Imagine visiting the UTC Library and instead of having 12 group study rooms, there will be a choice of 40 different sized, soundproofed rooms where two to 15 people can work together. Wouldn\u2019t it be great to use one of two rooms designed to practice a group presentation and then record it? With CD in hand to review later, why not stop by the library caf\u00e9 to pick up coffee and a muffin\u2014at this late hour a snack would provide energy for an all-nighter. Three years from fall 2008, the new UTC library will move from a vision to reality.<\/p>\n
Members of the University-wide New Library Program Statement Committee (NLPSC) are working closely with architectural firms Derthick, Henley & Wilkerson and Artech, planning and dreaming of a library that will be the \u201csignature building on campus,\u201d according to Janet Spraker, one of two co-chairs of the committee. Not only will the design beautifully dovetail with student, faculty and community needs, it will be kind to the environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe UT System has agreed we will pursue certification by the U.S. Green Building Council,\u201d said Spraker. \u201cAs we plan, we want to encourage those who use the library to consider alternate transportation when they visit the facility. We will have smart use of energy and water resources and we will plan to make the best use of daylight, minimizing the use of internal lighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an effort to become much more than a repository for books and electronic holdings, the committee is looking at the library as a hub of academic support, an intellectual center. Among the entities interested in locating there are the Writing Center, Student Success Center, Tutoring, and the Walker Teaching Resource Center, a faculty resource dedicated to improving student learning through teaching, learning and technology integration. Some of the more unusual requests include an art area, a small theater and a meditation room.<\/p>\n
\u201cA commuter student who does not have the luxury of retreating to campus housing has requested a quiet space where students can rest their eyes and relax,\u201d said Theresa Liedtka, Dean of the Lupton Library and co-chair of the NLPSC. \u201cWe are looking at all requests, and the next phase in planning will address prioritizing these requests.\u201d<\/p>\n
Construction is scheduled to begin August 2009, move-in will be in summer 2011 and in fall 2011, the facility should be up and running. The committee would like to locate 90% of the library\u2019s collections in compact stacks, meaning with a push of a button, these storage containers will open and a book can be instantly located. This new system will conserve 20,000 square feet of space. Reference collection, music, films, children\u2019s books and textbooks will be stored traditionally on the main floor of the new library.<\/p>\n
The current Lupton Library is 116,000 square feet. The new building will be approximately 180,000 square feet. The number of PCs in the learning common area will grow from 40 to 120, and they will be fully loaded with library resources and office accessories, with helpful staff close by. Clearly, more space is needed to address a variety of needs, according to Liedtka.<\/p>\n
\u201cCollections are growing physically and electronically,\u201d Liedtka explains. \u201cEducational trends are also changing; with more group assignments and collaborative learning more students have a need for some level of conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the annual survey issued by the Lupton Library, resources and staff are not mentioned as problematic. The facility itself draws the ire of many who use it.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom study room to study room the noise level is hard to control,\u201d said Mark Przybysz, a Master\u2019s of Accounting student. \u201cI have been part of a study group in a room, and someone knocked on the door and asked us to keep down the noise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Przybysz suggested the new building should keep books in high demand on lower floors. \u201cDon\u2019t give anyone a reason to go to the quiet study area except to study,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Students also want to see more bathrooms in the common spaces, a problem that has been a mystery to Liedtka until recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cI actually spoke with the architect of the Lupton Library who told me the current facility was purposefully designed by the University with few bathrooms to keep people from coming in and just using the bathroom,\u201d Liedtka said. \u201cThat will change, as it is one of the complaints we hear most often.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Imagine visiting the UTC Library and instead of having 12 group study rooms, there will be a choice of 40 different sized, soundproofed rooms where two to 15 people can work together. Wouldn\u2019t it be great to use one of two rooms designed to practice a group presentation and then record it? With CD in… <\/p>\n