Facilities Info Center

In light of the library's central role in the University's mission, Princeton University is moving forward with plans for a complete renovation of Firestone Library.

Project Goals
The planning for the renovation of Firestone is focused on creating a building that is well-suited to support modern library services and contemporary approaches to scholarship while also providing the proper environment for one of the world's great book and manuscript collections.
Principles guiding the renovation include:

• Improving navigability and wayfinding throughout the building, especially in the open stacks.
• Improving the quality of user spaces, including graduate study rooms, carrels, quiet public reading rooms and seating in the stack areas.
• Creating more efficient shelving layouts.
• Creating a larger and consolidated space for the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
• Concentrating exhibit spaces on the first floor.
• Consolidating library service points into more efficient and effective groupings.
• Designing efficient and comfortable staff spaces.
• Bringing the building into compliance with current building and fire codes and accessibility standards.

• Energy-efficient HVAC system including chilled beams and heat recovery systems.
• Energy-efficient lighting including automatic controls and energy efficient lamps and ballasts.
• Replaced skylight glazing to reduce heat loss. New UV filtered and insulated windows are also being installed.  
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures to reduce water consumption.
• Building finishes will be upgraded using sustainable products.

The renovation and reconfiguration is conceived as a long-term phased project taking more than 10 years, during which the library will remain open and occupied. Efforts will be made to schedule the most disruptive work at times of the year when the library is not as heavily used, and to create temporary spaces to keep noise and dust to a minimum. While some materials may be housed off-campus, they will always be easy to locate and access.

Some preparatory work began in summer 2010 in limited areas on levels A, B and C. Isolated areas on levels A and B were improved to serve as temporary office space for current occupants of level C where a new Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) collection space will be constructed. Work on levels A and B will be completed during the summer 2010, while the RBSC area on level C will be completed by fall 2011. The existing stairway in the northwest corner of Firestone, which currently connects level C through the first floor, will be extended from the first through the third floors.  This work will also be completed by fall 2011.

400,000 GSF

Please see the Firestone Library Renovations Blog for the latest news and information about this project.

Renderings and construction photos will be located in the photo gallery. Please note that renderings and artists' conceptions are presented here for historical purposes only.  The final designs of these projects may have evolved since these renderings were created. (Under Construction)

External Partners

Princeton Representation