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PASCAL, the Preservation and Access Service Center for Colorado
Academic Libraries, is the state-of-the-art high density library storage
facility located on the new Anschutz Medical Campus. Operating since March of 2001,
The Health Sciences Library shares PASCAL
with four other academic libraries: Norlin Library of CU Boulder, Auraria
Library, and the Law and Penrose libraries of the University of Denver.
Health Sciences staff member, Michael Kelty, is the on-site manager of PASCAL.
Based on a design pioneered at Harvard University, PASCAL can hold 1.6
million volumes in under 10,000 square feet of space with the possibility of
adding four more modules of equal size in coming decades. The building is
climate controlled with year round temperatures averaging 55 degrees and 35%
relative humidity. The sculpture in front of PASCAL is an original creation
by Colorado Springs artist, Bill Burgess. Inspired by the "educational role
played by our libraries," Burgess titled his work, "Aspire."
Currently, volumes eligible for storage are older research materials that
have value but are in low demand. All volumes are sorted and stored by size
in cardboard trays on 30-foot high shelves identified by bar-codes.
Individual library catalogs indicate if a particular book has been moved to
PASCAL allowing patrons to make requests via their own library. PASCAL
personnel make every effort to deliver items to requesting libraries within
48 hours.
Furthermore, since the Prospector catalog reflects PASCAL's inventory,
patrons of any Prospector library can also request materials from PASCAL and
have them delivered to their individual libraries. PASCAL uses an operating
agreement that would allow other academic libraries to join as participants
in the future.
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