Gone are the days when talking in the library was frowned upon. The library’s public spaces and group study areas encourage interaction and collaboration.
there are staff offices and collections space with a new compact shelving system that will allow space for many more books in a specific area. Dr. Greg Szczyrbak, assistant professor and learning technologies librarian, said because of the new shelving system, students and faculty will be able to access books more conveniently. “It’s a whole new academic library,” Szczyrbak said. Almost every floor of the library is set up with the opportunity for students to work together, especially the first floor of the library, which houses a café, common areas with pods of computers and three classrooms equipped with technology from a mobile cart. One of the largest differences to the library is its open space with chairs
that replaced entire walls. Laptops are available for loan at the library (above). Szczyrbak said putting in Student workers (next page) unpacked and more windows was one of the reshelved thousands of books over the summer. main objectives in the design phase of the project. “Light really motivated while they are in the library. how we wanted to renovate,” he said. Also on the first floor are a Writers’ “This is definitely not a traditional Room and Digital Learning Room, library,” said Stewart, who is impressed where students will assist other by its openness. “It’s a great social students in preparing projects involvspace. There’s something here for ing technology such as power-point everybody.” presentations. Student Alicia Morrissey, a comChiango, who plans to work in the munications major, describes the new Digital Learning Room, is excited library simply as “awesome.” about the prospect of students learn“From the paint to the pictures to all ing from each other. “It’s important furniture, it’s all really cool and modto know your peers,” Chiango said. ern,” Morrissey said. “People are going “Even if you are strangers, you are to like what they see.” helping one another in reaching a The library’s impressive architecture common goal.” is equal to the techTo encourage such collaboration, nology in it. Technolthere are 12 to 14 group-study rooms ogy is now mobile to located throughout the library. suit the needs of the The third and fourth floors of the students of today and library house the juvenile collection tomorrow. and related materials. For those who “We didn’t want desire individual study time, the sixth technology tied down and seventh floors are quiet areas. to anything, because there will be Faculty too will have a research changes in the next 20 years,” Erin space of their own on the fifth floor, Dorney, outreach librarian said. where the Center for Academic ExcelTucked into tables and study areas lence is located, as well as faculty meetare pop-up electrical outlets that allow ing space and technology room. users to recharge their laptops, cell “It’s one-stop shopping for profesphones and other electronic devices sional development and for research-
“This is definitely not a traditional library. It’s a great social space.” and couches that make it easy for students to study together. The library is a much more inviting place to be, compared to the previous space, which was dark and even a bit foreboding in some of its areas. But now there are huge windows 6 Review Fall 2013