Students, faculty and members of the campus community gathered last week to celebrate the completion of the Calvin T. Ryan Library renovation project. UNK administration hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 10 in the revitalized building.
Evan Boyd, dean of the library, said the renovations offered opportunities to help reenvision how the library would operate.
“It feels great to have us fully open and having all of the students use all of the space,” Boyd said. “There is an energy back in the space that hasn’t been there for quite a while. It has been a fun challenge for the last two years and I’m looking forward to going through the punch list of the little things left to do so the library can be used for the next 20 years.”
All three floors of the library have resources for everyone to use. This includes programs to help progress students’ academic success such as Disability Services for Students, tutoring and First-Gen Lopers, areas for people to study, meditate and pray, or the wide selection of books for students to read.
Nanette Hogg, chair of the Department of Communication, said it felt good to be back in the library.
“It is very nice for the big wall to be gone so that we have an open area and sunlight coming in,” Hogg said. “I hear students all the time, and I think the library is so much more welcoming.”
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, many figures took to the stand to offer thanks and were pleased to see how the renovations will help students continue to excel in academics. The event ended with Boyd and Janet Wilke, former dean of the library, cutting the ribbon together.
Wilke said she was “incredibly honored” to be brought up to help cut the ribbon during the ceremony.
“I did not expect that,” Wilke said. “Evan came to find me as I was touring around. He asked if anyone mentioned that they wanted me to cut the ribbon, and I was surprised and deeply honored when I was asked to do that.”
The Calvin T. Ryan Library is open for all students to experience the new renovations.
