In addition to the new Honors College space, Special Collections also received a new home. Previously, SpecColl was located on the 7th and 8th floors of the Blue wing of the library. Previously the department had been only on the 8th floor, but with the official creation of the University Archives in 1996, the reading room was relocated one floor down in the new archival space.
However, it was decided that Special Collections, as the repository of the university's history as well as precious and unique materials, needed a more prominent location. The need for a larger stacks area was also a concern. The new space has a large stacks area with compact shelving, a large staff work area, librarian offices, and a large and pleasant reading room with reference books available for patrons.
An important aspect of user services is the addition to the department of a classroom that can hold up to 60 students. Now the department can host undergraduate and graduate instructional classes that showcase the materials while also keeping the materials in a secure location. Previously these classes were held elsewhere in the library and so the materials had to leave the department.
Active construction on the new spaces, which included a new Gold wing, as well as reconfigured space in the older Brown and Red wings, began in 2003 and continued through 2005. On the ground floor, new user-friendly additions include approximately 200 computer workstations located in the Access Services department. These computers can be used for research, but also for checking email or surfing, or for watching UH distance education dvd's, which are located next to the computers.
A new Circulation and ILL desk serves as the division between this area and a large entrance foyer. It is easily accessible from both sides. Also included in this area is a leisure reading section with fiction, non-fiction and sci-fi books for checkout, as well as comfortable armchairs for reading. Microfilm and microfiche readers are in this area also.
Across the foyer is the Academic Research Center, which contains approximately 250 more computer workstations on one side, and a large study space with tables on the other. In the middle is the Reference desk, which is accessible to each area as well as the foyer. These computers are for research purposes only and are connected to the databases and printers.
A favorite gathering space for students in the new library addition is the 24 hour student lounge, which is located to the left side of the entrance doors. It contains tables and chairs with internet connections, vending machines and microwaves, restrooms, and a small campus police station. The exterior wall is all glass and so the space is bright and sunny. One floor above in the same space, the new Elizabeth Dennis Rockwell Pavilion, named after a generous UH benefactor, serves as a gathering place for conferences, receptions, and other campus and library events. The second floor also contains a large student study space with chairs and tables.
Below are some pictures of the new user-centered spaces at the M.D. Anderson Library. Maps of the new floors are located at http://info.lib.uh.edu/about/floormaps.html.
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3 comments:
It seems that you are saying that there are 200 computers in one area, and 250 computers in another area, and that all 450 of them are just for databases and Internet? Are you saying that none of them have any "productivity software" like Microsoft Office? Wow! Or perhaps I am misinterpreting what you have written, based on my past. When UNLV's Lied Library opened in 2001, we had a section of about 30 computers next to the 1st floor Reference Desk that were for research only -- no productivity software (I think we also had 10 like this next to the 2nd floor Reference Desk.) So students looked up info in one area, then had to log out, move to another area, and log in again to write their paper based on the research they found at the first workstation. This method was cumbersome, so we soon upgraded so that all our computers have access to databases, Internet, AND productivity software.
It is interesting to note the difference in types of renovations that occurred just a couple of years ago with those occuring in late 2007 and in 2008. The latter involve much more technology interaction options. The MD Anderson library's addition and renovation was in 2006, which is not that long ago, but it seems like they were in need of a building overhaul because they were quite outdated. When compared with the renovation of University of Nevada in Reno, the MD Anderson Library seems much simpler. It seems like the concern for user centered space was to create more computer space, classroom ability, and update the circulation area and provide modern stacks.
It's great that Special Collections has a classroom that can be used to "showcase" some of the important collections held by UH. Even better that the collections can remain in a secure area since this leaves less potential for damage and/or harm.
I've been to MD Anderson since the renovation...a great library space and very user-oriented.
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