Library News for the Faculty

Library Renovation Updates

With the beginning of the academic year, users will notice changes in several library facilities.

The second and fourth floors of the Eugene and Maxine Rosenfeld Management Library have been renovated to create more group work/study areas for students. These modifications, which were planned in consultation with and funded by the Office of the Dean in the Anderson School of Management, add more practical space to what is one of the newer and most beautiful libraries on campus.

This renovation made available some of the beautiful, light-wood furniture that was purchased specifically for the Management Library. That furniture, which includes both four-seat tables and individual study carrels, has been moved to the Charles E. Young Research Library, where it has replaced damaged items on the second floor and in the stacks. More extensive renovation has also begun on the lower A level of the Research Library. Demolition of the former cataloging and processing areas is nearly complete, and construction is about to begin on a study commons that will open the lower level up to users and make specialized materials easier to locate and use. Filling the southeast corner of the building, it will house newspapers, unbound periodicals, maps, and microforms/microfiche, along with study spaces in a variety of configurations.

Also on the lower level will be the offices of the subject specialists responsible for collection development and instructional services in the disciplines the library supports. In addition to their offices, librarians will have access to a consultation space in which they can meet with individuals and small groups to provide more specialized assistance with research projects and teaching assignments.

These renovations are phase one of a redesign created by the architectural firm Perkins and Will for the first floor and A level. Phase two, which will focus on the first floor, will include an expansive, glass-enclosed reading room; flexible group study rooms; a central area of computers in both solo and group configurations; an expanded conference center; a two-part exhibit space; and a unified service point, at which users will be able to obtain information, check out materials, and seek assistance without visiting different desks for these formerly separate services.

Phase one is expected to be completed by August 2009, and phase two is expected to begin at that point. The construction will not limit access to any collections or services, and measures are being taken to keep noise levels from affecting users as well.

None of the funds for these renovations come out of the Library's operations budget. A substantial amount of the estimated total has already been raised, and fundraising will continue to secure naming gifts for several signature spaces.

In addition to the Management and Research libraries' changes, long-overdue renovations are being made to Performing Arts Special Collections, located in the former Music Library Special Collections facility in Schoenberg Music Building. A more functional service area and work spaces for users are being created, and environmental control systems are being installed. In the interim, users can access these collections and services in the Research Library, room 22478.

Updates on the Research Library and Performing Arts Special Collections renovations will appear in future issues of Library News for the Faculty.