Library Collections & Services Facility

About the Project

Dartmouth is constructing a new facility at 54 Etna Road to provide book storage for Dartmouth Libraries and to house the Records Management Office. This facility addresses an urgent need for increased offsite storage capacity that will meet the expected Library collections growth for at least the next 15 years. The proximity to campus will allow for responsive delivery service of materials.

The new facility's footprint will share the 12-acre lot with an existing building owned by Dartmouth. The new building is designed to have two separate sections: a 40-foot high section will serve as high-bay, high-density storage, while the second part of the building will be almost 20 feet tall and will serve as office space, a loading dock, and a processing area. The total size of the building will be nearly 20,000 sq ft.

The building will be constructed of precast concrete structural exterior walls, and the south façade will have a decorative multi-color metal scrim to simulate the appearance of books on a shelf. The rubber roof will have the appearance of being flat, although it will have a slight pitch and will be well-insulated.  Interior storage spaces will be closely monitored for proper ventilation and humidification according to the materials being stored.

Major Project Milestone

  • Construction: June 2022 to Sept. 2023

Project Team

  • Dartmouth Project Manager: Jason Rouillard
  • Architect: Russell Scott Steedle & Capone Architects
  • Construction Manager: DEW Construction