An elemental strategy

The Welch library staff aggressively pursued the application of evolving technology to library services and collections, and, as elsewhere, library materials and services increasingly began to be used from outside the library building. By 2000, both the problems with the existing building and the direction of electronic services seemed to call for a new vision of library services and a relook at the building. Through consultation with library users and with the assistance of an architectural team, it was envisioned that by 2013 library services and collections would be predominantly electronic, provided to users ''wherever they are.'' Since then, the building has drawn increased use and seen many events hosted in the grand reading rooms.