McLaughlin Library set to undergo $20 million renovation
As part of the federal government’s Strategic Investment Fund initiative, the University of Guelph has received over $30 million from both the federal and provincial governments to improve facilities and expand resources through six projects on campus.
The University will also be contributing $35.7 million to the project for a total of over $65 million in infrastructure improvements, according to a campus news bulletin.As part of this investment, over $20 million in renovations will take place within the McLaughlin Library over the next 12 months, Kelly Bertrand, chair of the library building committee, explained.
With a focus on digital scholarship, the second floor will be almost completely renovated to create more effective and innovative student space, while the basement floor will be redesigned to increase storage capacity for the archival collection.
The Ontarion sat down with Bertrand, who is also the director of organizational services for the library, chief librarian and CIO Rebecca Graham, and the CSA’s academic and university affairs commissioner Meghan Wing to hash out what you need to know about the new and improved study space.
What does digital scholarship mean?
The second floor of the library will have a new focus on digital scholarship. This means we will be seeing a more cooperative and innovative space with brand new technology. The data resource office that currently resides on the first floor will be moving up to the second floor to sit alongside a flexible learning lab. This new lab will feature laptops instead of desktop PCs to make it easier to move furniture around and to use the space for a myriad of purposes.The current PC lab on the floor will be expanded from 55 seats to 77 seats.
This floor will also feature an all new media lab with at least two editing suites. This comes hand-in-hand with the innovative new digital scholarship centre that will promote collaboration and technology use.
What other changes can students expect to see in the library come September?
CSA commissioner Wing told The Ontarion via email that, “These renovations will not only provide students with more study space once they are completed, but they will improve the overall aesthetic of the library as well.”
Graham told The Ontarion that, based on their interactions with students, group study rooms are a priority and the renovations will see an increase in the size and number of these rooms.
In terms of capacity, Bertrand explained that, in the short-term, we are looking at an additional 120 to 160 seats.However, compact shelving on the lower level is meant to increase storage capacity so that some of the collection can be relocated from the upper floors to the basement.
“Once we clear some of those collections on upper floors, we would expect to pick up several hundred seats down the road,” Bertrand stated.
The study carrels will also be getting a makeover. All the study carrels on the second floor will be replaced with new, more functional carrels and more will be added to the space. Bertrand also explained that the goal in the long-run is to replace all the carrels in the library, not just those affected by the renovations.
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Is construction going to interfere with the academic environment on campus?
While some minor renovations have already begun, Bertrand and Graham both assured that any noise will be minimized as much as possible during exam season, and that the majority of the construction will be completed over the summer. As soon as the semester has concluded, the basement and second floor will be closed to the public to ensure that the space will be ready for student use in September.Bertrand explained that there will likely be some small additions, such as new windows, during the fall semester, but these will only affect one small area at a time.
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How were student voices taken into consideration for this project?
When the library master space plan was first created, two town halls were held—one in the UC and one in the library—to engage the students in the planning and to hear about their vision for the space. An additional focus group was held in residence, “Because they live here and their needs are a little bit different than a student who just commutes in or lives in the community and comes to campus on a regular basis,” Bertrand said.
The library’s user experience group conducted a survey of students who use the study carrels to help build a funding proposal that would ideally replace all the carrels in the library. Later on, Bertrand explained, they will be bringing study carrel options into the library for students to try out and give their feedback.
Wing believes that, “Overall, this renovation will be a huge benefit to students moving forward.”
Photo by Dana Bellamy/The Ontarion.