Books will be harder to find in UMass Dartmouth’s renovated library by Grant Welker
The Herald News (Fall River) , Feb. 9, 2012

The Claire T. Carney Library was designed in the 1960s as a warehouse for books — its most important features the rows and stacks of bookshelves.

Now that the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is renovating the library, its mission is going in the opposite direction. Half the university’s collection of physical books will be stored in a new basement below a new addition. Instead of four floors with books, there will be only two.

“It’s going to fundamentally change the experience for students coming to UMass Dartmouth,” said Robert Miklos, a project manager with Design LAB Architects of Boston.

The $43 million, three-year renovation and expansion of the library — the first major changes to the building since it was built in 1972 — is slated for completion this fall. When complete, the library will shift away from its book-first focus. Instead, it will prioritize spaces for students looking to meet with others, work on projects together or study quietly.

For now, only the fourth and fifth floors are open. The first, second and third floors are undergoing completely renovations. The only computer lab the library currently offers is in the basement, right next to the loud sounds of construction.

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The Herald News : https://www.heraldnews.com/news/x1341770080/Books-will-be-harder-to-find-in-UMass-Dartmouths-renovated-library