It’s 2021, the spring semester is close at hand, and we’re prepping Hale Library for a scheduled opening on Jan. 25!
Books related to the topic of music arrived in boxes to the third floor, and staff have started moving them to the shelves. Also on the third floor, map cases and furniture for computers and study seating have been installed. The bright and sunny study nooks on the third floor will be a lot like the study nooks on the south side of the second floor.
Another exciting development is that the area around the Academic Learning Center, above the event gallery, has had glass walls installed. Glass gallery walls were also installed for the graduate study rooms down below on the third floor.
We’re also thrilled to see more shelving pop up around the building! For example, the second floor of Historic Farrell Library now has shelves installed for our current periodical collection. The fifth floor mobile shelving has also been completed. We even added some extra shelving to stack G for more books!
The Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab is coming along, with the installation of new whiteboards and equipment checkout storage. Crew members have also started installing the glass storefront at the second floor entrance. Because of the amount of high tech equipment for the Innovation Lab, the Libraries plan to open the space in phases, with completion expected in fall 2021. This will ensure that we have the latest and greatest technology when students and faculty are hopefully able to gather more easily.
It’s been a long time coming but we are very close to welcoming the community back to Hale Library. We are looking forward to seeing visitors, both those familiar with the earlier iteration of the building and those who are taking their first steps into the library, explore the new spaces and take advantage of what the library and our amazing staff have to offer.