Student Senate met Wednesday evening to discuss the upcoming renovations of Hesburgh Library. Hesburgh librarians Jessica Kayongo and Diane Walker presented the multi-phase renovation plan to the group and took questions from the Senate members.
The first phase of the renovation will begin over Christmas break, and will involve the gallery that goes through the middle of the library on the first and second floors. According to Kayongo, the biggest change in the gallery will be openings in the ceiling between the first and second floors.
“We want to establish a visual connection between the floors to help people find their way around as well as pull more natural light into these spaces,” Kayongo said.
One of the overall goals of the renovations is to transform the physical space of the library to reflect its prominence as a major research library.
The renovations also include adding a bathroom to the first floor and moving the second floor bathrooms to a more central location. These changes are meant to make the library more convenient to students studying. The tenth floor will also undergo renovation over Christmas break, Walker said.
“The goal of the tenth floor renovation is to see what opportunities there are in the stack tower to provide high quality study and work environments," Walker said.
As the renovations continue, students will be able to look on the renovation website and receive alerts so they will be able to plan accordingly. The renovation alerts will let students know whether there is disruptive construction going on.
Senate also briefly discussed the continuing issue of safety on campus. According to student body vice president Matt Devine, the Senate recently began filming a safety video. Senate is also working to create a “seal of approval” for trustworthy cab companies.
