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Library
prepares for renovations, still needs contractor
By
Marianna Noceti
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
The
Cal State Long Beach Main Library "hit
the books" over the summer as it prepared
for major renovations, however a bid has
not yet been accepted for the project.
Henry Dubois, associate dean of the University
Library, said the renovations project is
estimated for completion in two years.
The
project will transform the West-side of
the library into the Main Library. The East-side
of the library will be remodeled to house
the offices for the College of Liberal Arts
and additional classrooms.
Work
that was completed over the summer included
moving and reorganizing the books from the
East to the West-side.
The
books have been placed in alphabetical order
so that ‘A' begins on the second floor
and extends up to ‘Z,' on the fourth
floor. The only difference in the books
is their location; the call numbers have
not been changed.
"We
had crews working night and day, getting
books out of second floor East," Dubois
said. This section of the library will be
closed for the remainder of the project.
Over
the summer, students who utilized the library
were able to study in a peaceful environment,
with little noise. Dubois was happy to share
that the third floor East has been converted
into the largest study area in the library.
"Students
have been asking for a while now to have
a quiet study area free from traffic and
noise," Dubois said. He added that
cell phones and laptops are not allowed
in this section of the library.
"I
didn't notice a lot of noise, and I was
able to concentrate on my studying in the
new quiet area on the third floor,"
said Nathan Bamberg, a CSULB student who
periodically studied in the library during
the relocation of books.
"The
reference section has been condensed; we've
kept the most important references for quick
assistance," said José Aguiñaga,
a social sciences and outreach librarian
in the reference section. Aguiñaga
also said that desks have been added to
the section, so students can utilize the
area for studying.
Among
the changes to occur in the library are:
the reconstruction of those areas which
have been vacated for the new classrooms
and offices, a complete makeover to the
first floor, and the addition of a new system
called ORCA (Online Remote Collections Access).
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