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Golda Meir renovations begin soon
Learning Commons to be added to library
By Marlyn Fink
“The private gifts will allow us to do a little bit more in terms of the furniture we buy and the quality of the technology” – Jim Lowrey, Assistant Director of Library Systems
Construction of the West wing of the Golda Meir Library is set to begin this fall and will be the first major construction project the building has seen in two decades.
Planning for the new Daniel M. Soref Learning Commons began about two years ago, according to Jim Lowrey, Assistant Director of Library Systems.
“The concept of the learning commons is to give students space where there’s good technology and the space to use it,” Lowrey says.
The renovation will take place only on the first floor of the West wing. During this time, services offered in this space, including circulation and reference, will move to the East wing. The main entrance of the west wing will also be closed starting late in December when the construction begins. Students and faculty will be able to access the basement, second and third floors of the West wing through the East wing.
When the $5 million project is completed, the new 32,500-square-foot space will feature a brand new open design with computers, group study rooms, new furniture and an expanded Grind Café, which will move from the East wing to the West wing.
Lowrey refers to the new space as an academic union.
“It’s going to be a good place for students to get together and work together,” he said. “This type of remodeling is very popular right now around the country, and people have found that it’s been very successful and the gate count of the library has doubled instantly.”
Seating for more than 400 users and more than 200 new computers will be available, as well as an advanced main desk that will combine circulation, interlibrary loan and information technology support services.
Lowrey said that between now and the start of the spring 2009 semester the entire first floor of the West wing will be vacated for the contractors. This includes the entire staff located in the West wing. They will be moved upstairs to the second floor in a space that was created by moving stacks out of the library and into a storage space.
The Kubala Washatko Architects, Incorporated, located in Cedarburg, designed this state project that is possible through a combination of state funding and some private donations. The name comes from the Daniel M. Soref Foundation located in Milwaukee, a group that has funded a number of projects.
“The private gifts will allow us to do a little bit more in terms of the furniture we buy and the quality of the technology,” says Lowrey. “The Daniel M. Soref Foundation is providing some of the funding for this and is bridging the gap between the total cost and what the state allocated.”
After the project is complete, which will be next fall, the library will be looking at extending hours during the school year. To find more information on the project, visit www.uwm.edu/Libraries/renovation.
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