The Glenn G. Bartle Library Tower’s east elevator, one of two in the 15-story Library Tower, has been out of commission since the start of the semester while it undergoes renovations.
Faculty, staff and students who work or have appointments in the Library Tower have complained about delays in the amount of time it takes them to reach the building’s upper floors.
“I waited for over 10 minutes to get to my professor’s office hours on the 12th floor,” said Keith Martin, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law. “Going up is worse than going down, so I opted to take the stairs on the way down instead of waiting for the elevator again.”
The Tower’s newly renovated west elevator is currently the only working elevator in the building. The elevator can carry about 10 or 11 average-sized adults at a single time.
At midday, there are often crowds of 10 or more waiting for the elevator in the lobby adjacent to Jazzman’s Café and the Newcomb Reading Room.
People are often forced to wait for the elevator to make multiple trips, according to Eva Montoya-Davis, a graduate student in the romance languages department, whose office is located on on the fifth floor.
“It’s annoying,” Montoya-Davis said. “Especially around noon, when it can take up to 15 minutes. I guess I could take the stairs, but why should I have to?”
People riding in the elevators often become frustrated when people are getting off at the second, third, fourth or fifth floors.
“When I was in the elevator, two teachers looked right at me and said, ‘You should walk since you’re young,'” Martin said.
A secretary on the 12th floor had a slightly different opinion.
“Sure, it’s inconvenient, and the stairways are a little busier, but it would be much worse if administration weren’t correcting the problem,” she said.
Waiting for the elevator takes an average of six minutes when called from the ground floor, and about a minute per flight of stairs when walking.
The early morning and midday crowds at Jazzman’s can add to the frustrations of those having to wait nearby for the elevator.
A Jazzman’s employee said the lobby area during those times is “just plain old loud.”
Some students commented that the new elevator seems smaller than the former elevator; however, Karen Fennie, spokeswoman for Physical Facilities, said the new elevator is no smaller than the old one.
“They hold the same weight as before,” Fennie said. “The inside finish is different, so perhaps it appears that they’re smaller.”
Fennie said the upgrade of the Library Tower’s elevators is part of a larger project happening on campus that includes upgrades to the elevators in the Couper Administration Building, Science II and the Central Heating Plant, which are part of an ongoing University effort to keep buildings up-to-date and safe.
This current project is projected to cost $4 million, drawn from the Campus Capital Plan. This money is directly responsible for funding projects dealing with critical maintenance issues around campus, Fennie said.
Physical Facilities said it expects both elevators to be in working order by early January.
Patrick Marin, a freshman majoring in biology, said he was frustrated by the many renovations taking place on campus.
“I don’t know what’s more awful, the elevators or the scenic construction once you leave the place,” Marin said.