Tech Library: A Model for Tomorrow
Appendix N: Meeting
with James Aagaard – Professor Emeritus, Electrical and
Computer Engineering Department, Technical Support Consultant
for the University Library
- In offices where new 24-hour area
would be located, there are boxes in walls (wiring of this
zone would have to be redone). There
are conduits (the tube or duct enclosing the wires) on the
floor of those offices.
- In middle area (new info commons
area) the conduits run throughout basement
floor and go up at desired areas (computers etc), should not be too hard
to wire this area. In area where virtual classroom and office space will
be located,
conduits are in the walls.
- It is very important to preserve
the main electrical closet (by elevator), since it is the center
of the electrical
system, and providing more space
for that closet would be very good to add, as the university requires
it for new
facilities.
- There are many places where there
are duplicate sets of conduits (as the library was built with
uncertainty about the
future computer
use).
For example,
by the current circulation desk where the new 24-hr area will be
located there is an unused box. Lots of conduits go back to
that box, and 1st,
3rd floor
stand-up computer stations use this box. Have to see if we want (or
can) use them.
- In location of space for individual
use for laptops (by new copy room), the carrels along edge
come from ceiling.
- New cables from main closet to
new circulation desk will be necessary to provide electricity
for that area.
- In the location of the door for
the 24hr area there is a box that would disappear and new conduits
will be
needed
if we want
to rewire
that area
(might not be
necessary)
- Floor in Tech library is very thin,
so bends are very tight, and new conduits could be good to
avoid space problems
with
the cables
(which
is the current
case).
- In Aagaard’s opinion, we
should not rely on wireless in concentrated areas (will probably
be this way in the future,
but
not technology not ready
yet)\
- 2 options for wiring public areas:
- o See where carrels are, dig
holes, get conduits
- To be able to move things around
in the future (core library used this) channel everything
and put boxes
approximately every 10 ft
(problem with
students accidentally
kicking them and covers will be removed). See
with
architect is possible to do with thin floors. For tech
library,
Aagaard feels
that first
option might
work better.
- One approach seemed to be used
a lot in labs and concentrated areas around the university
(Info commons, Tech), is
to put a box in the
ceiling for that
area with wires coming from it, which might
be
easier to do in harder areas, is how contractors
often find
quick
and effective solutions
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