As renovations in Bailey Library have concluded, students are able to use new resources and find new offices within the library this semester.
The most notable structure change is the entrance, with people now able to enter the library in one of two sets of doors parallel to the sidewalk.
“The way the entrance used to be before was that everyone just came straight in the library, and with that, both when it was very hot out and when it was very cold out, brought in the air from the outside. The way they have it set up now with people coming in from the sides and now they have an air current, that is going to make a huge difference in that lobby,” Jennifer Bartek, manager of library operations, said. The library lobby also has new lounge seating and carpet.
A wall was added around the staircase on the second floor due to state regulations. This wall will be available for student artwork.
“We’re in the midst of collaborating with the art department and we want to be able to put up some cool artwork and have that displayed along that wall,” Bartek said.
According to Bartek, much of the HVAC has been replaced, leading to improved heating and cooling. The bathrooms on all three floors also have new tiles, sinks, lights and toilets. New windows and some new doors were installed throughout the building
Technology-based spaces also saw changes. On the second floor, there are three different computer rooms. The largest room—the library classroom—has 49 computers. The two smaller rooms have a total of 19 computers.
There are also two short-throw areas: one on the second floor to be used by education faculty and students and another on the first floor that functions as a multi-purpose room.
In addition to the four group cubicles on the first floor, here are new four group learning spaces on the second floor.
There are also five individual learning spaces on the second floor. Although there were more of these spaces in the past, those previous learning spaces were smaller. One of the five spaces is wider to accommodate a student or community member using a wheelchair. These learning spaces will also have whiteboards in the near future.
Several offices are relocated within Bailey Library. Six of the librarians are in the same area, making it easier for people to find them.
“The idea was to group the librarians more together so that students could more easily find their offices and get help,” Bartek said.
The Office for Community-Engaged Learning (OCEL) is now located on the second floor in Bailey in room 214. Other offices, including the Career Development and Education Office, the Center for Teaching and Learning, Academic Services and Tutoring, were located in Bailey before, but temporarily moved to other locations while renovations were underway.
Additionally, the information desk—formerly named Research Services—and Writing Center are moved to different areas on the first floor.
The location to sign out laptops and other equipment has changed to the circulation desk in the lobby. Before the renovations, equipment was stored in a separate room for students to sign out.
“We decided to, since we were getting a new circulation area, to incorporate that all so it was kind of like one-stop shopping, so someone didn’t have to go to another area to check out a laptop for a few hours or a camera,” Bartek said.
Aside from renovations, Friday hours for Bailey Library have changed. The library will now close at 7 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. According to Bartek, this decision was made after looking at the number of students in the library at the former closing time on Fridays.
