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Hale Library Blog

Building Update: the upper floors

As summer approaches, we are closely following the rapid progress being made in Hale Library. This week, we’d like to highlight sections of the library that you might not have seen recent photos of, particularly the upper floors.

But first, an exciting update regarding the Great Room: the original bookshelves that were in the east and west alcoves are undergoing a vigorous repair process!

A picture of crew members repairing bookshelves.
Crew members repair the wooden bookshelves against the walls in the east and west alcoves in the Great Room.
A picture of a crew member varnishing bookshelves.
After the bookshelves are repaired, they are stripped and then varnished by hand. They look beautiful!

In other areas of Historic Farrell Library, further plaster work is being done on the first and second floors. In order to score the plaster, the radiators had to be pulled out. However, they will be repainted and eventually put back into place.

A picture of crew members working around a group of radiators.
The radiators have been pulled out from the wall and will be repainted before being put back into place. In the right hand corner, you can see crew members working on the plaster where the radiators were.
A picture of the third floor hallway, with the ellipse instruction room on the left.
On the left, you can see the ellipse shaped room, which will be a large instruction space made possible by The Friends of the K-State Libraries. On the right are future office spaces. The third floor will also have more books, giving it a more traditional library atmosphere.

Also on the third floor, work continues on multiple office spaces and the graduate student study rooms, located near the entrance to the Great Room. The study rooms will be in the same location they were previously, but they will be much improved.

A picture of the graduate student study rooms space.
The graduate student study rooms on the third floor provide a quiet study space specifically for graduate students.

The Academic Learning Center (ALC) on the fourth floor is also coming along. 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.

A picture of the ALC overlook balcony.
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.

On the fifth floor, mobile shelving is being removed in the Special Collections space in order to replace the mechanical system that moves the shelving units. The system is under the wood flooring and was damaged during the fire.

A picture of a room filled with white shelving units.
The white shelves in the space will actually be re-installed once the system is up and running. We are looking forward to having Special Collections return to this space.

As construction continues on these spaces, the Libraries are also working on a plan to reopen the completed areas of the building later this summer. Keep an eye on our website and the Libraries’ social media feeds for more information as it becomes available.

2 thoughts on “Building Update: the upper floors
  1. Thanks for this wonderful set of photos and descriptions. It’s always a delight to follow the latest progress. Kudos to everyone involved!

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