Shine Forever: The Campaign for Lehigh University

LINDERMAN LIBRARY RENOVATION PROJECT
Gift Opportunity List as of July 21, 2008

Library Walk (formerly Library Drive) -- $600,000/ Now $500,000

With Linderman Library now open for a year, future outdoor enhancements include removing some of the parking spaces from the original Library Drive and replacing the existing surface with attractive pavers. In addition, new plantings in this area will extend the green area on the north side to better integrate the new pedestrian-friendly Library Walk with the recently completed University Walk and Memorial Walk. A raised area in front of the library steps will also be installed to create a more striking entrance to the historic and now revitalized Linderman Library. Designs for these enhancements have been created by the Philadelphia firm, Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects, Inc.

Humanities Forum (Second Floor) -- $500,000/ Now $350,000

The Humanities Forum is one of the most distinctive and elegant spaces on campus. This stunning, 1,400 square foot space is a sought-after venue for campus events: poetry readings, lectures, receptions, and especially humanities programs.  The room (known as room 200) epitomizes the library’s neo-gothic style, with beautifully ornamented wood paneling and moldings, and windows on three sides offering sweeping views of the campus.  The room has recessed projection equipment so that modern technology may be used without distracting from the ambiance.  To further enhance this ambiance, furnishings and fixtures have been updated, including the placement of a large antique rug from Agra, India (where the Taj Mahal is located) gifted by a Lehigh alumnus. A highpoint of any academic experience is listening to a stimulating lecture as the late fall afternoon light filters into this room. Built-in glass front shelving houses Special Collections materials in the History of American Technology (steel, building design, and concrete) and some works by and about members of the Lehigh Valley community, celebrating scholarship and the Lehigh Valley’s own contributions to technology.  An adjacent kitchenette, where the book vault had been located, now facilitates food service for events.  The room is now accessible from both the new set of stairs in the east tower as well as the new public elevator.

Exhibition Gallery (Lower Level) -- $250,000/ Now $150,000

The large area connecting the very popular café/commons space and the stacks is now a gallery space with approximately 50 linear feet of exhibition space. The gallery has new hardwood flooring and built-in display cases along the north wall—the only place in the Linderman where one can see remnants of the original 1878 portico. . This space allows for the display of humanities materials from the library’s collection, artifacts, fine crafts or small sculptures from the university’s art gallery collections, and student works of art. In just one year, it has already been the site for the display of elements from the inauguration of President Alice P. Gast, the “Home to Roost” Audubon exhibition, the “Cartographic Perspective” exhibition as well as showcasing “Maps that Matter.”  The exhibition gallery also has become an excellent site for small lectures, receptions or other events.  New glass stairs descend from the main lobby at the east end while the main lobby’s glass block flooring has become the center portion of the gallery’s ceiling which adds light to this area.

Library Technical Services Center (Lower Level) -- $250,000/ Now $100,000

A library’s technical services are the heart of what makes a library a library. The important work that happens here is what makes a library so much more than a bookstore or a storage unit. The center consists of processing space and office space for approximately 10-12 staff members responsible for acquiring, processing, and cataloging books, journals and other materials for the Lehigh Libraries.  The space is especially designed for the efficient flow of materials from initial receipt to shelf-ready condition.

Upper Rotunda Study Alcoves -- $100,000 for both floors; or $60,000 for each floor
(Second & Third Floors in the Rotunda)

The glorious and awe-inspiring rotunda, the heart of the original 1878 building, now accommodates patrons as well as houses a portion of the library’s book collection.  All the existing offices in the rotunda were removed to make more space available for students to study. The original hardwood floors and radial stacks on these upper rotunda floors remain. Within each of the thirteen (13) cozy alcoves located between the stacks, new tables and chairs have been placed to provide a quiet, intimate place to study.  All the windows have been restored and all the lighting has been updated to enhance this spectacular space. This is precisely the area where the previous awkward linkage of the 1878 building with the 1929 addition has been remedied by the installation of a bay window and glass wall that extends to the third floor. Now from a single vantage point, library patrons may enjoy the outstanding architecture of both eras.

Literature Stacks (Third Floor) -- $100,000

The third floor stacks have been re-lighted and new aisles created to improve the readability and the accessibility to these important books. Most of the collections on this floor are books classed in the 800’s—language texts and literature in all languages including many of the classics and “great books” we all read in school. The space has also been reconfigured so that the majestic gothic windows nearby are in full view for the first time.

Linderman Library’s Public Elevator (All Floors) -- $100,000

The first public elevator in Linderman, located in the building’s “core,” is the key to enhanced access to the building, not only for the disabled but also for extremely convenient access to Linderman’s glorious Humanities Forum, upper stack floors, computer classroom, and new seminar rooms.

