Library construction progresses

As the fall semester begins at California State University, Fresno, the Henry Madden Library construction project has reached its final phase and plans are under way to move into the building in January.

The construction and interior finishing work will be completed in December in the new 300,000- square-foot north wing. At the same time, the old south wing is being completely remodeled. Built in 1980-1981, the south wing has been the site for all library services throughout the construction project. With its remodeling, those services have moved into temporary locations elsewhere on campus.

Despite the construction, all library materials and services remain available to the campus and the community. During the summer, all books were returned to campus from the off-site storage facility. They are now housed in the new library building, allowing for more rapid retrieval.

To request books, journals, videos, CDs, DVDs or any other library materials, library users search the library catalog online and use a request button to place orders. Library staff retrieve the items and e-mail the user when they are available for pick-up – usually within 24
hours. For the fall semester, all pick-up and return of library materials will be in the University Center room 123 (UC 123).

Laptop computers for students and faculty are also available. Laptop checkout is available in UC 101.

With the closure of the south wing of the library, student study spaces have been distributed across campus. A quiet study area seating over 100 students is available in UC 200, and over a dozen other locations have been designated as official study areas. For a complete list of study locations, see the map on the library Web page.

For help with research and library resources, reference librarians are also stationed in UC 123. They can help users find materials, use databases or research topics. Users also can call 278.2174, or use the library’s Instant Messenger service.

When it opens in January 2009, the new Henry Madden Library will be the largest in the CSU system. It will have the latest information technology, individual and group study areas, seating for over 3,500 users, a media production lab, hundreds of computers, complete wi-fi coverage, self service checkout, several interactive classrooms and even a Starbucks café.