March 12, 2007, opened as a beautiful, sunlit day, with the
weather outside matching the mood inside, as the university community
celebrated the reopening of the D. H. Hill Library's renovated
East Wing. Will Quick, student body president; Zach
Adams, student senate president; and Lee Cobb,
chair of the University Library Committee's (ULC) Learning Commons
Subcommittee, helped in welcoming everyone to the new space.
They, together with Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Susan
K. Nutter, cut the ceremonial ribbon after a brief program
in which Nutter noted that the newly renovated Special Collections
Reading Room, exhibit gallery, and state-of-the-art Learning
Commons "belong to our students."
Curious students wasted no time in making the new space their
own--checking electronic mail and computer software, testing
the new furniture, playing computer games with the Nintendo Wii
and Microsoft Xbox, and viewing the opening exhibition on B.
W. Wells in the new exhibit area. Students loved that the space
was "modern, fresh, contemporary, and definitely COOL." One
student said they wished "the whole campus was this aesthetically
pleasing. Maybe I'll stop being an RA and just live here." Other
comments from the opening included, "totally awesome East
Wing" and "a great new space."
The reopening offered more than a traditional ribbon-cutting
event, however, as the whole week felt like "a big party," according
to one student. Festivities attracting crowds throughout the
week included trivia contests, scavenger hunts, and drawings
for such great prizes as beanbag seats; video Ipods; a portable
DVD player; a grand prize Lenovo workstation and Wii gaming system;
gift certificates to Best Buy, NC State Creamery, and Quail Ridge
Books and Music; and a final grand prize of two round-trip tickets
from SouthWest Airlines. In addition, free coffee was served
every morning; in the afternoons, library staff gave away popcorn,
candy, and ice cream.
Live performances marked each day of the week, with an opening
performance by the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a traditional African
American string band. Later in the day, students gathered around
the patio to see Juan Matta and his Global Breakdance Crew do
some fancy footwork. Other bands such as the Vints and Bombadil
and a group of belly dancers performed in the Learning Commons
that week. Several performers were NCSU alumni who said they
wished they were still in school so they could enjoy the new
space.
The renovations, begun in June 2005 and completed in spring
2007, are a part of the Libraries' Master Plan that addresses
space issues over the next twenty years. The plan provides for
a phased approach that includes renovations and additions to
the Hill Library and construction of a new library on Centennial
Campus. Using $9.2 million in bond monies awarded in 2000 and
gifts donated for this purpose, the East Wing renovation of public
areas also reclaimed about 20,000 square feet of former staff
workspace for use by students and faculty.
During the entire renovation, NC State students in the ULC
Learning Commons Subcommittee and various student focus groups
played an active role in planning uses of the new space, programming
for the Learning Commons, and festivities to celebrate its opening.
Based on student reactions, their photos of the Learning Commons
shared on the popular Web sites Facebook and Flickr, and comments
such as "I love the new Learning Commons," the renovations
seem to be a resounding success with the library's key target
group.
