Alkek Library’s renovations are nearing completion on the first, second and seventh floors, with total completion slated for the end of spring 2020.
Currently, there are two projects underway with general renovations: the first through fourth floors and the seventh floor with the remodeling of the Wittliff Collections.
General renovations of Alkek started with the fourth floor, consisting of new study furniture, A and B conference rooms for faculty and staff, rooms for library institution classes and upgraded restrooms.
The third floor also has new study furniture and a remodeled checkout desk. The checkout desk, in addition to loaning out reserved textbooks and materials, will now rent out various equipment such as laptops, calculators and skeleton models. Also, the Graduate Commons room is a new private study space that is card accessible to Texas State graduate students.
The second floor has a new center service desk with the purpose of giving students research and IT assistance.
Renovations are still underway on the second and first levels, including the construction of a Starbucks on the second floor that is estimated to be completed by the end of 2020 spring semester.
Technology resources will be provided on the first floor, such as an IT Assistance Center help desk, a MakerSpace containing digital tools such as 3D printers and Raspberry Pi boards, a remade YouStar Studios and an area for virtual reality.
Completion of the first floor is nearing completion and is estimated to be open by spring break this semester.
Associate Vice President and University Librarian Joan Heath said the technological renovations of Alkek Library allow students to use the library resources to build future skills.
“With these technology spaces on the first floor we give an opportunity to students, no matter what their major is, to have some exposure and actually develop a skill set in some of these digital technology areas so it can help them with work they’re doing for here at the university, but even more so once they leave the university,” Heath said.
The Wittliff Collections is another renovation project in the library. Located on the seventh floor, the museum specializes in collecting and displaying southwest culture through music, photography and literature. Renovations will include a new entryway, Saltillo tile and additional gallery space.
Wittliff Collections Director Coleman said he is excited for students and visitors to see the new changes to the Wittliff.
“It’s going to be a bigger, more beautiful space. It already was a nice, beautiful space but now it’ll be even more,” Coleman said. “So there will be more exhibitions to see when visitors come to the Wittliff, we will have more on display, more collections on display, more going on for people to see.”
Coleman said the highlight of the renovation is the expansion of the Lonesome Dove Gallery along with the new Texas Music Gallery, which he sees as being attractive to visitors and students who value creative outputs and are interested in learning about different musicians.
“I think that’s going to be really exciting, especially for students to see, because we are trying to celebrate a lot of different creative impulses here in the Southwest and Texas, and obviously music is a big part of that,” Coleman said. “I think it would be really great for people to come see artifacts and objects from musicians that they know, or maybe they’d like the music but don’t know all the different artists that we have.”
Lyric Pullman, biology junior, is a frequent visitor to the Alkek Library and said while construction was bothersome at first, he sees the benefits in the renovations.
“(The construction) was uncomfortable at first because you’ll be in a quiet area and then you would hear a bunch of noise. But, they are renovating it for the better and they are almost done too. So while it can be annoying at times, I know it’s for a better purpose and I know it will make our library look a lot better,” Pullman said.
General renovations for Alkek Library plan to be done around spring break of this year. The Wittliff Collections renovations plan to be finished around the end of spring semester.
Students can find more information about the renovations and changes to the Alkek Library at the Alkek website.