Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More About the Renovation Process:

 

How can I use the library during Fall 2024 Semester?

  1. Limited access to Forsyth Library will be available starting Monday, August 19th. The only public entrance is located on the northeast side of the existing foyer via our accessible entrance.
  2. There are no study spaces or public restrooms available in Forsyth Library at this time.
  3. Print materials from the general and juvenile collections must be requested for pickup by placing a hold in our catalog. Library personnel will retrieve them from storage outside of construction hours.
  4. The Welcome Desk will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30am-6pm to check out technology and pick up books on hold or requested through Interlibrary Loan.
  5. Special Collections and University Archives will also be open at Forsyth Library and available by appointment.
  6. The Media Lab is located in Custer Hall 310 and is available by appointment.
  7. Some staff will be present in the building while others remain at Custer Hall. See the Renovation Status page for that information.

Are there study spaces I can use in Forsyth Library right now?

During Phase 1, no, there are no study spaces available in Forsyth Library. Space is simply too limited while construction occurs in more than 80% of the building.

Starting this Sunday, September 29th, the Rarick Hall Foundry space will be open until midnight Sunday through Thursday evenings until further notice. No special key card access will be needed during this time. The entire building will remain unlocked during these hours. University Police will do periodic walk throughs/check-ins each evening at varied times of the night. The building should be locked on Friday and Saturday at the typical times.

In addition, the Memorial Union and the Fischli-Wills Center for Student Success will be open until midnight Sunday through Thursday evenings until further notice. For this location the extended hours will start Sunday, October 6th until further notice. Friday and Saturday hours will remain the same. The FHSU web site will update hours during holiday periods.

What will go in the café space on the main level?

At the university level, a food vendor contract was awarded to the Union Catering Company in Spring of 2024. This contract also applies to the new Forsyth Library café space.

During the campus listening sessions, there was a strong demand for a simple, lower cost coffee offering in the café in the newly renovated Forsyth Library. However, the menu and operating hours are yet to be determined.

Why aren’t you building a new building?

The physical location of Forsyth Library on campus is ideal and the current building has good bones and provides adequate space, it just needs to have the space redistributed for modern uses and major updates to the aging systems such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. By renovating the existing structure, we’re able to spend less on the overall project.

Where can I find the most up-to-date information about the renovation?

This blog will continue to be updated throughout the process. Please also check the renovation status page on the library website as any many of the library partners, spaces, collections, and library staff offices have moved to temporary locations during construction.

Are you getting rid of all the books?

No. One of the most common things we heard from the campus input sessions was that students like to study in the library because they like to be surrounded by books. Prior to the renovation, the library weeded the collection as a part of regular collection maintenance to make sure that the books we have are relevant and in good condition to support the research activities of our university community.

During the construction process, the periodicals in compact shelving and the government documents will be transported to off-site storage. They are coming back once the renovation is done.

Will we still have a quiet floor after renovation?

The upper level of the renovated library will continue to serve as a quiet zone. Depending on how students use the main and lower levels of the renovated library, other sound zones may be established.

What will actually change? Are you just putting in new carpet and paint?

This project is a major remodel. While the exterior of the building will look similar to the existing structure, after the renovation, the interior of the building will barely be recognizable. Nearly every wall except the elevator walls will come down to create new space allocations and improve the flow and function of the space.

There will be an open, amphitheater staircase and an additional cutout from the main level to the lower level to bring natural light into the lower level and create a more open space. The north and south stairwells will have a major transformation, integrating them into the space.

 

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