PASCAL: Offsite storage for Library materials

PASCAL--the Preservation and Access Service Center for Colorado Academic Libraries--is a high-efficiency storage facility on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora funded by the Colorado Legislature. It represents an important public-private partnership, helping to reduce library operational costs for the Auraria Library on the UCD Downtown Campus, Health Sciences Library on the UCD's Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, and the libraries of the University of Denver. These partners transfer valuable but low-demand research materials to PASCAL for space-efficient storage in a temperature and humidity controlled environment (Pascal policies). The facility replicates a design that originated at Harvard University that has been copied in nearly two dozen sites across the country. Materials moved to PASCAL continue to be reflected in the online catalog of the owning library, and users are able to request delivery back to their home campus via a number of options.

PASCAL is operated by the staff of the UCD Health Sciences Library on behalf of the participants. The initial phase has a capacity of 1.6 million volumes, and the building design allows for the easy addition of four more storage modules. This construction project began January 10, 2000. The work was completed late in October, 2000.

Individual researchers wishing to use the Reading Room at PASCAL may make an appointment by calling the PASCAL manager at 303-724-1114 or 303-724-1115.

Content and photographs courtesy of University Libraries, 184 UCB, 1720 Pleasant Street, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0184