Transforming Golden Library into the Golden Student Success Center

By Wendel Sloan

With Bond C passing in the Nov. 8 General Election, ENMU will receive an additional $11 million toward the transformation of Golden Library, which opened in 1952, into the Golden Student Success Center (GSSC). The total project will cost $26 million, with another $11 million coming from the 2014 bond issue and $4 million from the University. Bond C passed by a statewide percentage of 63.27 percent to 36.73 percent, with Roosevelt county passing it by the third highest margin—69.56 percent.

While retaining all the functions of a traditional library, the GSSC will be a destination for social and intellectual interaction between students, faculty and resources, and will become a hub on campus where students can connect with needed resources in a technology-rich environment.

A rendering of the new Golden Student Success Center after the Golden Library renovations.

The 94,000 square-foot facility will make use of natural light and views to the outside, with sustainable maintenance and operation costs. The GSSC will include academic, writing and tutoring assistance, collaborative study spaces. There will also be after-hours help with registration and financial aid, advising and counseling and a café.

There will also be a two-story-tall gallery, presentation rooms, an electronic events display and a triage/assessment area where students can meet with staff who will refer them to the appropriate people for help.

The entrance to Golden Library before renovations began.

Services currently administered by Golden Library staff will be incorporated into GSSC, including:

• General Collection and Journal Collection - Books and materials based on the the university’s curricula. Print journals are available for titles not available online.

• Government Documents Collection - ENMU is designated as the regional depository for eastern New Mexico. As such, ENMU selects 43 percent of all documents produced by the federal government and 100 percent of the state documents.

• Special Collections - University archives including the official records of the University, New Mexico/Southwest rare and hardto-find books, maps, papers, etc., and Jack Williamson Science Fiction Library, used by researchers from around the world.

• Instructional Resource Center - Maintained in cooperation with the NM Education Department. Supplied by publishers and kept for a six-year cycle, used by Education students, homeschooling parents, and evaluated by the surrounding school districts for purchase of their textbooks.

• Media and Technology - Includes computer labs and stations for students designing, printing and laminating visuals for University and community use. Provides die-cuts for bulletin boards, poster paper, button-making equipment, Scantrons, paper cutters, sound and video equipment, laptops, TVs, etc.

Rendering of the inside of the remodeled GSSC, showing the circulation area and easy-to-navigate floor plan.

• Maps Collection - Includes atlases, globes, physical maps, state topographical maps, etc.

• Juvenile Collection - Used by College of Education students.

• Circulation Area - Materials are checked in and out, resources are organized for easy access, and multiple study areas provide areas to meet every student’s needs.

• Administrative Area and More - There will be a reception area, two offices, a conference room and reference area, study areas, offices and technical services for material processing, mail, acquisition, book repair, etc.