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Volume 38 Issue1
August 28, 2000

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Overhaul gives old library second life

BY LEAH TIDWELL
MESA LEGEND
Submitted August 28, 2000

MCC’s $2.5 million dollar project of remodeling the former library commons has resulted in providing more space and better services for faculty and students.

Desiree DeVirgilio/MESA LEGEND

Outward construction worker Manuel Martinez climbs a scaffold to complete metal work on the old library.

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Media Center, departments that had previously been under cramped quarters, now occupy what was formerly the library.

"The remodeling and expansion was to provide more space for these areas because of the growth, and to provide a better opportunity to develop their skills," said Ron Etter, dean of administrative services.

The relocation of the Media Center, previously located in the Anasazi Building near the southeast parking lot, has resulted in more offices, storage space, and technical capabilities. The media center provides satellite distribution, video conferencing, video storage, technical repair and video display in classrooms.

The CTL will now benefit from more space to conduct faculty instruction, in addition to having a small library with instructional text, and a center for instructional aide in computers. Students with exceptional computer abilities will work with the faculty in creating web pages for their classes while getting basic computer instruction.

Six new classrooms, four of which will be used for computer science classes and two for mathematics, will occupy the southeast section of the old library. Library technical services, charged with repairing and servicing library equipment, will move into the newly remodeled library as well.

Two highly anticipated services, a cyber cafe and copy center, scheduled to open in October, are stalled at the moment due to the bidding process. According to Alfredo Ramos, food services director, the cyber cafe will provide upscale sandwiches and pastries, coffee, cold drinks as well as computers which will give students access to the Internet and e-mail.

Currently, Aramark, Inc., the company that runs the Thunderbird Cafe in the Kirk Center, is the only vendor who has put in a bid to gain control of the cafe. Ramos said if they receive the project, the cafeteria will handle the food sector and Grounds For Thought will handle the coffee sector.

The copy center will provide all copy needs for both students and faculty. Michael Pinney, site supervisor at IKON copy services on campus, said that IKON is bidding on the project, however, as many as six other business have submitted bids.

With more space and better equipment Etter hopes that all the services and departments included in the remodeling will be utilized more than they were at their previous locations.

"Our main goal is to group together like curriculum ... to make it more convenient for the students and faculty," Etter said.

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