Renovations to the third floor of the library are set to be complete by the end of the semester.
Students have expressed their concerns about how the library construction will affect them and their studies throughout the course of the year, but library staff assure these are only temporary circumstances and before long, the library will be back and better than ever.
Plans for the current library renovations began last spring, when the Vision in Action project was first announced, along with the moving of various departments across campus.
“The library was very excited to be a part of this change,” said Mark McCallon, associate dean of library services. “With the graduate school moving to the library, some changes had to be made in order to accommodate their space.”
The reason for renovation is to move as many books on the third floor, if not all of them, to the the first floor, or basement, of the library.
“The renovations began just as a summer project, but as the construction began, more and more obstacles began to play a part in the completion of the project,” McCallon said.
McCallon said during the summer, the engineering study found that there were some extra safety features that needed to be added to the new system.
“With the new compact shelving, the shelves move,” McCallan said. “So, we had to figure out a way to keep them steady after they have stopped.”
There was a lot of concern about the issue, resulting in the installation of extra breaks on the shelving causing a major delay in the process. The project was originally supposed to begin in June, and was delayed until August.
The renovations within the library are a part of the universities capital funding project and there are several different budgets that are being affected by this project.
After becoming aware of the changes in the library, the library staff hopes it will keep students at ease and that they will have more patience with what is going on.
“I’m glad that I am now aware of what is happening in the library,” said Ian Story, junior science education major from White Oak. “I was a little concerned at first, but now since I understand what is happening, I can’t wait to see the outcome.”
