5 minute read
Rooms with a View
Renovated Vasché Library Features Expanded, Increased Study Spaces
By Lori Gilbert
Advertisement
Stanislaus State senior psychology major Maria Marquez sat reading in a plush new chair on the north side of the Vasché Library’s second floor, having tried out other spots in the newly renovated facility.
“I like the blues, the soft colors,” Marquez said. “It feels like the ocean. And, it’s more comfortable.”
New student Trent Murphy, who transferred from Modesto Junior College and is working on campus, has checked out various areas of the newly renovated building, and one afternoon was on the south side, perched on a stool at the window of the second floor with a view of the University Reflecting Pond.
“It’s so shiny and new,” Murphy said, overlooking the picturesque spot.
Down the way from Murphy, in a more traditional chair and desk, Carmen Castillo studied for her upcoming medical board exams.
The 2013 Stan State graduate (biology and chemistry) who completed medical school at the University of Nevada, Reno, marveled at her surroundings as she enjoyed the first few weeks of its opening.
“I wish it was like this when I was a student,” Castillo said. “Before, it was cold upstairs, and it felt like an old, dark building. It wasn’t an inspiring place to study.”
The newly refurbished Library is a place of beauty, open, spacious and designed with the wishes of students in mind.
“I don’t think there are any hallways anymore,” said Annie Hor, librarian in charge of circulation and technical services. Those long dark halls gobbled up precious real estate and were jettisoned in the new design.
Dean of Library Services Ron Rodriguez said student wishes were uppermost in the planning.
They wanted a café, and the dedicated space will initially have high-end vending machines.
They also wanted more study space, and areas on all three floors have study rooms and open spaces.
One side of the building is designed with blue tones, intended to convey quiet for studying and focusing, then there’s the orange side with varying levels of acceptable noise, and the room on the third floor, new home of special collections, where “there’s no talking, no potato chip eating,” said Maryann Hight, Library faculty member. The number of study rooms increased from seven to 19 and from 650 seats to 1,256. There are more computers, two large rooms for class instruction and alarge room for special events.
The expanded entryway welcomes visitors with desks for questions and services. Behind them are the books, shelved on new, compact moveable stacks, a technology innovation that drastiscally reduced the space they require.
Marquez, a library lover, said she noticed the books immediately.
Before the renovation, the ground floor was used for offices, and the Library books and materials occupied the second and third floors. Beginning in 1965, when the Library and classroom buildings were the only structures on campus, the Library housed nearly everything, including the cafeteria.
— Julia Rynoso
Many departments remain in the Library, such as the Office of Information Technology and the Warrior Cross Cultural Center, but offices don’t dominate the renovated space. The entry establishes the look, with a feel that is huge, open and bright, with lots of natural light. The school’s red and yellow colors decorate the lobby, which is highlighted by a mural recently completed by members of the Los Angeles-based 3B Collective to celebrate the region’s agricultural roots.
“It’s fascinating,” said nursing student Amelia Harris. “The design is flawless, from the colors to the open windows. It’s beautifully crafted.”
The two-year, $58 million renovation project was completed on time.
“Having been here for more than two decades, I know the Library means a lot to faculty and students,” Hor said. “We are the center of the University, and now we have something to be really proud of. It’s the modern Library of the California State University campuses. It is something to show new students and help keep our students on their academic mission.”
And it’s a source of pride for Assistant Vice President for Capital Planning and Facilities Management Julia Reynoso, who also is a Stan State alumna.
“I experienced the addition of the third floor when I was a student here and we were so very grateful at that point, to have extra stack areas and study rooms,” Reynoso said. “Now, it feels like it’s a thousand times more than that.”
The Next Chapter
You can be a part of The Next Chapter of the newly renovated University Library at Stanislaus State. Your support will be directed toward The Next Chapter Library Campaign Fund for Sustainability and Innovation supporting technology, furnishings and innovation, and state-of-the-art student and guest experiences.
Visit us at www.csustan.edu/giving/naming-opportunities to see how you can contribute to this story.
