Fenwick to Soon Expand

Broadside Photo File.

By Broadside Staff Writer Ryan Dempsey

George Mason University has entered the initial stages in expanding Fenwick Library.

According to The Mason Gazette, university officials met last week to discuss the “design work for the expansion,” which is included in Mason’s three- to five-year plan.

Architects and university officials in charge of the planning in this project met on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon to discuss preliminary plans and ideas for the expansion. Additional meetings will be held in the Johnson Center, Room 228 on Monday, April 27 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Current expansion plans are to extend the library into the wooded area by constructing a new building that will connect the two Fenwick towers. The project also includes plans to demolish Wing A of the original part of the library. The entrance for the “new library” will be from the center of campus.

Officials cited multiple reasons for the expansion, including the library status as at capacity with all of its current content.

“The new addition will be 150,000 gross feet, which is nearly double the net space of the current library,” stated Craig Gibson, associate university librarian for research, instructional and outreach services.

Officials also want to make the library seem “more inviting and are looking for student and faculty input for ideas of what to do with the additional space,” in order to better shape students’ wants and needs.

“Right now, there are more questions than answers,” said Christopher Dixon, assessment, planning and organizational development coordinator for university libraries. “We don’t really know what can be offered until our priorities are organized.”

Recently, graduate students were sent a libQUAL survey to find out their opinions on the quality of the library and its services. There is also a new web blog for student input available at newlibrary.gmu.edu, where students can post their ideas, questions, comments and concerns.

“We want to know what’s going well [with the library], what’s not, and what’s important in a relative way,” commented Dorothy Lockaby, head of access services for university libraries.

Students seem to have a lot of different ideas for the new library. “Many students want a 24-hour study area and computer lab,” commented one student from the newlibrary.gmu.edu website.

Megan Cipperly, a conflict analysis and resolution major, also commented on the website.

“There should be group viewing rooms to watch movies, because it’s a pain to sit at the desks and wear headphones if you’re working on a group project” Cipperly said.
In reference to the website and forums, Gibson stressed student input, saying, “We will use the students’ input to make our decisions.”

Construction is anticipated to commence by January 2011, with the building scheduled for occupancy in January 2013.