Aug 19, 2016 By: pglassman
With a gift from the Mitrani Foundation and the support of Karen Bacon, Dean of the Undergraduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the lower-level periodical room in the Hedi Steinberg Library on the Beren Campus is being transformed into a much-needed set of spaces devoted to study and collaboration. After a careful deselection of journal titles by Head Librarian Edith Lubetski and her staff members, the collection will be housed at the perimeter of the space, with individual issues transferred to the Pollack and Gottesman Libraries on the Wilf Campus to complete some journal runs. Responding to a survey conducted in cooperation with the Stern College for Women Student Life Committee, Head Librarian Edith Lubetski and Director of University Libraries Paul Glassman worked with designer Sedona Statt from W. B. Mason Company to create a plan incorporating several types of spaces: individual, quiet study at carrels; soft, lounge seating with swiveling tablets; and three group study rooms. All carrels will have power outlets for laptop computers, and upgraded Wi-Fi will ensure top-quality connectivity to the Internet and university network. Two of the group study rooms will be glass-enclosed and will offer glass white boards, and the third will be equipped with a large-scale flat-panel monitor for collaboration. New carpeting and paint throughout will further refresh the environment. The overarching goal of the space repurposing is to meet the demand for more reading, study, and peer-to-peer learning spaces on the Beren Campus. The target completion date is the start of the fall 2016 mid-term examination period.