From left: Lauren Abbott, Brian DeFrancesco ’06, Gov. Tom & Michele Ridge, President Michael T. Victor, and Elizabeth Becker
Library evolves to meet needs of today’s students The main foor of Mercyhurst’s library got a $1.5 million facelift just in time for fall semester, and the improvements are getting rave reviews from students. Library Director Darci Jones says use of the library has increased to the point that she’s already ordered additional tables for the space. inviting place for students to work, and to access resources like tutoring, writing help, and technology support. Among the most popular additions: several conference-style rooms for collaborative research and study (with a computerized system to reserve the space). Arnold D. Palmer 2003 Charitable Trust and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation. The library has evolved since the opening of Mercyhurst College from a single room housing 8,500 books in the late 1920s, to a spacious complex designed to meet the learning styles of today’s students.
At the heart of the spacious entrance is a round, handcrafted carpet customized with the Mercyhurst insignia. The renovation also features nine built-in glass display cases showcasing historic documents, photographs, and artifacts from the Thomas J. and Michele Ridge Collection. Gov. Ridge was on hand in October for the dedication of the displays, made possible through gifts from the
In addition to a quality core collection of print volumes, the library now gives students access to more than 250,000 e-books, dozens of electronic databases covering all areas of the curriculum, video content, and more. Check out the photos at right to see Mercyhurst’s library at diferent stages in its history.
The project was accomplished entirely with donor dollars, including gifts from former Trustee Ellen Hammond Ryan ’64 and her husband, David; Mary Magnotto Wood ’65 and her husband, Michael; Thomas B. Hagen, for whom Mercyhurst’s History Department is named; and Brian DeFrancesco ’06 and his wife, Jessica. Jones said the renovations created a warm,
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