Siona Shishak, Staff Writer
Providing information, resources, and entertainment, the library has the opportunity to become an essential community space.
On the Beloit College campus, our library has been located at different spots throughout the school grounds, including the current Logan Museum of Anthropology and the World Affairs Center. As collections expanded and campus needs changed, the library continued to move and develop.
Renovations are happening once again to support the expansion of Morse Library as a community center. While leading a tour of the building renovations, the Chief Information Officer & Library Director, Ted Wilder, remarked that a major motivation of the LITS team is to “create spaces for all kinds of people and their interests.”
Walking around each floor, Wilder explained that each is intended to provide a slightly different experience. On the ground floor, students and staff members will walk into a central location for different resources on campus. Some of these include an information desk, on-site archives, a computer lab, and most exciting, the base for Impact Beloit.
This on-campus initiative helps to bridge the gap between the college and the local community. Providing “career-readiness and community-based learning programs,” as stated on the Beloit College website, Impact Beloit aims to “advance the college’s mission of empowering our students to lead lives of high achievement, personal responsibility, and public contribution in a diverse society.” Within this initiative exists beloved Beloit programs such as CELEB and Career Works.
Another notable feature of the renovated first floor is a meditation, prayer, and lactation room—further cementing LITS efforts to improve accessibility and inclusion. The second floor is a calmer space, one that will host LITS instruction, study spaces, and conference rooms. However, the third floor is intended to be a quiet space, dedicated to students and staff members who want a public space for work and studying. This area will include varied furniture and tables among the bookshelves.
A major consideration when planning the building was the review of aesthetics, particularly updating the layout and design features—last updated in the 1990s. As the building manager stated, the previous facility was “one of the darkest libraries [he’s] ever been in.” Because of this, the new building is intended to include many windows, allowing for natural light—which will simultaneously allow for energy conservation.
They’ve also considered the exterior, aiming to implement a green area outside, accompanied by walkways and an expanded parking lot.
As the academic year comes to an end, students and staff are thinking about what future semesters will look like. While much is uncertain, the Beloit campus and community will unquestionably benefit from the updated building and expanded resources. The current timeline outlines construction to be completed by June, with furniture being moved in the following month. With everything on track, Beloiters can expect to return to a new and improved library by the fall semester.
Featured Image Credit: Beloit College
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