On February 13, 2019, Director Chris Bourg and Deputy Director Tracy Gabridge presented the MIT Libraries’ vision for the Hayden Library renovation and vibrant, welcoming spaces that foster community, invite creativity, and accommodate a variety of learning and research styles. They shared how community input and the MIT Task Force on the Future of Libraries are shaping the design process and what improvements users can expect when the new Hayden opens in fall 2020.
The MIT Libraries has announced plans to partially renovate Hayden Library next year, with a goal of beginning construction in January 2020 and reopening a renovated Hayden in the fall of 2020. MIT Campus Planning has engaged Kennedy Violich Architects (KVA) to work with the Institute to plan for the next version of Hayden, and the project is now entering the design phase. The library will close at the end of the 2019 fall term to prepare for construction and is planning to reopen in fall 2020.
The project developed from recommendations of the MIT Task Force on the Future of Libraries, released in 2016, which stressed the importance of “welcoming and inclusive spaces for discovery and scholarship,” as well as the need to address building renewal needs and code updates.
Hayden Library (Source: MIT Libraries)
“The Task Force challenged us to create spaces that reflect the library of the future: participatory, creative, dynamic, with research at the center” says Chris Bourg, director of the MIT Libraries. “We envision the new Hayden Library as a destination on campus, a place that is open, welcoming, and that invites community members to make connections between ideas, collections, and each other.”
This renovation will include the first and second floors of Hayden Library and their mezzanine levels. Design goals include creating both vibrant, interactive spaces as well as quiet zones, with specific improvements including:
significant expansion of 24/7 study space;
a café;
greater variety of study spaces — for both individual and group work, with both quiet and conversation zones and varied seating styles; and
flexible teaching and event space.
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The Libraries and KVA are planning additional opportunities to seek input from across the MIT community to inform the design and construction phases, and a project launch event is planned for February.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
