The first signs of work on the new Henry Madden Library building at California State University, Fresno will appear in April when fencing is installed near the construction site.

Rick Bishoff, project manager for Swinerton Builders of Oakland, said the area behind the library and extending west to the Residence Dining Hall will be fenced for placement of construction trailers. The vacant lot at the corner of Maple and San Ramon avenues (where San Ramon 3 and 6 previously were located) will be fenced for use as a material storage area during construction.

Swinerton Builders will oversee the planning and construction of the 283,600 square-foot library addition that will replace the north wing of the Madden Library and the renovation of the 68,695-square-foot south wing that will remain.

Demolition of the north wing is expected to begin in July and be completed by the start of the fall semester. Completion of the library is expected in fall 2008.

Library dean Michael Gorman calls the new, four-story library “the architectural jewel in Fresno State’s crown.” It will include state-of-the-art information technology systems, 3,600 reader stations and a wide variety of study configurations.

“Students study differently; we are seeing a lot of group studying,” said Susan Mangini, assistant to the dean for special projects. “The renovated library will offer more space for collaborative studying. And additions, such as a café, will address students’ personal needs while using the library’s facilities,” she said.

Patrons will notice a brighter, more-airy library that is user-friendly. It also will accommodate an enlarged Special Collections Library, which includes rare books and materials on state and local history; the Central Valley Political Archives; and the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature.

The renovated Madden Library also will have dedicated carrels for graduate students, which can be

reserved to provide a place for books, laptops and personal items while students conduct research.

The project architect is A.C. Martin Partners Inc. of Los Angeles, in association with Hillier Architecture of Princeton, N.J. The $91 million project is financed by a voter-approved state bond.

For more information contained in this release, please go to the following Web site: www.maddenlibrary.org.