We’re currently in the process of packing more than 350,000 items to prepare for construction! Check out the unique conveyor belt system that has been setup in the stairwells:
Thanks to all of the students, staff, faculty and temporary employees who have been working hard on packing and moving items.
If you’ve been on campus at all this summer, you may have noticed that the library has transitioned to its temporary new home in Gerhart Hall! Our hours for summer 2 and summer 3 are:
Here are some of the things students, faculty and staff can do in Gerhart:
In addition, you can receive research help via phone, text message, email, chat or in person (by scheduling a personal appointment) from a librarian. Please visit https://blogs.millersville.edu/help or click on “Get Help” in the navigation bar above for more information. If you have questions, we can help!
If you’re looking for some leisure reading between finals, check out the last issue of The Snapper for a feature article on the upcoming library renovation!
“Ganser Library undergoes two year renovation
By Laura MaginleyA huge change is about to come to Millersville University in Summer 2011, and that is the start of the renovation project at the Helen A. Ganser Library that will take approximately two years to complete. The huge brick building that stands on the corner of George and Frederick streets will be completely redone on the inside, as well as have some interesting features on the outside. Not to worry, the library will still be offering the same services (such as e-reserve, EZ-borrow, and research assistance) regardless of the renovation…”
(click to read the rest of the article)
Also, check out the library advertisement on page 13 highlighting our Gerhart Hall opening date (May 16). It was a pleasure working with the Snapper this semester, and we hope to continue an open dialogue once construction begins this fall. As always, please feel free to leave comments on this blog or email new.library@millersville.edu with any questions!
Many thanks to Kelsey Hanlon, a public relations major here at Millersville University, for writing this piece as part of her PR Writing course with Dr. Russel-Loretz.
Millersville’s library will be under intense renovation in summer of 2011 to fall of 2013. The entire library will be under construction during those two years. This means students will need to be able to find their research resources elsewhere, and the library has come up with several alternatives to help their students with their studies.
Informing Millersville students about how to find research resources will make it easier for them in the next two years with the renovation of the current library building. Everyone will have to adjust but the expected results will be worth it.
– Kelsey Hanlon
We’ve been working with our vendor to outfit our future library spaces with furniture designs. While nothing is set in stone yet, we’ve been discussing how different areas of the library will be used. Our dual mantra has been flexibility and mobility. We hope to design spaces in the new library that offer something for everyone – quiet study, collaborative works areas, rich technology integration.
Recently we’ve been trying out different lounge furniture, but our discussions with our furniture vendor have also included how to outfit the knowledge commons where students will have access to a multitude of options to engage in rich and collaborative study and research. Take a look at the furniture in Bartle Library at Binghmaton University to get a sense of some of the possibilities. Also consider TeamSpot by Tidebreak to imagine some of the ways we hope to provide group interaction with technology.
Many of the spaces in the library will be multi-purpose, so we are planning to include furniture that can be adapted to all of those needs. The library instruction classroom will feature furniture that provides opportunities for collaborative learning and interaction. It will be less about “rows of computers” and more about multiple zones and focal points, with multiple large LCD monitors triangulated around the room, instead a single large front-facing projector.
So, what do you think? How do you plan to use the new library? What kind of furniture would suit your needs?
Check out the most recent issue of the Millersville University Exchange to learn more about the reading/sculpture garden being designed by biology and art students:
“Assistant professor of art Line Bruntse’s advanced sculpture classes have been creating concepts for seating areas in the garden, referencing native plants and geologic periods. The seating areas were conceived to be places for flexible learning in smaller groups, reflecting the conceptual direction for the library renovation. Through models and drawings, students worked through their ideas and presented their concepts.
In addition to ideas of how to incorporate sculpture into the garden, the sculpture students’ designs include an outdoor amphitheater; a pergola, or an open gazebo, shaded collaborative seating area and individual seating for the garden.”
Read more at: https://blogs.millersville.edu/exchange/2011/02/17/reading-in-the-garden/
Many have inquired about the length of the upcoming renovation project and asked why it cannot be done during semester breaks or over the summer. In an effort to be open about how and why these decisions were made, let me share with you a little about the magnitude of this project.
The current library building has not been renovated in more than 40 years and its existing design would be far from compliant with building codes if up for consideration today. Unfortunately, the scope of this project (which includes complete replacement of the entire heating and air conditioning systems, complete replacement of the electrical supply and distribution systems and likely removal of asbestos that would be exposed by the renovation) will not allow us to remain in our current building due to hazardous conditions for books, library staff and students. Relocating our services to other buildings during the renovation is the only way we can get this much-needed project done as quickly as possible, minimizing impact on our students.
The University did consider the possibility of a phased construction project, but it is not financially feasible due to the extensive interior demolition that the current building requires to move forward and to the age of systems that would have to be fully functional in “old” sections while “new” sections were under construction. Similarly, any plan to accelerate the construction portion of the renovation to a schedule faster than the estimated 20 months is prohibited by the limits of our available funding.
In late November, an aged transformer that was part of a duct-heater (in the old heating-and-air-conditioning infrastructure) ended its life by producing a large volume of smoke and a loud pop from its location on a wall above the first floor in the library. We evacuated the building as a precaution, and no one, including the hundreds of students in the building at the time, was at real risk during the event. However, the appearance of an assortment of fire trucks and rescue vehicles on the street adjacent to the library reminded me that nearly every component in that building has aged to the point of unreliability, and although a project that allows us to use parts of the building while other parts were being renovated might sound attractive at first glance, other factors deserve greater priority in this decision. A phased construction project adds risk; closing the building this summer for complete renovation eliminates it.
This is obviously not an ideal situation, but we remain committed to providing the best resources, services, and assistance to current and incoming students throughout the course of this project. If you have questions or concerns about the project, please comment on this blog or email newlibrary@millersville.edu.
5 lounge chairs have arrived at the University Library for your evaluation. We wish to incorporate your feedback into our furniture decisions for the newly renovated library. Please stop by the sample area (located on the first floor between the circulation and research assistance desks) to complete a brief survey for each chair.
Also, Please visit our Facebook page where you can view and comment on each chair.
Do you have questions about the upcoming renovation project? One staff member did, and after she submitted them, we addressed them and posted them to our FAQ section:
If you have questions about the upcoming renovation project, please feel free to submit them in the comments section or email new.library@millersville.edu. We will answer them here and add them to our FAQ section – either way, we will get the answer for you!
Did you know that the Millersville University Library is one of eight priorities for the recently launched Soar to Greatness campaign? Check out the two promotional videos below for more information and a glimpse at what we hope to achieve with the project.
This video features all eight of the campaign priorities – the library section begins at 02:20:
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This video highlights one feature of the renovation project – a sculpture reading garden designed by Millersville students, faculty and staff:
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If you’re interested in learning more about the Soar to Greatness campaign (including how to support these student-centered projects), please visit http://www.millersville.edu/campaigns/soartogreatness/index.php.
