Illustration by Cara Seccafien
College invests $4 million in New Westminster campus library
By Bex Peterson, Editor-in-Chief
Students returning to class this fall may find a very different library from the one they left in spring.
The New Westminster campus library is set to undergo extensive renovations this summer as part of a $4 million initiative.
“Douglas College is continuously exploring ways to make our students’ experience more productive and engaging,” said Dr. Kathy Denton, Douglas College president and CEO, in a press release issued by the college. “The new space will be brighter and will integrate with today’s latest technology.”
The renovations will of course result in service disruptions throughout the summer semester. According to a statement issued by the library, many of the library’s core collections and services will move to the Fishbowl at the New Westminster campus.
“Reserves, equipment, and new books collections, as well as one-to-one research support, will be accessible on-site [at the New Westminster campus], with additional items from our print collection available upon request from our Coquitlam campus,” said Shelley Waldie, administrative officer for Learning Resources and Records Management, in an email interview with the Other Press.
The Learning Centre’s peer tutoring service is set to move to room S2662, and the CEIT service counter will relocate to N3100. The college hopes to reopen the library partway through the fall semester.
“The Learning Resources team is most excited about improving our collaborative spaces for students and working with colleagues on integrating technology,” said Trish Rosseel, director of Learning Resources, in the college press release. “The new space will be much more flexible to better support learning and research.”
On top of upgrades to the current library tech, the new library will feature upgraded fire sprinklers, air conditioning systems, and LED lighting. As well, the printing and copy/scanning zones will be consolidated.
“Ultimately, we want students to feel welcome, comfortable, and engaged in the library,” said Rosseel.
