Currently the temperature and humidity swing wildly, with temperatures in some areas topping 80 degrees on hot summer days. According to Zewinski, it is hoped that the project results in improved temperature control throughout the library--with the stacks kept at 68 degrees and 35 percent relative humidity.
There are still things the library's structure cannot accommodate in terms of renovation, including aspects of accessibility for the disabled.
Because the stacks are structural components of the building and its weight hangs on the cube of stacks they cannot be moved--nor altered much--although nearly 9,000 feet of stack space will be lost in the renovations to allow for new stairs and elevators.
"The physical construction is really unique. You can't remove floors or always widen an elevator, you can't get get rid of a couple of stacks, you can't widen the aisles," says Lee.
Another aspect is that the library will have to conform to some laws that, perhaps weren't designed for a building of its size and purpose.
According to new fire laws, a library of Widener's size must have the ability to evacuate 1,500 people, 150 for each stack level and well over the numbers the library contains at any time.
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