In 1988, the west side of the Homer Babbidge Library, which had opened in 1978 and was already experiencing structural deficiencies, was wrapped in safety netting to prevent bricks from falling off the facade and injuring passersby. The building remained wrapped in plastic—a state of affairs that historian Bruce M. Stave described as an "institutional embarrassment"—until 1998. Casteen lent his support to the University Library's successful efforts to fund the construction of the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center to house the university's archives and special collections.