Since the Calvin T. Ryan Library fully reopened, students have wasted no time making use of the newly renovated space. They can be seen filling the study rooms, couches and tables at any given moment during the day. The heavy foot traffic speaks for how much its services were missed and are needed. Seeing students enjoy the space has made the wait feel like it was worth it.
Yet, there are still some things missing. The space is not complete.
Libraries have an unspoken rule that they are a quiet space. With the sound of ongoing construction, this rule has been thrown out the window. While the new open staircase is visually appealing, it adds to the issue. If any construction is being done on one floor of the building, the noise travels through the open staircase to the other floors.
Imagine being startled by a loud boom in the middle of studying. This happens frequently, and it’s hard to focus and get back on task. Plus, it disrupts classes that are in session and students on air at the campus radio station.
Apart from the noise, the unfinished renovations also affect the library’s functionality. Things like inoperable power outlets, lights not turning off and students unable to access the radio station without a professor are problematic.
We should not have to deal with these insufficiencies.
Artwork and decorations are being added to the space. We appreciate this addition as it helps make the library feel more complete and inviting. It’s slowly becoming a space that our team and other students are feeling more at home in. We are grateful for the renovations that were done to the library but want to see them finished sooner rather than later.
In our back-to-campus issue of The Antelope, project managers told us that the goal was to be “as close to complete before the first day of classes as possible.”
The first day of classes has come and gone, and the question of when it will be fully finished still remains. We hope that it is by the ribbon cutting on Oct. 10 but we’re not going to get our hopes up. Delays are sometimes inevitable, but the school year is well underway at this point.
We understand that there are going to be loud noises in order for the library to get finished. So let’s finish it.
We ask project managers to place an urgency on the library’s full completion. Students should not be used to compromising on noise levels and amenities not fully functioning. The library should be a place that students can rely on and be comfortable using.