Humanities Forum Technology and Furniture Package -- $100,000
(Second Floor)

The distinctive Humanities Forum, one of the most elegant and stately spaces on campus, is a sought-after venue for many lectures and events, many of which require modern technology. The revitalization of this historic room (currently known as room 200) is now realized with built-in, state-of-the-art media capabilities featuring an advanced audio-visual system. In addition, new technology in the Humanities Forum includes wireless connectivity, a recessed projection screen, and a specialized security system for the glass front book cases that contain many of the rare books from the Library’s Special Collections. Furnishings and lighting fixtures are also updated with the addition of 100 new stackable chairs and custom-designed white oak meeting tables. The new ‘cloud ceiling’ is designed to heat and air condition this room effectively while maintaining the Humanities Forum’s charm and character.  

Lighting Package -- $150,000/ Now $75,000

Much of the 1878 original Linderman architecture was designed to maximize light – skylights, the reflective white tile, and the gas fixtures: in 2008 the technology is so different but what could be more important in a library than great lighting? Lighting is indeed a critical part of the overall Linderman renovation.  Custom chandeliers have been created for the Linderman Reading Room that echo in feeling the original 1929 ones, and there are new lights in the four stack floors as well as enhanced lighting in all offices and corridors.

Security System Package -- $100,000/ Now $75,000

The key to opening up all of the glorious spaces in Linderman Library is the provision of a reliable security package so that the library’s general collection and its rare Special Collections are secure while still allowing users to access areas in a convenient and straightforward way. This was achieved by providing appropriate security at fire exits, motion detectors, and other devices and key systems so that materials and library patrons enter and exit only through the front door where the book security system is located. These new security measures have been sensitively integrated into the structure of the building.

Technology Enhancement Package -- $100,000/ Now $75,000
(in the Bayer Galleria on Third Floor)

The Bayer Galleria with its beautifully expansive ceilings and fine woodwork provides a quiet place for serious study, a need stressed by students during the Linderman planning process.  Special Collections class seminars also take place here when the smaller Bayer Family Reading Room across the hallway is insufficient. In addition, the Bayer Galleria is a preferred site for special receptions and important meetings, including Lehigh Board of Trustee meetings. To effectively serve such multi-dimensional purposes, the Bayer Galleria is now equipped with a rear projection audio-visual system, built into the white oak cabinetry to keep the look and feel of this stately room.  The original 1929 chandelier has been refurbished and now hangs from the Galleria’s majestic ceiling among eight contemporary lighting fixtures. The enhanced security system allows the locked glass front shelving to house the “Lehigh Collection”, the core of Lehigh University’s institutional archive.

Interior Signage Package -- $100,000/ Now $50,000

The renovated Linderman Library has a new way finding and signage system designed by Roger Whitehouse of Whitehouse & Company in New York.  A building map on the main floor and directional and information signs for service points, stacks and offices has been tailored to fit the Linderman aesthetic and still be clear and visible.  The signage package also includes the many donor plaques recognizing named gifts to the renovation project.

Eastside Scanning Stations -- $25,000
(Lower Level Stacks-Mezzanine Level)

The east end of the lower level stacks includes two computers and two four-color computer scanners for student, faculty and patron use. Conveniently located near the art books and other oversized volumes, this equipment enables patrons to create files that reproduce colorful illustrations from these volumes without having to leave the library premises.

Westside Stacks Lounge -- $25,000/ Now $20,000
(Lower Level Stacks-Mezzanine Level)

The west end of the lower level stacks includes a small lounge with two comfortable chairs.  The lounge, close to the philosophy, religion, and art books, is an ideal spot for quiet study and contemplation.

Portico Display Cases (Lower Level) -- Four (4) cases at $10,000 each

Sited along the north wall in the new Exhibition Gallery are five (5) built-in exhibition display cases. This is the only place in Linderman Library where one can see remnants of the original 1878 portico. On a rotating basis, these exhibition cases within the portico display humanities materials from the library’s collection, artifacts, fine crafts or small sculptures from the university’s art gallery collections, as well as student works of art. In just one year, the new cases have already displayed elements from the inauguration of President Alice P. Gast, the “Home to Roost” Audubon exhibition, the “Cartographic Perspective” exhibition as well as showcasing “Maps that Matter.” 

Permanent Inscription (Main Donor Lobby Plaque) -- All gifts of $10,000
and above

In the library’s main entrance in the original vestibule and directly across from the cast bronze plaque honoring the donors for the library’s 1929 addition, the NEW donor lobby plaque will permanently honor and recognize Lehigh University alumni, parents and friends who have contributed to Shine Forever: The Campaign for Lehigh leadership gifts to help transform and revitalize Linderman Library for current and upcoming generations. A gift of $10,000 or more ensures that the donor’s name will be included on this plaque—the first thing seen by visitors to the historic and now revitalized Linderman Library.