A large portion of the Commons in the Hodges Library should reopen in mid-October. Both Commons North and Commons South are nearing completion. New glass-enclosed group study rooms that admit ample natural light have been built around the perimeters. Service desks, computer tables, and booth-style seating are already in place. Library and OIT staff will begin installing computers and printers later this week.

The Commons has been undergoing renovations since early summer. Renovating an entire floor of the Hodges Library has entailed a complex choreography of temporary relocations of services and staff offices. Library staff recently reoccupied the updated Circulation/Media/Reserve service desk and office area just inside the Melrose Place entrance, freeing up space outside Starbucks’ new west-facing entrance for the upcoming installation of expanded café seating.

When students return from Fall Break, they should see real progress. Some exciting improvements are already apparent. Entrances to Commons North and Commons South have been widened, and a series of service desks are clearly visible across the entire expanse, north to south, of the second floor of Hodges. One need only peek over the construction barrier into Commons North to see the zig-zag computer tables and a serpentine arrangement of easy chairs. Commons South boasts new media:scape™ furniture that will allow students to walk up, plug in their own laptops, and confer on group projects.

The centralization of service desks means that students will be able to check out all equipment — laptops, scanners, video cameras, headphones, voice recorders and more — from one convenient location in Commons South. The Studio, now centrally located in Commons South, will offer more recording and video studios. Commons North will provide dedicated spaces for the Student Success Center, the Writing Center, Stat Lab, and the Math Tutorial Center.

It won’t be long now!

We’re making real progress on the Commons! Renovations are underway in all quadrants of the Hodges Library second floor, but one quadrant is all but completed. Library staff have reoccupied the updated Circulation/Media/Reserve service desk and offices in the northwest corner. Book and equipment checkout have resumed at that location.

We don’t know how they did it, but the architects have made the square-footage of the Circulation area seem twice as spacious. Thank you, McCarty Holsaple McCarty!

Commons South is still on-target to reopen around mid-October. And it appears that Commons North will open around the same date. There is visible progress: if you peek over the construction barrier into Commons North, you can see the zig-zag computer tables and a serpentine arrangement of easy chairs.

We appreciate your patience and hope that — along with us — you are eagerly anticipating the unveiling of a new and better Commons.

Hodges Library Commons to Open at the End of the Month

If you have visited the Hodges Library lately, it will come as no surprise that the much-anticipated renovations to the Commons will not be completed by the beginning of the fall semester.

But we promise it will be worth the wait! The pay-off for some temporary inconvenience will be more group study spaces, more natural light, and exciting new media:scape furniture to facilitate collaborative projects. Services will be better organized, grouping academic consulting in one area and all equipment checkout at a single service point.

In the meantime, Commons services will be available at these temporary locations:

We apologize for the inconvenience, noise, and dust. Please continue to visit the Commons on the 2nd floor of Hodges Library for your research and technology needs. The Commons is open every day. And, Sunday through Friday, we're open round-the-clock!

Bookmark this site and return here for progress reports on the Commons renovation.

A wireless print release station is available at Pendergrass Agriculture & Veterinary Medicine.

The closure of Melrose Street has been moved to Wednesday. Again, work on the road should take about a week.