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.
As students begin the mad rush to prep for finals week, we took a moment to stop and chat with a few of our staff and faculty who have moved into their new spaces.
Some staff members, particularly those with Library User Services, have been based in Hale Library since last fall to assist with patrons. However, since the upper floors of the building opened in February, more staff and faculty have moved into their new offices.
Everyone is thrilled to be back working with colleagues and students in the same space again!
Stephanie Kiersey, user services specialist, said that it has been nice to see her coworker’s spaces get filled with personal items, adding personality. “Your coworkers make the space,” she said. “Even though I’ve been here since August, it feels more like home when students and other staff are around.”Jason Coleman, head of Library User Services, said that he’s a fan of the renovated building, and that he can’t wait for more students to explore. “It has a wealth of different types of spaces; students can gravitate toward whatever type of study space they need. It’s exciting to see more students studying together and finding their new favorite study spots.”Jesica Sellers, maintenance and repair technician, said that the loading dock at Hale Library has been a real game changer for how Building Services is able to do their work. “After the fire, we were located on the second floor of Dykstra Hall. One of the challenges we faced over there was that we didn’t have access to an elevator and so we had to haul many boxes of all sizes up and down the stairs multiple times a day. Having access to Hale Library’s loading dock has been a huge improvement in both ease of work and efficiency.”
Some staff and faculty mentioned that they feel centered being back in the building, and that it’s easier to coordinate and focus on tasks when they have a dedicated space to do so. Many joked about how after a year of attempting to work with kids and pets jumping on them at home, getting back to the office couldn’t come soon enough!
Tara Coleman, web services librarian and the coordinator for the Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies, is excited to soon begin to flesh out the center’s second floor space, which will provide a welcoming space for students, faculty and staff to explore human diversity. “The DOW area is so accessible now; it’s a clean slate,” Coleman said. “I have so many ideas, and I can’t wait to make it a place where different groups can showcase their work.”Kimberlie Bugbee, user services specialist an alumnae of K-State, said she has a lot of memories of Hale Library, and therefore it means a lot to her to see current students enjoying the historic spaces. “There is a sense of excitement,” she said. “It’s great to see students collaborating together and making use of the space.”“In our field, problem solving is important, and so it’s been much easier to work together when we’re all in the same room,” said Renee Gates, IT coordinator, about being back in the library. “And having fast internet doesn’t hurt either,” added Derek Cox, IT support specialist II. Katie Lynn, acquisitions librarian, said that moving back into the renovated building provided a unique opportunity for metadata, preservation and acquisitions staff. “Ironically, our department got closer and worked more cohesively after the fire because we ended up all in Unger Hall together,” she said. “When we came back to Hale Library, we got to choose our pods in a way that allowed us to stay connected and keep workflows that we established while at Unger.”
While not everyone has returned to in person work yet, we are so excited to have many staff and faculty back in Hale Library working and interacting with each other on a regular basis. Nothing quite beats a friendly staff member when you walk in the door!
