When Ohio University students arrive for Fall Quarter 2005, they will find the second floor of Alden Library updated with conveniences including a café and additional computers.
The new addition, Phase II, will complement the already completed second floor Learning Commons, Phase I of the project. The Columbus-based architecture firm DesignGroup is in charge of the construction. In order to have minimal impact on students, construction for Phase II is scheduled for early May and will be complete the week before Fall Quarter, said John Lamborn, assistant dean for public services at Alden.
A café run by OU Dining Services will replace the second floor staff lounge located near the outside entrance. A glass wall will separate the café from the Learning Commons to control noise and aromas from the café, Lamborn said.
Pastries, pita sandwiches, coffee and espresso drinks will be available at the café, but food will be cooked at The Oasis and the new Baker Center. Students will be able to use laptops inside and access the café when it is not staffed for vending and ATM use. Hours will probably be midmorning to late evening, taking into account the library's hours of use.
Wanda Weinberg, head of the Reference and Instruction Department, was involved in planning the renovations. Students requested a café in the library, she said, and it will be a more attractive space offering much more than the old, vending-based snack area.
In addition to the café, an instructional computer lab will be built and available to students when courses are not in session. Two additional group study rooms and a new Rollins Room (the presentation room currently located on the second floor) will be located in the former computer lab. The multimedia work area will double in size; currently, the library is conducting focus groups and surveys to determine its future location.
The fourth floor circulation area will receive new, clearly displayed signs that coordinate more to where patrons stand at the desk to make it more attractive and accessible, Lamborn said. A new staff lounge also will be built on the seventh floor, said Gary Hunt, associate dean of libraries.
Hunt said funding for Phase II came from a combination of sources, including private sources and the library's operating budget. He said the library cut back on expenditures and delayed filling staff vacancies to save money. The total cost for Phase II is approximately $800,000, which includes technology costs between $80,000 and $90,000.
The fourth and seventh floor renovations are funded separately from Phase II and draw from sources including gifts and library savings, Lamborn said.
Alden is trying to raise more private funds and has a loan from the university it can use if necessary, Hunt said. The OU student technology fee provides money for operating costs, some staff and computers in the Learning Commons.
Construction will take away about a quarter of available space in the Learning Commons, Lamborn said. Alden will notify students what is available on other floors. The area including the former computer lab, current student project workroom and snack bar (behind the elevators) will be gutted during construction. A construction wall will separate students from the areas of demolition in order to block noise, Lamborn said.
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Megan Chew
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Students enjoy the benefits that Phase I has provided on the second floor of Alden Library. Phase II of the construction process is scheduled to begin in early May and will finish by Fall Quarter 2005.
