The new 24-hour Norlin Commons and other renovations at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Norlin Library were designed with the 21st century student in mind, providing a combination of learning environments and resources for group work, the use of multimedia technology and individual study and research.
Located at ground level inside the east entrance of the library, Norlin Commons opened in July under limited hours and officials expect to launch the round-the-clock schedule on Sunday, Aug. 30, once a partitioning wall is completed to allow the new space to become separate from the rest of the library. The area will be a 24-hour facility five days a week, from noon on Sundays to 7 p.m. on Fridays. The space will also be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
Norlin Commons and the other renovations represent the first major overhaul of the main CU library in more than three decades. The joint renovation project of University Libraries and Information Technology Services began in spring 2008 and also includes a new Research Services space, a new graduate student study suite, a refurbished east entrance, improvements to the exterior Sundial Plaza and a new coffee shop.
"Students have been clamoring for changes like these," said Jennifer Knievel, faculty director of research and instruction for University Libraries. "Before now, the Norlin Library building was not reflective of how universities work, how we teach and how we learn."
Norlin Commons includes six "team tech" rooms, or group study rooms outfitted with Mac mini desktop computers that allow users to interact simultaneously on a communal LCD monitor with individual wireless keyboards. One "team tech" room also offers high-definition videoconferencing. Norlin Commons increased the library's stock of laptop computers available for checkout by 100 and also loans power and connector cables, keyboards and computer mice. The colorful space also houses classrooms, the Writing Center and a satellite "Bug Busters" office offering computer assistance from Information Technology Services.
"Just in its first days of use, especially the freshmen are taking to it like it's the natural place to be," said Susan Anthes, associate director for University Libraries public services.
To pinpoint how renovations of Norlin Library would best serve today's campus community, a series of student and faculty focus groups were held and the Norlin Library design team visited other university libraries.
"Our renovation is in many respects ahead of the game because most of the libraries in academia are like ours," said Jim Williams, dean of libraries. "They were built 70 or more years ago and no longer have people working in them like people used to work in libraries."
The second-floor Research Services space was completed in January and adjoins the historic floor-to-ceiling interior bay window that originally constituted the building's east exterior wall. The window bays are now lined with brightly colored window seats and cushions, and the area houses reference materials, current periodicals and the East Asian collections.
The space offers research consultation rooms in which students can receive one-on-one librarian assistance and also includes additional classrooms, individual computer stations and dual-boot laptop computers for checkout allowing the option of either a Mac or Windows operating system. Photocopy machines and microfilm readers also are located in Research Services.
Construction of the third-floor graduate student study suite is near completion, pending the installation of a security card-swipe machine, and will serve master's and doctoral students with an exclusive area for study and research. The first-come, first-serve carrels or cubicles, in a room overlooking the Norlin Quadrangle, can be reserved for the semester in half-day increments. Carrels include a desk, lighting and powered storage lockers so that electronic equipment can be safely tucked away and recharged at the same time.
"It is our attempt to create spaces that literally reflect how people work today in solitary, group and project settings," said Williams. "We hope that what we have done celebrates the teaching and research that occurs here at CU-Boulder."
The newly opened Laughing Goat coffee shop is projected to operate from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. during regular academic sessions and will offer coffee, tea, baked goods, soups, salads and sandwiches.