2008 Woodie Awards
Gottesman Library Gets Scaffolding
"Pitt Caff" to Open Soon
Moshe Goldfeder
Issue date: 4/18/05 Section: News
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Yeshiva's Mendel Gottesman Library is continuing its series of renovations this year, with both planned for and unexpected projects in the works. The most notable difference on campus in recent weeks has been the scaffolding system set up around the library building, a structure that many students may recognize from its counterpart in front of Belfer Hall.
In a recent powerful rainstorm, a small chunk of the library's façade facing Furst Hall came tumbling down, leaving administrators worried about the safety of the edifice. The building, which was completed in 1969, was last renovated two years ago, when the Yeshiva University Museum moved out of its fourth floor residence, to be replaced by the expansion of the library's Judaica collection. After the storm, work began immediately on re-pointing and re-facing the bricks all over the building, a procedure that Peter Ferrara, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, says is "a normal part of maintenance that would have had to have been done in a few years anyways."
Director of Facilities Management Jeffrey Rosengarten confirmed that the aging bricks were the cause of the problem, and added that the scaffolding will remain in place until an engineer can identify exactly where the trouble areas are, and assess what needs to be done so that they can be fixed. "Besides for protecting sidewalk pedestrians, there are also laws that govern these types of situations," he explained.
The other renovation on tap for the library has been several years in the making. In 2003, plans were announced for the introduction of a completely revamped Student Study Center. The open space on the first floor was also once used by the Museum, but has since become an informal group-study area. Earlier this year, renovations and refurbishment led to the now sparkling spot, affectionately known as the Study Pit. According to Dean of Libraries Pearl Berger, the next phase is already well on its way to fruition, and will feature food and drink vendors, and wireless Internet connection.
In a recent powerful rainstorm, a small chunk of the library's façade facing Furst Hall came tumbling down, leaving administrators worried about the safety of the edifice. The building, which was completed in 1969, was last renovated two years ago, when the Yeshiva University Museum moved out of its fourth floor residence, to be replaced by the expansion of the library's Judaica collection. After the storm, work began immediately on re-pointing and re-facing the bricks all over the building, a procedure that Peter Ferrara, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, says is "a normal part of maintenance that would have had to have been done in a few years anyways."
Director of Facilities Management Jeffrey Rosengarten confirmed that the aging bricks were the cause of the problem, and added that the scaffolding will remain in place until an engineer can identify exactly where the trouble areas are, and assess what needs to be done so that they can be fixed. "Besides for protecting sidewalk pedestrians, there are also laws that govern these types of situations," he explained.
The other renovation on tap for the library has been several years in the making. In 2003, plans were announced for the introduction of a completely revamped Student Study Center. The open space on the first floor was also once used by the Museum, but has since become an informal group-study area. Earlier this year, renovations and refurbishment led to the now sparkling spot, affectionately known as the Study Pit. According to Dean of Libraries Pearl Berger, the next phase is already well on its way to fruition, and will feature food and drink vendors, and wireless Internet connection.