Renovation Project Progresses

The project team from Roger, Dean and Perry was back in the library on June 12 and 13.  The primary goal of this visit was to finalize a first pass at determining space needs for staff, collections, and public space (reader accommodations).  The architects met with library staff, students, and administrators.

When the team next comes to campus on July 1 and 2, they will present a block diagram of space that support the programmatic needs of the library.  This will not be a design that shows a diagram of the library with offices, stacks, and seating.  Instead it will show blocks, each one representing a particular function in the library.  The big blocks will naturally be used for the collections and student seating/public areas.

This helps get a sense of how much space is necessary, and provides a way to begin discussions and negotiations that bring space and budget into line with each other.

To Eat, Perchance to Read

As library planning for renovation/expansion moves forward, the idea of adding a cafe to the library has been raised. This is not a radical idea; many libraries built or renovated in the last decade have included a cafe. They can be very popular features, and in some cases, cause for concern.

I’ve solicited some viewpoints on cafes, included below. (No one wished to play villain, so I have taken up the argument against cafes.) However, this is only the beginning of this discussion. Please add to this debate; your ideas will help us plan as we move ahead.

Against the Cafe [Peter Koonz]

I hesitate to speak out against the idea of a cafe in the library. I’d be more popular if I tied my hair up in a bun and starting saying “Sssshhh” to everyone I came across. Nevertheless, there are a few reasons why a cafe in the library is not a good idea, and I know that there are more than a few students who support this point.

Occasionally, I get a suggestion in the library suggestion box that says something like this:

The library is not a deli. Stop students from bringing food in and acting like this is a restaurant. The smell is overwhelming and I can’t study.

There is no doubt that a balance must be struck, even in a modern library. Many people still come to the library for quiet study and peaceful contemplation. Loud talk, the sounds of unwrapping (candy, sandwiches, etc.), the smells of food — all of these things add to the level of distraction within the environment.

In addition, few people eat everything on a plate (or in a pizza box). The remains attract bugs, rodents, insects, and other nasty things that are better kept away from library patrons and, just as importantly, away from books and journals, which can be destroyed by pests.

Better to keep the cafeteria in the cafeteria.

In Favor of a Library Cafe [Marisa Gitto]

I believe that a library café would enhance the St. Rose community. There are a few reasons why I feel the Neil Hellman Library would benefit by having a café including a relaxed environment, increase patronage, and honestly times are changing. I feel students would like it because the library will become a more relaxed environment. Students always become hungry and thirsty while studying, researching, and writing papers while in the library. Having extra energy from nourishment is always a plus and gives an extra lift especially when getting writer’s block. Who likes leaving the library when you are in the midst of a great study session? Having the café in the library would increase promotion of what an Information Commons is all about.

Secondly, more people would come to use the library if there was a café housed within it. I have seen Butler Library at Columbia University with a café, and it is a very popular place. Many students and faculty use it, and is reminiscent to an old-fashioned, French café where writing, conversation, laughter, and reading for enjoyment take place. Libraries in the 21^st century are changing. I believe traditional library settings are on the out. The new generation represents openness. To meet the needs of the future generations at St. Rose, a café in the Neil would establish a creative atmosphere.

So, when you are pondering this idea of whether you think the Neil Hellman Library should or should not have a café, remember the well used adage, “Food for Thought!”

Note: The library currently allows drinks to be brought in to the building in covered containers. Food is NOT allowed.

Library Renovation/Expansion Project

The project for renovation/expansion of the Neil Hellman Library takes its next step.  Five architectural firms have submitted concept proposals in response to the College’s RFP.  These five proposals have been placed on library reserve at the main desk of the library (items B159 – B163).

Input from all members of the Saint Rose community is appreciated, so if you are able, please have a look at what the architects have put together and let me know what you think.

Library, Old and New

As the library moves toward a major renovation/expansion project, it is helpful to understand the history of the facility. To help toward that end, Maria Kessler McShane, College Archivist, has put together a Powerpoint slideshow that documents the evolution of the library at 392 Western Ave.

This slideshow shows the new building in 1950 and the process of adding an addition in the early 1980s. In between we see how the sixties and seventies had their impact on interior design. This slideshow is available on the library website (link to document).

Click on the photo to see the full-size image.

Frequency North Comes to the Library

The third season of Frequency North begins with David Lehman visiting the Neil Hellman Library on Thursday, October 4 at 7:30 P.M. Lehman is a poet and literary critic; he is also known for beginning an annual series titled Best American Poetry.

POSTSCRIPT – THANKS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED: Despite my worries that the space in the library would not be large enough and noise would create problems, the poetry reading went smoothly. Approximately sixty people heard Mr. Lehman read from his body of poetry, including some from his collections in which he wrote “a poem a day.” He graciously stayed afterwards to chat with those in attendance and signed books (including the seven recently acquired Lehman books for the library collection).

For the many New York Mets fans out there, let me conclude this post with a short excerpt from Lehman’s October 9 poem in his book The Evening Sun:

It’s a great day for New York
thanks to Todd Pratt of the Mets
whose tenth inning homer beat Arizona
so now the Mets will face Atlanta
for the pennant…

Your Idea of a Library

In anticipation of future renovation or expansion of the Neil Hellman Library, a planning group was formed in 2006 and it produced — surprise! — a report. (Read it here.)

However, I would be very interested to hear from you. Do you agree with the recommendations of the report? What do you think a college library should be all about in 2007? (No need to even read the report to answer that.) What would you most want included in a new or renovated library?

Your feedback will be used in our planning. Thanks.