Vanderbilt University’s Central Library will undergo a $6 million renovation that addresses 21st century teaching and research needs for students and faculty while enhancing the experiences of community visitors.
“Scholarship has changed dramatically in the 70 years since construction of the Central Library,” Richard McCarty, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said. “The Information Revolution completely transformed the way faculty members teach, the way students learn and the way faculty and students conduct research.” He noted that the look of Vanderbilt’s largest library building has stayed much the same since World War II, except for the addition of the L. Fort Flowers Wing in 1969.
“With these changes, our libraries will make additional intellectual contributions to our campus,” Connie Vinita Dowell, dean of libraries, said. She has led a campus wide initiative since her arrival at Vanderbilt last year for strategic library enhancements to benefit not only the university audience but also community constituents. Input was gathered through dozens of focus groups and presentations as well as a library user survey that generated more than 2,200 responses. The renovation plan was approved at the most recent Vanderbilt University Board of Trust meeting.
“First and foremost, we will offer additional and more attractive study spaces,” Dowell said. “The environment will be enhanced with extensive exhibits – both electronic and those featuring our collections of rare books and archives. There will also be more artwork.”
The renovation will upgrade almost 19,000 square feet of existing space. The number of large, attractive study areas will be increased, including two multi-purpose group study areas that can be used for library instruction classes, study sessions and special events. The number of public workstations will be increased and the lobby’s four help desks will be consolidated to provide a single service point for library users. A café will be added on the fourth floor, directly accessible from campus as well as through the library. The project also calls for the breezeway between the Divinity Library and the building’s L. Fort Flowers Wing, which fronts 21st Avenue, to be enclosed for a new exhibit gallery.
“We will enhance the visitors’ experience for those entering the lobby from library lawn or approaching from 21st Avenue,” Dowell said. “This will be accomplished by improving the handicap ramp, adding more elevator accessibility from the entrance to Special Collections and lining the new gallery with wonderful exhibits.”
The renovation is set to begin in May following construction currently underway on the library’s eighth floor that is designed to provide group studies, more private study areas, a conference room and social spaces. The project will add 2,300 square feet of new open space for student study, with comfortable seating and natural light. Work will then begin on the second and fourth floors. Construction on the lobby, reference room, computer commons and second floor breezeway will be completed in time for the fall semester. By the end of the calendar year, work on the café and community room will be done.
To reallocate some of the building’s current shelf space to the new study areas, approximately 50,000 volumes of journals and most microforms have been moved just off campus to the library annex. Prompt retrieval is available from the storage areas. Also, many of these materials are duplicated online to provide easier access.
Media Contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, (615) 322-NEWS
annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu