HAMILTON LIBRARY
BUILDING AREA
Note: Square footage figures have been rounded down to the nearest whole number. Acreage
figures are included here because they help to visualize how large an area is. An acre consists of
43,560 square feet (approximately 208.71’ x 208.71’). The interior space of Hamilton Library
covers 8.92 acres. Another visualization figure that could have been used is the 160’ x 360’
football field, which consists of 57,600 square feet. Using this, the interior space of Hamilton
Library is as large as 6.75 football fields. Feel free to convert all of the following numbers into
football fields.
Basic Footprint:
Hamilton Library occupies approximately 84,930 square feet of ground, or 1.95 acres.
Total Building Area:
The total area of all combined floors of Hamilton Library (all that is contained within the
exterior walls) is 415,721 square feet, or 9.54 acres.
Walls, Columns, Chases, and Mechanical Shafts:
Of the total building area, the space occupied by walls, columns, chases, and mechanical shafts
totals 26,961 square feet, or 0.61 acres.
Net Building Area:
The combined floor area of Hamilton Library (all interior space excluding walls, columns, chases
and mechanical shafts) is 388,760 square feet, or approximately 8.92 acres. This open floor
area is further divided into spaces used for Library Services, LIS Program, Library Circulation,
and Infrastructure purposes. Broadly speaking, this area is categorized and divided as follows:
-Library Services = 244,340 square feet, or 5.60 acres.
-LIS Program = 8,938 square feet, or 0.20 acres.
-Public & Staff Circulation = 75,198 square feet, or 1.72 acres.
-Public & Staff Infrastructure = 15,154 square feet, or 0.34 acres.
-Closed Infrastructure = 45,128 square feet, or 1.03 acres.
The combination of public/staff circulation and infrastructure access areas with program use
areas results in a situation where Library Services and the LIS Program either controls or has
access to approximately 343,632 square feet of the building, or 7.88 acres (88.39% of the total
floor area).
Library Services Areas:
244,340 square feet, or 62.85% of the total floor area
The Library Services category includes areas used for specific Library purposes, but excludes
Library Circulation uses. All of these areas are considered to be assignable space. (If Library
Circulation space is combined with Library Services space, the result is 319,539 square feet, or
82.19% of the total floor area.) Library Services utilizes its non-Circulation space as follows:
Public Areas (139,661 square feet):
-Open Collections: 103,024 square feet
-Seating and Study: 28,401 square feet
-Classrooms: 3,508 square feet
-Research Carrels: 1,547 square feet
-Group Study Rooms: 1,521 square feet
-Reading Rooms: 1,376 square feet
-Public Photocopy: 281 square feet
Staff Areas (104,679 square feet):
-Staff Workrooms: 42,150 square feet
-Closed Collections: 41,470 square feet
-Staff Offices: 9,670 square feet
-Library Storage: 6,651 square feet
-Library Conference: 2,760 square feet
-Staff Lunchrooms: 1,976 square feet
LIS Program:
8,938 square feet, or 2.29% of the total floor area
The LIS Program space includes internal circulation areas, but excludes the main exit hallway
that divides LIS Program area into two parts. The LIS Program utilizes its space as follows:
-Classrooms: 2,137 square feet
-Seating and Study: 2,066 square feet
-Staff Offices: 2,054 square feet
-Circulation: 927 square feet
-Workrooms: 857 square feet
-Conference: 452 square feet
-Storage: 443 square feet
Library Circulation Areas:
75,198 square feet, or 19.34% of the total floor area
The Library Circulation category includes hallways, foyers, lobbies, main stacks aisles, exit
routes, and non-enclosed pathways. It excludes all stairwells, elevators, and closed hallways.
Some of these pathways could be rerouted or converted to other uses. Therefore, some areas
can be considered to be potential assignable space. Public circulation generally consists of
open hallways or non-enclosed routes in public collection, study, and seating areas. Staff
circulation consists largely of enclosed hallways, foyers, and lobbies in staff areas.
-Public Circulation: 63,891 square feet.
-Staff Circulation: 11,307 square feet.
Infrastructure Areas:
60,282 square feet, or 15.50% of the total floor area
The Infrastructure category includes fixed uses that are basic for building access, use, and
operation. These areas are not considered to be assignable space.
-Public infrastructure: 11,072 square feet. (Public stairwells, elevators and restrooms).
-Staff infrastructure: 4,082 square feet. (Staff stairwells, elevators, and restrooms).
-Closed infrastructure: 45,128 square feet. (Mechanical, electrical, telecom, custodial, closed
hallways and stairwells, and elevator machine rooms).
In general, closed infrastructure areas are closed to both the public and to most or all Library
staff.