First Floor Reconfiguration: Winter 2023

College Library is rearranging the first floor entryway in a number of ways during December 2023 and January 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience during the transition.

Entryway repairs:

The concrete beneath the tiles and mats at the entry to the library began to heave and crumble during the fall semester and is in need of repair. Heavy foot traffic over the years, especially during winter seasons with a lot of slush and snow, has created this unsafe condition that is of the utmost importance to fix. This work will be done while the library is closed December 23rd through January 1st. 

Swing-gate removal:

The library has long maintained a distinction between entry doors and exit doors, utilizing swing gates to prevent exits through the designated entry corridor and manage the flow of traffic in and out of the library. These swing gates do not meet the library’s commitment to accessibility and will be removed in late December/early January. The result will be a two-way, open entry and exit across all six doors.

Information & Circulation Desk move:

In order to provide a more consistent approach across libraries, College Library is reconfiguring its desk and holds/reserves shelving to create a mediated service for access to course reserve items and books on hold. Both types of items ultimately require interactions with staff and the mediated service will streamline the process both for patrons and staff. College Library has been an outlier with its self-service hold shelf and open reserves. Also, the self-service checkout machine rarely worked without mediation and was removed last year to alleviate frustration. 

Information and Circulation staff will be offering the same helpful service and welcoming smiles to people entering the library, but from an off-center location, still highly visible in the 1st floor center area. Staff will gladly retrieve holds and reserve materials at the desk.

In order to accommodate this change in desk configuration, other furniture and technology in the area will be rearranged. Express printing, scanning, and computer use is still in the area, but in slightly different locations. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, just ask!

If you have questions about any of these changes, please contact the director of College Library, Carrie Kruse.