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Hale Library Blog

Make yourself at home!

Posted on by Darchelle Martin

We are in the thick of the fall semester, and the Dave and Ellie Everitt Learning Commons on the first floor of Hale Library has been busy with students working on projects and studying for exams. In fact, during the last few weeks the first floor has averaged more than 7,600 visits each week.

A sign reads "Dave and Ellie Everitt Learning Commons"
New signage was installed welcoming students to the Dave and Ellie Everitt Learning Commons.

The experience of returning to Hale Library felt like coming home for those students who were at K-State before the fire.

Student sitting in a chair next to his skateboard.
Kevin is a junior studying secondary education and said he used to spend up to six hours a day in Hale before the fire. “I was pretty overwhelmed when Hale first opened up again,” he said. “I reminisced about the good times I’ve had here. The first hour or two after it was open and already seeing whiteboards full of equations, it was awesome.”

We’re paying close attention to how students are using the new spaces to help us plan for the rest of the building. In fact, a team of librarians are conducting an assessment study. They record student use of the space multiple times each day. This data helps us understand which areas and types of furniture are the most heavily utilized. The results will impact the remaining floors.

One feature that has been a big hit with students is the abundance of whiteboards, some of which stretch from floor to ceiling.

A student sits in a room with her laptop.
Macie, a junior in pre-nursing, said she is excited about all the new whiteboard space on the first floor. “The whiteboards are great! I’m in human body so it’s great to have the space to write and draw the pathways of the body,” she said.

Ah, yes. Biology 341. Perhaps no one gets as much use out of the whiteboards as these students. But, do they really need floor to ceiling whiteboards? Students like Danielle have found them useful!

A student writes out her biology work on giant whiteboards.
Danielle, a junior at K-State, explained that this massive diagram was for her biology class.

The Dave and Ellie Everitt Learning Commons also includes new technology. Dozens of large monitors are spread throughout the floor that students can connect to their devices.

A student works on his laptop in Hale Library.
Chance is a junior majoring in construction science. While working on his estimating homework Chance told us that having multiple screens makes it easier.

While students are excited about the first floor of Hale, they can’t wait to see the rest of the library. Students are looking forward to the new quiet floors that will be located on the third and fourth floors.

A student in a green shirt sits in a chair with his bookbag.
Nestor, a junior studying business, thinks the new library has a fresh feel and is excited for the other floors to open. “I’m looking forward to a new quiet area…like the Great Room coming back,” he said. “All the buildings were packed last semester. I’m glad Hale is back.”

The second floor of Hale Library is scheduled to open during the spring semester. The rest of the building should be complete by the end of 2020. Support is still needed to for the remaining restoration and renovation of Hale Library. Donate online to the Help for Hale fund!

2 thoughts on “Make yourself at home!”

  1. How do students safely reach the top of the white boards? I don’t see any step stools or ladders in the room, and chairs with wheels are not safe to stand on (I am short, so think of such things).
    Debi Rogers, Friends of the Libraries

  2. Hi Debi! Thanks for pointing that out. We’ve added kick stools around the building for students to use.

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