Spring Break
Semester booked with changes at library
Mark Schaaf
Issue date: 9/15/05 Section: Campus News
McIntyre Library will be undergoing many renovations and updates in the coming weeks and months, and a move of the Instructional Media Center from the second floor to the basement is already in progress.
Library Director Bob Rose said that the IMC move "will have the largest impact on students" because it is heavily used, especially by education majors.
When it's finished, he said the IMC will be more accessible and easier to use than it was on second floor. All materials have been taken off the second floor IMC and are almost completely moved to the basement.
Library staff member Chris Cox said the changes came after a survey distributed to students a year.
"Some of these changes not only are things that are better for the library, but they're based on student comments," Cox said. "So we did this in a way to not only make it more accessible to students, but to give them a better place to study."
Senior Theo Howard said he was impressed by the changes.
"It looks nice," he said. "It's a lot nicer looking than the rest of the library."
Construction of the new IMC began May 23. The room already includes many items used by education majors, such as shelves full of children's books, as well as the entire IMC video collection and some textbooks.
New carpeting was installed in the basement in August, and new furniture has also been added. In addition, the staff is working on new group study rooms for the IMC.
One major aspect yet to be completed is the electrical wiring for viewing and listening stations.
Library staff also have been working on other renovations and future plans.
Over the summer, a book drop was installed outside the river entrance.
"It's a minor improvement, but it's something that students have been asking for," Rose said.
The library received just less than $1 million through state funding to replace pipes in the ceiling throughout the entire library this semester.
Cox said sections on each floor may be closed for a short time, but they expect to complete one floor each week.
Rose and Cox are also finalizing plans to move Special Collections, which includes university archives, rare books, area research and other local history items, from the Old Library to the fifth floor. This would take place next summer, they said.
Library Director Bob Rose said that the IMC move "will have the largest impact on students" because it is heavily used, especially by education majors.
When it's finished, he said the IMC will be more accessible and easier to use than it was on second floor. All materials have been taken off the second floor IMC and are almost completely moved to the basement.
Library staff member Chris Cox said the changes came after a survey distributed to students a year.
"Some of these changes not only are things that are better for the library, but they're based on student comments," Cox said. "So we did this in a way to not only make it more accessible to students, but to give them a better place to study."
Senior Theo Howard said he was impressed by the changes.
"It looks nice," he said. "It's a lot nicer looking than the rest of the library."
Construction of the new IMC began May 23. The room already includes many items used by education majors, such as shelves full of children's books, as well as the entire IMC video collection and some textbooks.
New carpeting was installed in the basement in August, and new furniture has also been added. In addition, the staff is working on new group study rooms for the IMC.
One major aspect yet to be completed is the electrical wiring for viewing and listening stations.
Library staff also have been working on other renovations and future plans.
Over the summer, a book drop was installed outside the river entrance.
"It's a minor improvement, but it's something that students have been asking for," Rose said.
The library received just less than $1 million through state funding to replace pipes in the ceiling throughout the entire library this semester.
Cox said sections on each floor may be closed for a short time, but they expect to complete one floor each week.
Rose and Cox are also finalizing plans to move Special Collections, which includes university archives, rare books, area research and other local history items, from the Old Library to the fifth floor. This would take place next summer, they said.