Howard-Tilton Memorial Library is still undergoing major construction efforts, including the installation of new fire safety equipment and renovation of the elevator. 

Tulane’s Capital Projects and Real Estate Group, which oversees construction, issues a weekly document describing what work they expect to complete that week. The missing ceiling tiles are for ceiling work on the first and fourth floors, in addition to the installation of sprinklers on the first through fourth floors. As part of this new fire safety equipment, a new fire management room has been built on the first floor, which is being painted this week.

Senior Yarden Hodes has found the construction makes studying at the library less convenient.

“The missing ceiling means that one side of [the first floor] is not lit,” Hodes said. “It makes it difficult.”

The main renovation that has been ongoing for some time is the elevator and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) shafts. Contractors are continuing renovations inside elevator shafts two and three. As part of the elevator renovations, the contractor is raising new elevator equipment to the roof, as well as rebuilding other elevator equipment. HVAC work is following a similar pattern. Ductwork was installed in shaft two last week, and workers are now installing new ductwork in HVAC shaft three.

Additionally, the contractor is finishing the physical structure of the building. They are installing new equipment on the fifth floor, as well as metal stairs to the sixth floor, as part of building the interior rooms of the addition. On the exterior of the building, the panels that will form the exterior wall, the new windows and the building’s new roof are currently being installed.

Finally, the contractors finished the second floor’s asbestos abatement, and are now working inside shaft two before moving up to the third floor.

The closure of certain areas of the library for construction has made some areas of the library inaccessible to students and faculty. Howard-Tilton runs a blog to keep students aware of how CPREG’s construction plans will affect library operations. The blog lists when sprinkler installation will make certain stacks inaccessible, as well as recent photos from inside the top floors of construction.

Hodes said that while she has not had any trouble getting books, the closure of study areas on the upper floors has made the rest of the library more crowded.

“It’s okay since it is the beginning of the semester, but it was worse during finals,” Hodes said.

Library employees said the closures on the upper floors have affected their work as well. Elaine Chang, who works in the library’s technology services department, said her work has been impaired by the renovations.

“We had to remove some computers from the closed areas,” said Chang.

DOCUMENTS

Cpreg 1: http://tulane.edu/cpreg/upload/htla20150111.pdf

Cpreg 2: http://tulane.edu/cpreg/upload/htla20150125.pdf

HTML blog: http://h-tml-addition.blogspot.com/

Fun pictures HTML posted from the top floor (hint-hint photo people):

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=5edee971872d0d14&sid=8AZtWjJ w4Yt2HO