SEMO tries to make Kent library more relaxing

Sit back and relax. That's what Kent Library director Dr. Sarah Cron wants students to do whether they're engaged in research or just reading a good book.

Cron believes a $296,000 remodeling project inside the Southeast Missouri State University library will provide that relaxed environment.

Construction crews have been remodeling the east side of the library's main level since late December. Workers installed a new, low-maintenance tile floor and painted walls tan and dark brown.

The contractor, Nip Kelley Construction, should complete remodeling by the end of this month, school officials said.

New furniture should arrive in February. By late February, the space should be ready for use, Cron said.

The project -- the first major remodeling of that section of the building in nearly four decades -- includes installing a coffee bar and comfortable chairs and couches that encourage students to lounge or get together with other students to study. New carpet will grace some of the main floor which previously housed the reference department.

"It's a very new look, pretty shocking really, considering we haven't changed the appearance since the 1960s. It will be a much more appealing and functional space for people to enjoy," said Cron, dean of academic information services.

The remodeled area will include a coffee cart where students can get a cup of coffee and pastries.

The area will include displays of the library's newest books, bestsellers, and various daily newspapers, Cron said.

"It will be a much nicer place for people to enjoy spending time," she said.

The project excites Southeast student Tyler Dunn, an art major from Kingdom City, Mo.

"I like the idea of creating a place where students can relax while we study and grab a coffee," Dunn said.

Cron envisions the gathering spot as an informal setting for faculty to meet with students.

Some seating will be equipped to allow for use of laptop computers. Some chairs will have wheels so students can easily move them around to arrange seating to meet their needs, Cron said.

Two new conference rooms will provide space for students to meet for group projects.

To make room for the improvements, the library's reference department has been relocated to the third level of the building, one story above the main level.

It will become part of an "information commons" which will be developed on the third level starting next summer.

That second phase of remodeling will include various-sized conference rooms, moveable furniture, computers and flexible work areas for student research, and offices for information services.

The remodeling will include more computers to serve students who increasingly conduct research online.

All of the library's books have been moved to the fourth floor, making it more convenient for students who previously often had to search through several floors of books for class assignments.

New carpet and paint will upgrade the fourth floor to blend in with the improvements on the other two floors.

Cron said she hopes all of the remodeling will be finished in 2007, making the library more inviting to users.

"We want them to come in and see us," she said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, ext. 123