Facility Upgrades

Visitors to College Library in early 2019 will note a number of changes underway, all designed to improve the facility and make the library a more welcoming and comfortable space. Until the remodeling work is complete, however, there will be noise and disruptions. Staff of the library understand the potential for frustration, but want to assure patrons that it will all be worth it in the end. Honest. It will be.

Those who frequent the library may already have noticed the conversion to more energy-efficient LED lighting in rooms in the center and west side of the building. That effort will continue over interim with Open Book, the computer lab, and WisCEL slated to receive new light fixtures and bulbs. Various spaces in these rooms will be unavailable while the work is done, but all services will continue uninterrupted.

While on the topic of energy efficiency, the library’s HVAC system will also receive an upgrade with the installation of sensors to regulate air flow based on room occupancy. This effort should make the facility more responsive to temperature fluctuations and improve air flow throughout the building. Abatement work has already been completed on the first floor of the library (see image below) and will move to the second and third floors of the library throughout the spring semester.

Finally, College Library’s restrooms are also scheduled to be remodeled. In a much-needed and long-awaited upgrade, the number of available stalls will nearly double. In addition, two single-stall restrooms will be added to the first-floor, allowing the library to offer gender-neutral restroom options. College Library is grateful to the Chancellor’s Office for allocating gift monies to fund this project and to FP&M for their timeline and project coordination. Since several of these upgrades improve the library’s carbon footprint, much of the cost associated with them will be recouped in energy savings over the next decade. Although things may be worse before they get better, the library will be so much more functional when this work is completed.