The John Crerar Library At the University of Chicago
Jan 07, 2016
The John Crerar LibraryAt the University of Chicago
History of Physical SpaceMarshall Fields Building, Chicago
The Illinois Institute of Technology
University of Chicago
Reading Room
History of John CrerarOf Scottish descentRailroad businessFamily life (or lack thereof)Last Will and Testament
DonationsRemaining balance of estate valued at 2,576,000
Major Libraries of the Period• Chicago Public Library• Held
• entertaining and generally instructive books
• Newberry Library• Held
• literature, language, history
• John Crerar Library• Held
• physical and Natural Sciences, sociology and Economics
Planning for the Future
• Current Collection• 1.4 million
• Manseuto• Moved 100,000 items• Can hold 3 million
Architect Helmut Jahn's rendering of a cross-section of the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library, showing the automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS)
underground and the glass dome above ground.
Kathleen A. Zar Room• Started as a room with microfilm machines
• Kathleen Zar was a tenured librarian• She helped the library grow and diversify the library’s programs and
services for the sciences
• Technology equipped space for training programs, lectures, seminars, and classes.
• Projection screen, 3d virtual projection, media cabinet, white boards, and a folding partition
Zar Room
Funding and Budget• Comes from the University of Chicago
• Shared budget
• John Crerar • Left Funds• John Crerar Foundation gives money to the library every year• From the foundation the money has been put toward digitization,
ipads, and itouches.
• Budget• About half a million is put in to periodicals and on monographs. • As for staffing we were not given a number since they are a
private institution
Patron Expectations for Service
• Patrons expectations are that they will get help with their questions, treated fairly, and have a follow up.
Web Pages• Web Director
• Virtual Access Committee (VAC)• Group of librarians that develop all things virtual
Hours of Service
• Sunday – Thursday : 8 am – 1 pm• Friday - Saturday : 8 am – 10 pm • Circulation desk open until 10 pm
• Reference Desk• Sunday – Friday : 9 am -5 pm• Saturday : 1 pm – 5 pm
Staffing
• 6 Reference Librarians
• 5 Access Service Staff
• 2 full-time & 1 part-time processor
• 1 full-time & 1 part-time reference assistant
• 12 work study students
Programs of Service• Instruction programs
• Outreach within the University and on the outside
• Consultations
• Embedded librarian ships
Aquistions• Aggressively purchases electronic sources• E –books
• Still dedicated to print material
In-service Training• Has a staff development librarian
• Use of webinars
Marketing• University has a Marketing director of communication
• Librarians do targeted marketing
• Post online & sends out invites to those who are interested