Issue date: 9/28/06 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Sara Norgon A new Information Literacy Lab, located behind the reference section of McIntyre Library, is just one of many changes students will see this semester. While some projects are still underway, library officials said they expect construction to be finished sometime in October.

After almost four months of construction, visitors to McIntyre Library will see changes that university officials said they hope will make the library more user-friendly.

"The building morphs based on student, faculty and staff needs," said Chris Cox, the library's assistant director. "We have been adding more and more computers, which take up space; study areas have also been in high demand."

The renovation projects, which were funded by the state, have included a new Information Literacy Lab located behind the reference section on the library's main floor. The lab contains 30 computer workstations that are available to students when not reserved for group use, Cox said.

One of the most significant renovations will be the relocation of the Special Collections and Archives to the fifth floor.

This collection houses such resources as back issues of university publications, census data for six surrounding counties, voting records, genealogical data, rare books and an original letter from Mark Twain.

To make room for the new Special Collections and Archives, Cox said workers will remove faculty study rooms and shelving units.
"We didn't lose any space that was in high demand," he said.

In addition, color-coded carpet will mark off portions of each floor, making it easier to navigate the library, Cox said.

Shelving units on both fourth and fifth floors have also been re-arranged to flow in one direction to solve both space issues and confusion with locating resources.

New reading and microfilm rooms have been installed on the fifth floor. A lounge area will also replace fifth floor's quiet study area.

"We're debating whether we'll keep fourth floor as the quiet floor," Cox said, noting that he plans to ask students for more input on the issue.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools