William H. Hannon Library Update

Library Urban Legends: Robot Arms and Pinkberry

This semester, some of the LMU Librarians have been collecting questions about the new library from incoming freshmen. This will be the first blog post of many dedicated to answering your questions about the new library.

Is there really a robot that will find the books for us?

In the early planning stages of the new LMU library, there was some discussion of including an Automated Retrieval System (ARS), or, if you will, a library robot. (Take a look at the ARS at Sonoma State University to see what we’re talking about!) Unfortunately, as we moved through the planning process for the new library, the final budget did not accommodate a system like this. In the Hannon Library, books will be retrieved from the basement the old fashioned way: by your friendly library staff and student workers.

When will the new library be completed?

This is the most popular question that we have received so far. Pending any unanticipated delays, the contractors and architects are on track to have the building ready for occupancy in June 2009. What does this mean for you? Moving a library from one building to another is an enormous logistical task that we are in the process of planning and coordinating. As such, we don’t yet have a locked-in date as to when the library will be fully operational and open to our community, and it will likely be a moving target for a while. (However, rest assured that the new library will be ready for you at the beginning of Fall 2009!) But this blog will be the definitive place to check back for announcements regarding library services during the move, moving and opening dates, and more.

Will the new library have a Pinkberry?

Sorry to disappoint all of you Pinkberry fans out there, but the new library will not have a Pinkberry. Repeat: the new library will not have a Pinkberry. However… if you want to bring your tasty tart frozen yogurt into the library cafe to eat while you study, we won’t stop you.

Have a question of your own? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll do our best to answer it in a future post!

 

Exploring the Basement

For this Construction Watch, we take a trip to the storage space of the William H. Hannon Library and explore the basement.

LMU by Air

See the circle+square shaped building on the bluff, surrounded by mounds of orange dirt? That's your new library! The landscaping will evolve and change, but the library footprint is there to stay.

*Kudos to Al Tipon for forwarding us such a great pic!

A Quick Look Inside the William H. Hannon Library

Construction Watch begins with a quick look inside the William H. Hannon Library.

Future Programming & Events at the Hannon Library

Although it’s still a long time before the new Hannon Library opens, your friendly staff at the Von der Ahe Library are already scurrying around in preparation.  Much of the library staff has been broken up into “task groups” to work on different aspects of planning for the move.  One of these groups is the “Programming” task group, whose members are hard at work planning exhibits and events for the new library.

Here are some of the ideas on the table for 2009-2010:

Faculty Lecture Series
Open for anyone to attend, these lectures will highlight LMU faculty research, and give students and faculty a chance to interact and socialize in an interdisciplinary setting.

Movie Nights
Why pay to go to a theater when you can come to the library?  We will be hosting screenings of our favorite movies from the library’s Media collection in an intimate, private theater-like auditorium.

Game Nights
A mixed offering of video games and board games to encourage friendship and social networking across the LMU community.

Special Collections Exhibits
Some of LMU’s greatest treasures will be out on display in the Department of Archives & Special Collections’ new gallery space.  We’ll be kicking off the year with an exhibit on the History of the Book, where you can learn about book production and distribution from medieval times down to the present. In addition to the Special Collections exhibits, the Hannon Library will feature exhibit space in the main part of the library where we can highlight authors, themes, staff picks, and other resources.

If you feel that there is something missing in the above list or if you have any ideas for the exhibits that will be in frequent rotation, PLEASE LET US KNOW!  We take all of your suggestions very seriously and we’re enthusiastic to hear from you!

(photo credit: Nile Flow Gallery / Flickr)