Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFull Moon | In first renovation since 1968 opening, library improves areas for students to hang
By Paul Stanley
Posted: 9/19/07, 12:56 AM EST Section: News
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The F. Franklin Moon Library underwent an extreme renovation during the summer. It was the first time the library had an extensive renovation since it opened in 1968.
"We've been dreaming about this for a long time," said ESF Director of Libraries Betsy Elkins. "The library has a very comfortable, but a very shabby look."
Elkins likes to call Moon the "academic living room of campus." There are new computer workstations, new tables and chairs and updated "living spaces" that students can arrange as they like.
Some students push tables together for group projects, while others prefer to use the space to sleep, crochet or do a jigsaw puzzle, Elkins said. Moon serves as the community center for the ESF campus because the school does not have a student center.
"This is a place for students to hang out, and I'm happy to have them do that," Elkins said.
Construction began in March 2007, but the demolition didn't start until the students were out the door for the summer. Most of the work was completed in three weeks. With some minor finishing touches left, the library is nearly complete.
Elkins and staff designed the renovations to meet the needs of today's multi-tasking students. Their first step was to get input from students before they left for summer break.
"They liked the friendliness, openness and comfortable atmosphere of the library, and they hoped that we wouldn't take that away and make the library too fancy," Elkins said. She believes that they have upgraded the library's look without sacrificing its comfort
"We're a small campus and the library represents one of about half a dozen buildings on campus. It's the main study space, the main congregating space, and students probably use it more than any other central space on this campus," said Bruce Bongarten, ESF provost and vice president of academic affairs.
Artistry in Wood, of East Syracuse, N.Y., constructed all of the furniture in the library.
"We definitely wanted wood because it is durable and sustainable," Elkins said. "A student challenged me on leather couches, so we compromised and some seats have leather and others don't."
The funding from the library comes from what Bongarten likes to call "deferred expenses."
"We had a number of faculty retire, and their replacements didn't come on board until the beginning of this year, so we had that salary savings that we could invest," he said. "The library is one of several needs we had, and I think it was one of our highest priorities."
Another advocate for Moon's renovation was Robert French, ESF's vice president for enrollment management and marketing.
"We felt that we weren't putting our best face forward for prospective students, so I encouraged the college to look for ways to change that," French said. "I visited campus myself a year ago as a new employee on a tour and felt that the library wasn't up to par with the rest of the facilities."
He said he is very happy about the project's completion and wouldn't be surprised if the library doesn't improve future student enrollment.
"I like the library because it has more room and more computers. It's a good place to study," said Yon Jung Chang, a sophomore environmental science major.
Dan Fabian, a sophomore and environmental studies major, said the library is slowly becoming more appealing.
"I didn't like it at first because construction was going on and they were moving things around," he said. "But as computers were installed and things were completed, I started to like it."
Syracuse University students are welcome to check out the new facilities at ESF.
"We enjoy a very good collaboration with the Syracuse University's library," Bongarten said. "We depend on the SU library to complement what we provide, and they do so admirably and we appreciate that. Our facilities are similarly available to SU students."
New computer labs add 80 machines to tune of $400,000
Baker Laboratory on the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry campus, the new Baker Computing Center is near completion.
The project consists of three new computer labs with all new PCs. There are 80 computers overall and one lab that can fit a class of 38 students.
"Never before have we had a lab that could accommodate a class of that size," said Jim Sahm, ESF computing and network systems coordinator.
Each computer lab is designed to serve as both a lab and as a classroom.
There is a compartment in each desk where the computer can be stored when it is not needed. The idea is for students to take advantage of ample desk space without sacrificing their computing needs.
The new furniture was paid for through a SUNY construction fund, but all the new computers and equipment were purchased with money from the student technology fee that was instituted three years ago.
"The college wanted to take a stand and put stuff in these labs that will last for a long time. This is a 50-year investment here," Sahm said.
The total cost of the new equipment in the labs, the networking equipment and all of the help that was needed to set things up came to $400,000.
ESF students, however, now have easier access to Syracuse University computer labs.
Before just recently, ESF students had to juggle multiple passwords and usernames to access SU and ESF computer labs.
"Now they are part of the SU info system and can access both schools' facilities with a unified login. The ITS department at Syracuse has been incredibly helpful with this transition," Sahm said.
Baker Laboratory on the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry campus, the new Baker Computing Center is near completion.
The project consists of three new computer labs with all new PCs. There are 80 computers overall and one lab that can fit a class of 38 students.
"Never before have we had a lab that could accommodate a class of that size," said Jim Sahm, ESF computing and network systems coordinator.
Each computer lab is designed to serve as both a lab and as a classroom.
There is a compartment in each desk where the computer can be stored when it is not needed. The idea is for students to take advantage of ample desk space without sacrificing their computing needs.
The new furniture was paid for through a SUNY construction fund, but all the new computers and equipment were purchased with money from the student technology fee that was instituted three years ago.
"The college wanted to take a stand and put stuff in these labs that will last for a long time. This is a 50-year investment here," Sahm said.
The total cost of the new equipment in the labs, the networking equipment and all of the help that was needed to set things up came to $400,000.
ESF students, however, now have easier access to Syracuse University computer labs.
Before just recently, ESF students had to juggle multiple passwords and usernames to access SU and ESF computer labs.
"Now they are part of the SU info system and can access both schools' facilities with a unified login. The ITS department at Syracuse has been incredibly helpful with this transition," Sahm said.
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