Grove City College Library to See $9M Renovation

On the campus of Grove City College in Grove City, Pa., the Henry Buhl Library is in the middle of a $9-million renovation project. The library first opened in 1954 and has not seen any major improvements or construction work since then. About 75% of the building will undergo renovations like the addition of group study rooms, classrooms, a reading room, a lounge, a café, and a patio. It will also receive technology upgrades and additional power sources.

“The library is the major information center on campus, and we strive to support our students’ changing technology needs, study habits, and academic expectations in the 21st century,” said library director Barbra Munnell. “The renovation will enable the library to improve upon providing the academic support necessary to help students succeed while giving them ample space to work together, to study and to be a community of scholars.”

The new ground floor will play home to a large, flexible study space; a reference room; and the college’s writing center, registrar’s office and academic resource center. The first phase of the project—including installation of the second-floor library stacks—is scheduled to be complete by the end of the summer, before students return to campus. The second phase of construction is scheduled to begin in December and last through summer 2022.

About 1,500 shelves’ worth of books and almost 6,000 books and journals from the library were relocated for the duration of the construction project.

Grove City College received a grant of $2.5 million from the Pew Charitable Trust to help fund the renovations, while the majority of the expenses are being funded by donations.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

  • Beyond Four Walls

    Operable glass walls provide a dynamic solution for educational spaces. They align with today’s evolving teaching methods and adapt to the needs of modern learners. Beyond the functional versatility, movable glass walls offer clean, contemporary aesthetics, slim and unobtrusive profiles, and versatile configurations that cater to the evolving needs of students and educators alike.

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

Digital Edition