Charles E. Young Research Library

Research Library Renovation

Renovations to the first floor and lower level of the Research Library are taking place in two phases. The first phase, which is nearly complete, focused on the lower level; the second phase, which should begin shortly, will focus on the first floor.

The construction will not make any collections or services inaccessible for prolonged periods, though routes to various parts of the building may change from week to week, and many services formerly housed on the first floor will be relocated. Signs throughout the building and notices on the Library’s Web site will alert users to these changes. Measures are also being taken to keep noise levels from affecting users.

None of the funding for these renovations comes 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.

The design has been created by the architectural firm Perkins and Will.

Renovations to the Lower Level

New features on the lower, or A, level are a study commons and offices for the library’s access services, collection development, instruction, and reference services librarians and staff.

Study Commons
What was formerly staff work space has been opened up to create a spacious, light-filled study commons. It is framed with large windows looking out onto plants and trees filling the green berm that surrounds the building.

The space offers seating for more than one hundred people in configurations including round tables for four or six people, rectangular tables for six or eight, and individual upholstered chairs set in pairs with a shared side table.

Adjacent are open stacks housing newspapers and unbound periodicals and self-service cabinets housing microforms/microfiche and maps. Users will be able to utilize these holdings at their convenience, making them more accessible than many were previously. New viewers for the microformat materials will be able to print, and the ability to scan, download, and email page images will be added in the coming months.

There is a service desk to provide user assistance, which will be staffed during all hours the library is open. Public workstations, printers, and photocopiers will also be available in the area.

Access to Librarians
The offices of the librarians and staff responsible for collection development, reference services, and instruction in the disciplines the Research Library supports have been relocated to an area next to the study commons.

This office suite also contains a consultation space in which librarians can meet with individuals and small groups to provide more specialized assistance with research projects and teaching assignments.

Renovations to the First Floor

The second phase of the renovations, focused on the first floor, will substantially alter and enhance it to provide students and faculty with comfortable, innovative spaces in which to study and conduct research.

The design features an expansive, glass-enclosed reading room, which will also house the reference collection and reference services; and a research commons providing wireless computing environments for individuals and small and large groups and laptop lending. Around the perimeter of the floor will be flexible group study rooms, many configured for computer-assisted work. Other research and teaching spaces include a digital humanities collaboration and demonstration project area, an instructional classroom, and an expanded conference center.

The redesign contains two spaces for library exhibits; a central area will feature changing exhibits, and a permanent, museum-quality gallery will showcase Library treasures. Electronic signage and displays throughout the floor will offer an innovative format in which to visually connect Library holdings with the scholarship and activities that have resulted from them. There will also be lounge areas with comfortable seating and a café.

Construction is expected to begin on the first floor renovations by the beginning of 2010 and should take about twelve months.