Photos of the 3D model of the new Library are now available on the New Library website. http://www.library.mq.edu.au/newlibrary/

From the homepage you can click through to additional photos showing different aspects of the building. And don’t forget to visit us to view the actual 3D model which is located at the entry level of the current Library.

Any ideas about for how long the bulldozers and MEGA MULCH WOODCHIPPER will be stationed under my window? I am blogging this, cos cannot hear myself to use phone.

With work commencing on the new Library site, some are wondering exactly how the new Library will look in relation to the surrounding buildings and environment. Anticipating this, the Library, in conjunction with architects Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, commissioned and recently received a high quality 1: 200 scale model of the new Library showing exactly where it will be situated and how it will look.

The model is displayed on Level 2 of the Library, just inside the main entrance. Further information on the new Library is displayed nearby. The model was constructed by Modelcraft, a scale model architectural firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Dubai. You can see more of their work at www.modelcraft.com.au. The scale model of our new Library is constructed from various plastics, specialist aircraft ply, brass etching, sandpaper, foam and wire. Design and construction of the model took approximately 500 working hours, which equates to over 5 weeks work for two people.

So what can we glean from the model? Interestingly, it shows the overall height of the Library to be significantly lower than nearby building C3A, making the Library’s presence perhaps less obtrusive than you might otherwise assume.

The lower levels of the Library can be seen to be located underground, enlivened with gardened wells of natural light. This subterranean element of the new Library will allow some of the greenery and open spaces to return above ground once the building is complete. The proposed University Common is shown opening out from the front of the Library. For more information on the relationship of the new Library to the overall plan for the University, consult the Concept Plan.

But don’t take my word for it, come in and see the model for yourself.

It was wonderful to see so many students and staff brave the rain as we turned the first sod on the new Library site recently. With shovel in hand, Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Schwartz did the honours to mark the start of the construction phase of the new Library.

The Vice-Chancellor noted how the new Library will use technology to free up Library staff to assist students to better use and evaluate information. This will help us achieve Macquarie’s aim to become a more research-intensive university.

Many people have remarked how much they enjoyed participating in the traditional smoking ceremony performed by Darug elder Chris Tobin. This ritual is intended to cleanse the site and ward off bad spirits, and involved staff, guests and students walking through smoke from native leaves.

Dismayed by the heavy rain falling, I was heartened when Chris explained that the rain was in fact a positive sign for our future Library. He also challenged us to deliver the benefits promised by the new Library – a challenge we are happy to take up!

I’d like to thank all the Library, U@MQ and OFM staff involved for making this event such a success.

We’ve posted some photos of the event for those who couldn’t make it on the day.

I have been very excited by the input and ideas that have sprouted from our blog@library2010 in the few short months it has been up and running. Now, to facilitate broader discussion and engagement with ideas, students, staff and interested parties from the broader community may actively post new items for discussion to the blog, rather than just responding with comments.

While you can still expect that we will continue to post items on the progress of Library 2010, the ability for you to post new items is an important change as it will allow blog@library2010 to grow organically with various strands touching on different issues. That, after all is what a blog is all about.

So I encourage you to contribute. If you have a bright idea, we want to hear about it! You might just see it come to fruition in the new Library. Or if you’d like to endorse an idea that has already been posted, please do. We can’t always know how popular an idea is unless we hear from you.

Help us make it happen! Join our blog now.

Maxine Brodie, University Librarian

Welcome to blog@library2010!

blog@library2010 has been set up to capture your ideas, comments and concerns about the New Library. We will also use this forum to keep you up-to-date with general progress and alert you to major developments and upcoming events. Your input is valuable and fundamental to the success of this project. I warmly invite students, staff and interested parties from the broader community to join our blog discussion.

For a more formal comment where you seek feedback please use the Contact Library form and we will be happy to respond.

Maxine Brodie, University Librarian