Academic Libraries: U. of California Santa Cruz Library Sees Student Visits Double After $100 Million Renovation

From the Santa Cruz Sentinel:

With the addition of the hip Global Village Cafe, the McHenry Library fully reopened last summer after six years of renovation and new construction costing $100 million. With laptop bars, couches for gathering, long study tables and an outdoor reading porch perched high in the redwoods, student use of the 47-year-old campus landmark has more than doubled since before the renovation.
“It’s wonderful to see them in here and know they feel like it’s their space,” said Ginny Steel, the campus librarian who oversaw the massive makeover.
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The revamped original building, which will house the Grateful Dead Archives in a room known as Dead Central, now has two new nerve centers. The Global Village Cafe was placed inside the bright entrance hall once famous for student demonstrations, and the “Information Commons,” is the new reception and gathering spot located just inside the main library doors.

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Filed under: Academic Libraries, Archives and Special Collections, Libraries