This blog details the three-year journey to renovate Hale Library after the May 22, 2018, fire.
This blog has allowed us to share our journey of recovery with the K-State and library communities both near and far. We will never forget the generosity and outpouring of support as we worked to rebuild and create a next-generation library.
It’s been a while since we’ve checked in on the progress of the upper floors at Hale Library. The third, fourth and fifth floors are in varying stages of construction, but no matter where you look you can see progress.
As we make our way up through the building, third floor is currently one of the most active construction areas.
Construction crews work on office space on the North side of Hale on the third floor.Towards the East end of third floor, a line on the floor outlines the location of a new, large classroom for library instruction. Beyond this classroom will be books and quiet study space.Dozens of workers can be seen throughout the third floor. This crew was set up towards the Southeast end of the floor.
As we move up to the fourth floor, much of the space is utilized as a wood shop to repair and restore the wood from the third floor Great Room.
Dean of Libraries, Lori Goetsch, and Associate Dean, Mike Haddock, get an update about the progress with the wood repairs in the middle of the fourth floor.In another portion of fourth floor large wood beams sit ready to be stained. Each piece of wood is carefully labeled so it can return to the same location in the Great Room.A worker restores one of the wood acorns that adorned the ceiling in the Great Room.Workers have started to stain some of the wood including this acorn that will return to the ceiling of the Great Room.
The Academic Learning Center (ALC) will go back to their same fourth floor location towards the Northwest end of the fourth floor. The ALC is a partnership between K-State Libraries and K-State Athletics that provides space for student athletes to receive academic support including one-on-one tutoring.
The entrance to the ALC on the fourth floor overlooks the foyer outside the Great Room which will include a new exhibit space. The “We Are the Dream” mural that was located on the back wall of the ALC has been taken down, cleaned and restored. Once construction is complete, it will return to its original location.
And lastly, the fifth floor, which saw the least amount of damage, will receive a few upgrades. In addition to new carpet and ceiling the Libraries will create a new digitization lab thanks to a generous contribution from the Butler Family Community Foundation.
The new digitization lab will allow the Libraries to scan and preserve rare and unique materials from the Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Special Collections. Those items would then be available online for anyone to view.
A new seminar room will also be added for the Morse Department of Special Collections. Previously, staff had to conduct instruction in the middle of their reading room where other patrons were also conducting research.
The new special collections seminar room will be located on the other side of this wall. It will provide needed instruction space for classes and groups using special collections material.
We are incredibly thankful for the gifts that have made this progress possible. It is exciting to think that at this time next year, we might be sitting in a fully renovated Hale Library! Support is still needed to fund improvements to Hale Library. On this Giving Tuesday (Dec. 3), consider a gift to Help for Hale and support our renovation efforts.
