From the outside, Princeton Theological Seminary's new library, under construction in Princeton, N.J., looks a lot like other scholarly research libraries on stately campuses. But looks in this case are deceiving. The new structure, when completed next year, will play a significant role in preserving one of the world's largest and oldest collections of theological books—second only to the Vatican Library in Rome.
"People come from all over the world to see these priceless collections," says German Martinez Jr., PTS director of facilities and construction. Martinez oversees construction of the 94,000-sq-ft library, which includes a sophisticated HVAC system designed with the rare books and artifacts, some thousands of years old, in mind.