February 20, 2009

At the Library on opening morning, students were waiting outside to be the first patrons. By 7:30, accounting and finance students Lauren Johnson and Clayton Best were sitting on the granite benches outside the front entrance of the ellipse. “I want to check out the first book,” enthused Johnson.

This is her third year on campus, she said, and “I’ve never had a library. I remember the [north wing] when I came here on school field trips, but they’ve been building this one all the time since I got here.”

Johnson rushed to the new-book section just inside the main entrance. As she and Best examined three long shelves of new books, other students dispersed throughout the library seeking study areas or proceeding directly to the second floor to the Starbucks café.

Johnson’s search turned up “2009 Information Please Almanac” and Joel Spring’s “Globalization of Education.” They quickly walked to the curving, polished-granite circulation desk, where Bonnie Inthisane scanned Johnson’s card and handed her the first books checked out from the new Henry Madden Library. It was just before 8 a.m.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “You know, usually students don’t really know what’s going on, on campus, but all the students know about this and they’re all excited to have their library back. It’s amazing.”

Fresno State will celebrate two “opening days” on Friday - the first day of business for the new Henry Madden and the No. 16 Fresno State baseball team’s season-opener against Washington. To commemorate the university’s academic and athletic partnership, Associate Dean of the Library Dave Tyckoson will throw out an honorary first pitch at Beiden Field.