By Sidney Belleroche
sibelleroche@ursinus.edu
Myrin Library could potentially – get ready to read this word a lot – receive a fantastic half-century birthday gift: a redesign.
Talks regarding the Myrin Library – which opened in 1970 – getting expansive renovations have been taking place. Before you get too excited, temper your expectations: nothing is finalized. Despite the massive caveats, there are a slew of potential renovations ideas to be excited about, as well as an opportunity for students to contribute ideas for Myrin Library’s future. Diane Skorina, Ursinus’s longtime librarian, chair of Common Intellectual Experience, and co-director of the Teaching and Learning Institute, sat down with The Grizzly to discuss the potential renovations.
First Floor Centralized Academic Station: One proposed change that is the source of a “high-level of discussion,” according to Skorina, is updating the library’s first floor to a centralized academic center. This potential center would include academic support, tutoring, research help, and more.
“The current academic resources are spread across campus,” Skorina said, “so having a centralized area for academic needs would be nice. The library is important and symbolic. The library is the place to go when you are serious about getting studying done.”
Lower-Level Event Space: A space Skorina is excited about potentially getting some tender loving care is the lower level of the library. Ideas surrounding the space involve transforming it into an event space to drive in-person traffic at the library. For example, programming akin to the Literary Society Faculty Salon and Lightning Talks would occur in the proposed new area. The existing books there would be moved elsewhere
Bloomberg Terminals: Similar to the academic centralized efforts, an idea discussed is to create a Bloomberg Lab to house the twelve Bloomberg Terminals currently licensed by the College. The Bloomberg Terminal is a software managed by Bloomberg L.P. that provides access to detailed coverage of financial-related data and information, specifically the stock market (Bloomberg.com). The stations would be available to everyone, not just finance students.
Pods/Individual Areas: This is an idea Skorina got from the Designing Library IX Conference at Temple University in 2022. More personal, pod-like spaces, not dissimilar to the ones found on the second and third floors, would be available to “bring more life and students” to the building.
Other potential changes include updating furniture, creating more group study spaces, and continuing the journey of renovations that began with the library flood two decades ago.
When asked about her thoughts on the potential changes, Skorina was excited.“All for the students,” she laughed. “Everything we do is for the students. One last cautionary note: “Take these potential changes with a grain of salt; nothing is finalized. If you have any feedback about the library, please write to me at dskorina@ursinus.edu! We would love student feedback.”
