College and Research Libraries


Centralized Services 
In New Central Washington Building 

BY C L A R E N C E G O R C H E L S 

ARCHITECTS, builders, and administra-tors have achieved a high degree of 
integrated variety in the new library 
building (completed in October 1961) on 
the campus of Central Washington State 
College, Ellensburg, Washington. 

T h e architects and builders have com-
bined such features as ultramodern pre-
cast and prestressed roof panels, spectacu-
lar sunscreens, a landscaping plan to 
counteract the effect of bigness, and a 
unique "medieval" method of providing 
artistic attractions. 

Administratively, the following groups 
of resources and services are closely inte-
grated in the new library building: 
closed-circuit-television services, audio-
visual materials, the curriclum labora-
tory, the instructional-materials-produc-
tion laboratory, and the traditional li-
brary. Thus, students and faculty have 
access in this new educational resources 
center to the books, films, phonodiscs, 
periodicals, art prints, tapes, etc., which 
are required for modern study, teaching, 
and educational research. A full-time 
staff of fifteen, including librarians, au-
dio-visual experts, and other specialists 
work under the supervision of the di-
rector to provide coordinated services. 

Initially, seats are available for 855 of 
the 2,600 students at Central, and shelv-
ing is in place for 112,000 volumes. Con-
siderable space has been provided for ex-
pansion, since enrollment is increasing at 
a high rate. 

T h e architectural design of the build-
ing, especially the use of precast, pre-
stressed roof panels, has attracted consid-

Mr. Gorchels is Librarian, Central Wash-
ington Slate College. 

erable attention in the world of architec-
ture. Each of the ninety-eight unique 
roof elements spans sixty-five feet, ac-
complishing noteworthy floor-plan flexi-
bility in eliminating the necessity for nu-
merous inside columns. Moreover, the 
manufacture of these panels using con-
crete to resist compression stresses and 
steel wires to resist tensile stresses makes 
possible a saving of about one-half of the 
concrete and one-third of the steel nor-
mally needed to roof a building of this 
size. 

T h e window-walls on the east and west 
sides of the building are protected by 
clay-tile sunscreens resembling long 
honeycombs. Visibility is excellent for 
readers who wish to look out at the Kit-
titas Valley landscape, but direct sun-
shine and glare are effectively prevented 
from coming into the building. T h e 
south wall of the building has only six 
hooded windows. 

T h e outside dimensions of the two-
story building are 156 by 224 feet, and 
the architects have endeavored to elimin-
inate the appearance of massiveness. 
Architect Fred Bassetti has explained his 
method: " W e have mass communication, 
mass transportation and mass education, 
but through a serious concern for human 
scale we have tried to shape the site and 
the building to a size proportioned for 
the users. T h i s is done in the site plan 

S E P T E M B E R 1962 1 9 6 2 



by holding the plaza (which is a gather-
ing place for students) to the smallest area 
consistent with its campus location, and 
by planting a 'bosque' in front of the 
building. T h i s is a grid of plane trees 
which creates space by dividing it on 
about a thirty-foot module of columnar 
tree trunks. T h i s will provide shade and 
wind protection in spring and summer, 
while letting the sun filter through in 
winter, since the trees are deciduous." 

T o achieve artistic beauty throughout 
the new library building the architect 
engaged five artists to execute appropri-

ate paintings and sculpture in the build-
ing itself rather than produce studio art 
to be brought into the building. T h e 
artists lived on the campus for approxi-
mately two months, working together in 
the incomplete building and in the col-
lege shops. Again, Architect Bassetti has 
stated the objective: " I t is our intention 
to encourage the placement, not of one 
monumental work at the entry, but 
rather of many smaller, more human 
works of art, fitted lovingly into any part 
of the building which strikes the artist's 
fancy and which can be seen and studied 

T H E C E N T R A L W A S H I N G T O N S T A T E C O L L E G E L I B R A R Y , E L L E N S B U R G 



and appreciated at length by a student 
seated rather than only by one walking 
by. An organic, artistic whole similar to 
what was achieved in Europe in medieval 
times is the goal we seek, in place of the 
thin veneer of 'artiness' which so often 
appears today." 

Combined with this full consideration 
of the esthetic values is the practical and 
efficient arrangement of service areas in 
the new building. T h e main service desks 
for the circulation of books and audio-
visual materials are located on the first 
floor near the entrance of the building. 
T h e technical services division staff (cen-
tralized for the acquisition and process-
ing of all types of materials) has its work 
area adjoining the card catalog, the ref-
erence area, and the audio-visual offices. 
T h e director's office, and work and stor-
age space for the closed-circuit-television 
activities are also on the first floor. 

On the second floor, separate rooms are 
provided for such special library materi-
als as the music and art collection, ar-
chives, and maps. On this floor, also, are 
the curriculum laboratory, the instruc-
tional-materials-production laboratory, li-
brary science classrooms, audition and 
preview rooms, and the language labora-
tory. 

T h e curriculum laboratory is an area 
of three thousand square feet, planned to 
house materials such as courses of study, 
subject-unit outlines, representative text-
books, workbooks, and related materials 
which are invaluable to teachers and fu-
ture teachers. 

T h e instructional-materials-production 
laboratory is equipped with work tables, 
appropriate machines, and supplies 
which are useful to teachers in creat-
ing graphic and audio-instructional ma-
terials. 

T h e language laboratory has semi-
private booths with tape recorders, as 
well as classroom furnishings arranged to 
facilitate the study of foreign languages. 

Last but not least, on both floors books 
and periodicals are shelved on open 

stacks. Most of the study chairs and 
tables, including sixty individual study 
carrels, are located among or adjacent to 
the open stacks. 

Permanent walls are few in the new 
building, thus providing for maximal 
flexibility as the various services expand 
(or decline) in the future. T h e building 
can be extended to the east and to the 
north to take care of long-range expan-
sion requirements. 

Name of Library: Central Washington 
State College Library 

Architect: Bassetti & Morse, Seattle 
T yp e of Construction: Reinforced con-

crete with pan joist floors and concrete 
slabs; precast and prestressed roof pan-
els; clay tile sun screen. 

Building costs: 
Cost of site: Part of campus 
Construction costs: $1,522,456, includ-

ing landscaping and decoration; 
$21.75 per sq. ft. 

Lighting: Fluorescent and incandescent 
Floors: Vinyl asbestos tile 
Heating: Campus steam system 
Air conditioning: Conduits and piping 

only, for later installation 
Book capacity (all areas): T o t a l volume 

capacity: 112,000 current; 250,000 ulti-
mate capacity; linear footage: 26,400; 
free standing shelving supplied by 
Ames; special wood shelving designed 
by architects; cost included in general 
contract 

Stack area: Volume capacity: 105,000 
current; 243,000 idtimate capacity; 
linear footage: 19,759; free standing 
stacks supplied by Ames; cost included 
in general contract 

Library furniture: Charging desks: cus-
tom designed by architects; suppliers: 
Oregon Woodwork Ltd.; catalog cases, 
exhibit cases, tables, chairs, desks, etc.: 
custom designed by architects and man-
ufactured by successful bidders in 
Washington, Oregon, and California, 
cost: $77,842. 

S E P T E M B E R 1 9 6 2 395