Message from the University Librarian:
Space Reconfigurations Improve Library Services

Library facilities will play an important role in supporting UCI’s growth over the next decade. Projects to renovate and reconfigure existing buildings to meet the changing needs of our faculty, students, and community users began this summer and will continue over the next few years.

The use of UCI library facilities has been growing each year and is at an all-time high. Last year we received over 2.2 million visits to our library buildings in addition to extremely heavy online use. Expanded and upgraded workspace is needed for students, faculty, and library staff, as well as for collections and information technologies. With these goals in mind, we have recently completed several renovation and reconfiguration projects and are undertaking a number of other important improvements.

We completed several projects over the summer which created immediate improvements for this academic year. These included considerable expansion of computing in the Library Gateway Study Center (which is open until 3:00 a.m. most nights) and on the 1st, 3rd and 4th floors of Langson Library. In the Science Library, major maintenance and repairs of the heating and cooling system were completed which will significantly improve room temperatures in the heavily used Grand Reading Room. While the room was dismantled for repairs, we reconfigured the shelving and furniture layout to increase study space and make room for a future expansion of computing equipment.

Projects currently underway will upgrade the quality and comfort of the 3rd and 4th floors of Langson Library, expand access to computers, add more shelving for collections, and expand seating in locations with good natural light and views of Aldrich Park. A major renovation of the Library Gateway Study Center includes an expansion into parts of the building recently made available for library use, the addition of group study rooms, and improved study areas.

Future projects will relocate the Science Library loan desk closer to the building entry and reconfigure and renovate the 1st and 2nd floors of Langson Library.

The UCI Libraries are committed to providing the highest quality research services and resources to our faculty, students, staff, and the community. These facilities projects will result in a more productive and comfortable environment. For more information, or if you are interested in receiving email updates on the progress of these projects, please go to: facilities.lib.uci.edu/spaceplanning/.

Gerald J. Munoff
University Librarian