Mount Allison to modernize its 54-year-old library
The renovation is estimated to cost $85M over 5 years
Mount Allison University is renovating and modernizing its 54-year old campus library.
The five-year project comes with an estimated cost of $85 million which includes the construction of a temporary library behind the athletics centre.
The idea is to remodel the Ralph Pickard Bell Library building, constructed in 1970, making it better equipped and accessible for future students and faculty.
Rachel Rubin, dean of libraries and archives at Mount Allison, is excited that the 1970s "time capsule" will be transformed.
"We are keeping the atrium. We know that's very important to people, but we're basically starting from the ground up and some of the exciting things will be a new entrance from York Street."
She said the current building lacks enough power outlets, quiet study and gathering spaces, and updated technology in classrooms and labs.
"One of the things we're hoping to address is making sure that students have what they need. Right now we have different kinds of activities happening all in the same space because the building isn't designed for the way that students currently learn," Rubin said.
"So we have quiet study happening next to active and collaborative study, and that just doesn't go well together," she added.
Temporary library, other major changes
The renovated space will have more natural light, all gender barrier-free washrooms, upgraded elevators and entrances along with well spaced aisles to make the collections more accessible.
In the summer of 2024, construction of an on-campus interim library will begin. This location will later be converted into a multipurpose athletic complex upon the completion of the library renovation in the summer of 2029.
Rubin says the remodelled library will also enclose the breezeway that connects it to the Crabtree building.
The library's café will move to the enclosed breezeway, which will also have flexible furniture and more lights, making it a gathering space for the community to attend book talks, faculty readings and other events.
Students split on new design
While the renovated library will serve future students, current students expressed mixed opinions looking at the plans.
"It's very bright, it's unwelcoming from what I've seen, it's a bit hostile.... I am not very inclined to go there from what I've seen," said Emma Gould.
Luca Canseco likes that the new library will be brighter but thinks it is too white. "I hope they put some posters or something because it just looks so empty."
Elowyn M'Cloud however saw the plans on Mount Allison's Instagram account and thought they were beautiful.
"I went into the comments and everyone was hating on it and they were like, 'Oh this is like a hospital,' ... personally I love it ... overall I think it looks kind of fancier and newer and just better."
Extra years for the building
Kris Kierstead, the university's director of facilities management, said the project aims to keep the current library building sustainable for many more decades.
He said the university uses a program called Green Globes which is a "holistic green building rating system" that helps in making the construction environmentally friendly.
"It includes a variety of measures such as energy efficiency, sustainable site development, renewable materials, indoor environment quality and similar things," he said.
"So it's really looking at the building over its lifespan and considering sustainable construction right from the start."
Kierstead hopes the renovation will help keep the 1970s-era building healthy for at least 30 to 50 more years.
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