Everything must go: WMU considers relocating Archives
By Elliot Novess
Western Herald
The proposal to relocate the Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collections to the former K-Mart on Stadium Drive could tarnish the image WMU has achieved of being a research campus, according to university faculty in the history department.
Thomas Doherty/Western Herald | Western Michigan University’s Archives and Regional History Collections located in East Hall on WMU’s East Campus.
Currently, WMU officials are considering the former K-Mart on Stadium Drive as a possible site to relocate the archives currently located in East Hall. The archives contain documents pertaining to Western Michigan University’s history and the surrounding community’s social history. The archives are currently located in East Hall. “The archive is a central cultural and historical treasure associated with the university that people are proud of,” History Department Chair Marion Gray, Ph.D., said. “I can’t image sitting in a strip mall doing research.”
WMU is one of 76 universities classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a campus with high research activity. WMU students, visiting scholars and local historical groups all use the archive. They attract 4,000 visitors each year. Those in the History Department and library claim moving the archive away from campus will hurt WMU’s identity as a research university.
“The identity the archives have with WMU would be compromised,” Archives Director Sharon Carlson said. “We have one opportunity to get this right.”
East Hall does not give the proper image of WMU to visiting researchers either, but it should, according to Gray. It is the original location of WMU, but it has been neglected for 50 years. Estimates to restore the building reach $50 million.
“People come here and get a shabby impression of a gymnasium falling down around them,” Gray said.
Carlson, and other professors instruct classes at the archives. If the archive is moved to Stadium Drive, Carlson fears classes can no longer be scheduled there and it will make it difficult for students to do research for classes.
A possible move to Stadium Drive may not be what faculty members want, however, it has been a long time since the archive has received any attention.
“[WMU President John] Dunn has been active to get [the archives] in better circumstances,” Gray said. “Before him no one entertained the idea.”
The recycling of abandoned big box retail stores is a popular topic in urban planning today. An upcoming exhibit about the re-use of big box stores will be at WMU’s Richmond Center for the Arts starting Feb. 25. Julia Christian is the curator of the exhibit and also does consulting for big box reuse.
Library and history department staff members are concerned about the building conditions at the Stadium Drive location. The shared ductwork in the building could act like a high way for vermin.
“Older items have a high acid paper,” special collections and rare book librarian Susan Steuer said. “This attracts vermin.”
The archive was moved to East Hall in 1990 when Waldo Library was remodeled. East Hall was never intended to be a permanent home for the archives. Steuer said there is no room to move the archive back to the library.
The archives staff has worked hard to retrofit East Hall to fit their needs. Nothing is left sitting on the floor, dehumidifiers and air conditioning are used when appropriate and house wrap is used on shelving units. The Stadium drive location would be another retrofit.
There is also talk about building a new building for the archives on campus.
“An architect has been chosen,” Carlson said. “It is in the design phase.”
David Dakin, director of WMU campus planning and architecture, said that the exterior structure would remain, but the inside of the former K-Mart would be fitted to house the archives.
“We are very seriously looking at it,” he said.
Dakin added that one thing that makes the site attractive is that the university’s fiber optic lines run near the location from main campus to the Parkview Drive campus
—Additional reporting by
Fritz Klug, News Editor
Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=14975
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on Feb 18 2010. Filed under Breaking, News.
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This is just another prime example of the incompetent “leadership” (and I use that world loosely) at this university.
Congrats student’s while you do your archives research you can also drop in to Bob Evans or Save A Lot or get stabbed by a crazy guy outside of Goodwill instead of actually going to East Hall and seeing why people (meaning not dunn and the administration) want it renovated.
I wonder how much money western is going to spend to buy that part of the strip mall that’s parking lot is falling apart and buildings are in need of repair, just so they can “do something” with the archives. Oh wait, here is a novel idea, reinvest in East Hall or McCracken, the same administration that has been preaching “tradition, and westerns history” are way too fond of forgetting westerns actual past just so they can have their name slapped on a side of a building.
I’ll make this nice and simple in case anyone mentioned in the article is reading this, because this shows again how they cannot grasp the complex. Take the money that was going to be spent on a crappy strip mall and get this reinvest it in what western already has!
i.e. East Hall or McCracken.
Oh and while your at it why don’t you try talking to students for once, we are not the drunken idiots the you (the administration) is used to patting on the head and telling us to get out in 4 years. We are paying costumers for your services, and the rule is the costumer is always right.
DONT MOVE THE ARCHIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SAVE EAST HALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Though I don’t agree with the “annoyed student” that our leadership is incompotent, I do agree that the Archives should remain relatively close to campus. WMU is widely known for being a mostly-closed campus. That the school is expanding into the community has raised eyebrows (at least for me).
I realize that there are a lot of opinions on what should happen to the archives, but my suggestion is to move them to McCracken Hall, if possible. Yes, the building needs to be renovated, and because Sangren is #1 on the renovation list as far as the State of Michigan is concerned, it may be a while before McCracken gets the work that it needs. However, in ideal conditions, that building would be perfect! It’s right next to the Waldo library, and the library in Sangren Hall, so most students would have easy access to it. Also, students may be more inclined to visit the archives to learn about the history of WMU, of particular organizations, and historical moments in the city of Kalamzoo.
There were also talks of WMU purchasing the building on the corner of Oakland and Howard for the medical school. Depending on how much space the school takes up in the building, or how long it actually takes WMU to develop the program, that building would also be ideal for the archives. Nevertheless, it will take a lot of time and input from objective leaders on campus to make this decision. I support the administration in the idea of moving the archives, but I don’t think that moving them to the old K-Mart is the best decision.
Finally, if given the opportunity, I’d like to ask President Dunn, Archives Director Sharon Carlson, Julia Christian, David Dakin, and other WMU officials what other options for the archives are. How feasible is it to renovate East Hall or McCracken to expand the use of the facilities; what prompted the decision to look at a big box store as an alternative, and what other opportunities on campus have been analyzed before this decision was made?
Thank you for your time.
Naidra Walls
http://www.naidra.com
The University does not hesitate to exploit the symbolism of the East Campus (the proposed new student apartments, the Western Gateway to downtown, etc.) , but for unknown reasons, administrators are reluctant about effectively integrating what Will Rogers once referred to as “the Acropolis of Kalamazoo County”, into the fabric of a 21st century community for higher education. WMU officials and city leaders consistently talk about the desire to bring more students downtown. In light of this sentiment, the proposed move of the archives to the former Kmart on Stadium Drive seems counterintuitive in that the East Campus is the part of campus which is closest to downtown; is already connected to downtown by sidewalks; is not separated from downtown by a major trunk-line (i.e. Stadium Drive); and is not separated from downtown by railroad tracks.
I join Ms Walls in wondering what alternatives were considered and most particularly the East Campus. In addition, I’d like to know who owns the K-Mart location and what are the particulars of “the deal?” There are, you may have noticed, powerful movers and shakers in our town with close relationships with WMU. Although I am sure they are not involved in anything that would rise to the level of illegal activity, I am always concerned that WMU and it’s students are seen by some as a great fat white grub to be exploited. Would this stand the red face test of full public scrutiny? I am also concerned about what the removal of the Archives from East Hall will do to the future of that great treasure. When the Archives are removed East Hall will be totally empty and a prime target for vandalism and eventual destruction by neglect. Use it or lose it.