August 22, 2011 issue

Page 1

T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y

The Chronicle

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2011

WeCar to oust Zipcar on campus

ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 1

WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM

Gadhafi under siege as rebels storm Tripoli

A. Rivers runs through it

by Thomas Erdbrink and Liz Sly by Yeshwanth Kandimalla

THE WASHINGTON POST

THE CHRONICLE

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s four-decade-long rule over Libya was crumbling at breakneck speed Sunday as hundreds of rebel fighters swept toward the heart of Tripoli and dissidents said they had secured control of many parts of the capital. With rebel leaders saying that Gadhafi’s compound was surrounded, that his son Saif al-Islam had been captured and that his presidential guard had surrendered, the six-month-old battle for control of Libya appeared to be hurtling toward a dramatic finale. By early Monday morning, opposition flags were fluttering over buildings across the capital, and rebels were firmly in control of the symbolically significant Green Square in the heart of the city. In a brief broadcast on state television, Gadhafi made what came across as a desperate plea for support. “Go out and take your weapons,” the Libyan leader said. The rebel advance unfolded with surprising speed throughout the day as fighters converged on the capital from three directions. In areas under rebel control, thousands of people poured onto the streets in areas under rebel control to celebrate, stomping on posters of Gadhafi, setting off fireworks and

Duke students will associate a new name with on-campus car rentals this Fall. WeCar, a subsidiary of Enterprise Rent-ACar, has replaced Zipcar as the campus carsharing service, said Chris Brown, external chief of staff for Duke Student Government. WeCar offers more cars, higher daily mileage limits, cheaper overnight rates and longer reservation maximums. WeCar vehicles will be available for rental Aug. 15. “It was really a no-brainer to switch to WeCar with the options and business model they offered,” Brown said. “Working with Zipcar was very frustrating.” Brown, as the former vice president for athletics and campus services, worked closely last year with Duke Parking and Transportation and WeCar to make the transition. This is the second partnership the University will make with WeCar’s parent company, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, which has a long-term rental partnership with the University. Duke Parking and Transportation and DSG also explored other car sharing services earlier this year because Zipcar’s contract is set to expire Aug. 31. WeCar offered to place 15 cars for rent on campus lots, Brown noted, compared to Zipcar’s current placement of eight cars. WeCar also offers a wider variety of

TAYLOR DOHERTY/THE CHRONICLE

Freshman guard Austin Rivers scored 18 and 12 points in Duke’s two wins over the U-23 Chinese national team. The Blue Devils play again today in Beijing. SEE SPORTS PAGE 7.

SEE WECAR ON PAGE 5

SEE GADHAFI ON PAGE 4

$13.6M gift to fund new special collections library by Nicole Kyle THE CHRONICLE

The University’s special collections library will be getting some special attention—not to mention a redesigned home and a new name—in the latest wave of Perkins Library renovations. David Rubenstein, Trinity ’70 and co-founder and managing director of The Carlyle Group, is making the renovations possible with a $13.6 million gift. David Rubenstein The Rare Book, Manuscript and Special Collections Library will be renamed the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, pending Board of Trustees approval, the University announced August 17. Ruben-

stein is also co-vice chair of the Board. The gift is the largest ever made to Duke Libraries. “For years we’ve been thinking that the Duke special collections deserved its own named library,” said Deborah Jakubs, University librarian and vice provost for library affairs. “Duke’s collections are pretty remarkable, so having the Rubenstein Library will put us in a different league.” Renovations to the special collections library will tentatively begin in early 2013, said Thomas Kearns, principal architect at Shepley Bulfinch, the firm working on the project. The original 1928 and 1948 buildings will be transformed into an improved study, learning and user space. The new design will also provide a healthier environment for the long-term preservation of the University’s special collections and archives, Kearns added. “For undergraduates and graduates do-

ing research, access is going to be really improved,” he said. “This is exciting because it’s nothing like any other library has today. It’s going to be really fantastic.” There will be a new stack storage system for all special manuscripts along with fire protection and indoor air control systems. There will also be a number of new and updated facilities within the Rubenstein Library, including a special collections research room, a rare book classroom, seminar room, assembly space and a photography gallery. The redesign will also revamp the main entrance to Perkins Library. “It’s kind of dark now and not really accessible. The landscape will be cleaned up and well-lit,” Kearns said. “We’re also going to restore the Biddle [rare books] room and restore the old Gothic reading room. There are a lot of exciting pieces to the puzzle.” Kearns and administrators said the Ruben-

DEVILS GO EAST Stay up to date on the Blue Devils’ trip to China and the UAE on dukechronicle.com/mens-basketball Read the live blog of Duke-China this morning at 8 A.M.

stein Library is slated to open in early 2015, though the timeline is variable. The estimated total cost of the project is about $30 million, Jakubs said, adding that the libraries will continue fundraising for the project from other areas. Rubenstein’s gift is the second stroke of luck for Duke Libraries, as Duke Athletics announced a ticket sale proceeds partnership with the libraries in May. Funds raised from the partnership, which begins this upcoming season, will be used for discretionary library spending. The Rubenstein Library is the final part of the Perkins project, a multi-year library renovation project that began 10 years ago, responsible for additions such as the von der Heyden Pavilion and Bostock Library. This gift fulfills SEE LIBRARIES ON PAGE 5


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