Amanda Boyer/Photography Editor
Students can now work more comfortably and efficiently thanks to renovations recently completed in Walsh Library.
New furniture, new computers and new ergonomic equipment has been added to the Library’s Information Commons, silent study rooms and other locations.
Dr. John Buschman, Dean of University Libraries, said these changes were implemented to make the library a learning space that is “comfortable, robust and inspiring on many fronts.”
Sophomore Alex Lucanie said she thinks the new and additional furniture will help her academic work.
“The tables downstairs will be helpful when studying in a group because, last year it was sometimes hard to find a place to work as a group,” Lucanie said.
Students can now complete their assignments sitting on Herman Miller brand soft seating and on stools at the Izzy café tables. The list of additional new features in Walsh Library include new computer chairs and reupholstered rocking chairs.
“It is already clear that the changes are a boon to students and their work,” Buschman said. “The choice of furniture was made with a lot of care.”
Ten new Macintosh computers and 55 refreshed PCs have been placed throughout the IC, the Curriculum Resource Center and silent study rooms.
Two Herman Miller FloArms-mobile arms were funded by the Provost’s Office, Information Technology and libraries. The FloArms-mobile arms allow students and reference librarians to look at computer screens together during consultation. These will be installed at the reference desk.
“Newer computers and new software on the old computers will make it easier to get work done more efficiently,” Nursing student Lisa Hannen said. “Plus the addition to the reference section will be much more helpful to students if both the consultant and student see the computer at the same time.”
These changes “offer students the best of contemporary computing technology,” Buschman said.
Navigating the library has been made easier thanks to color changes in the carpet indicating a pointer leading from one area to the next. Following this new color theme, elevator areas on the second, third and fourth floors have been freshly painted.
“I think that the new changes to these floors will help students navigate the library with ease,” sophomore Marisa Cumello said. “They will need an easy way to obtain resources that they need for classes so that they can earn good grades and prosper at Seton Hall.”
“The next and last stage of the renovation will be new signage guiding scholars though our collection,” Buschman said. “It will be smartly designed but most of all practical, adding to the enhanced learning experience and spatial lucidness we’ve achieved this summer.”
In addition to the interior improvement, the façade of Walsh Library has gotten an upgrade, with a power wash and a paintjob.
Leah Carton can be reached at leah.carton@student.shu.edu.
