Kate Skrebutenas is leading a tour on a recent afternoon of Princeton Theological Seminary’s new multi-million dollar library that opened in May.
By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Kate Skrebutenas is leading a tour on a recent afternoon of Princeton Theological Seminary’s new multi-million dollar library that opened in May.
Here, the reference librarian points out, is a comfortable place for doctoral students to go. In another part of the 92,000-square-foot building there is a café off the main entrance when visitor walk in through an arch made in Italy. In a nod to being eco-friendly, benches in the café will be made out of the trees that had to be torn down in front of the property.
”Isn’t this nice?” she asks rhetorically when walking into one part of the building that is still not quite a finished product.
The library, with a capacity to hold one million books, was meant to be functional. She said there are seminar rooms, one on each floor. There is a room for faculty and visiting scholars. Doctoral students even have their “swanky” suite, in her words, complete with desks to serve as office space.
”And we’re expecting kids to do either really good work or not do much work so that they don’t ever have to leave, because it’s that lovely,” she joked.
”It’s wonderful, it’s fantastic,” said doctoral student Samy Estafanos, who is working in the library on this afternoon. “Unfortunately, I should be finished next year.”
There is a lot of light and windows, although the book collection is in the interior of the building to protect the books. “Care was taken to keep them away from windows,” she said.
An atrium in the building is named after the immediate past president of the seminary, Iain Torrance. According to the seminary, it holds 3,000 feet of floor space that can be used for events.
”This is going to be a destination,” Ms. Skrebutenas said of the building before getting on an elevator to the second floor. “Libraries always (have) been a place for people to go to.”
The seminary is not in session, so there are only a few people using the place that is open to the general public as well as seminary staff and students.
This library was built to replace Speer Library, which had been up for around 57 years. The difference between them is “night and day,” Ms. Skrebutenas said. Despite holding an emotional attachment for some, the older, smaller building was demolished a few years ago.
Elements of it remain in the new library, however, including chandeliers from the old Koop Boardroom, according to the seminary. “I think they’re great,” Ms. Skrebutenas said at one point.
She said the public is welcome to use the building, too. For $50, people can buy a library card that is good for a year.