoint three students to the library advisory committee. The members of this committee advise the provost on matters of policy, need and services at the library.