The Collegian

Issue date: 1/24/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Annie Douglass

Once again there is talk on campus of Saint Albert's Hall Library being renovated. While the building itself is safe and has a newly improved computer lab, the fact remains that the library was designed to serve a much smaller population back when it was first built. However, renovations previously planned for the library had to be put on hold as J.C. Gatehouse was being designed, and after the college had to recover from the retracted donations, the library was one of the places that suffered.

"For years the college put very little money into the library because it was planned to use some of the anonymous pledges to fund a new building" said Tom Carter, dean for academic resources. "In 2000 an architect was hired, plans and schematic drawings drawn up, even a model created of the new building [since] the one we have was built for 1,100 students and 100,000 books and before PCs were invented. We now have less than 200 seats for 4,000 students, 40,000 of our 220,000 books in storage, and an electrical system that shorts out if we turn on too many lights. When our friend Mr. Banker skipped town all building plans, except for Filippi Academic Hall, were put on hold. Thus, the interest to refurbish the library building." This time, however, the funding comes directly from the college's annual budget for renovations and maintenance.

In light of those facts, the plans to remodel the library are now low-scale, and are designed towards improving conditions as they stand instead of remodeling the whole library, as previously desired. Among the other plans are recarpeting and replacing old furniture with study carrels on the second floor, which will be wired for power with more work space, and making room for more work stations in the first floor reference area. That particular change revolves around the reference desk. "We're going to be moving the reference desk from its present location to the center of the lobby area…and hopefully have a friendlier look when people come in" said Susan Birkenseer, a reference and instruction librarian.

For the students who use the library for media purposes, Tom Carter said that "we plan to remodel the Wildenradt Theater into a dual-use facility, to be used both for film projection and as a computerized classroom, similar to the Garaventa classrooms." In addition to technology upgrades, the college will address the lack of quiet study areas by adding a canopy over the atrium to filter ground floor noise.

Also, Carter said, "the other major student need is group study spaces, and we plan to construct four group study areas on the third floor, hanging off the existing catwalk."

As to how long the renovations will take, it's unclear. "The reference desk [happens] supposedly before the end of this academic year," Susan Birkenseer said, "but I don't know if that's true."

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