Van Pelt renovations bring more changes

Renovations to the first floor of Van Pelt Library scheduled to begin over spring break will force library officials to reconfigure Rosengarten Reserve, according to Joseph Zucca, director of libraries. Zucca explained that students returning from spring break will find several modifications to Rosengarten -- including the removal of about 12 seats and a reconfiguration of the tables. The changes are necessary because officials need to relocate some circulation employees to Rosengarten before renovations can begin on the first floor of Van Pelt. "The purpose is to find some space there to house staff who are currently working on the first floor in circulation," said Zucca, who added that the change is "part of a larger project to renovate the first floor and ground floor." The new renovations are the third of the library's four planned construction phases, which Zucca said will ultimately "make a better and more functional library out of Van-Pelt." During phase three -- which is scheduled to run from March to October -- construction crews will "open up the whole north side [of the first floor] and make it into user space," Zucca said. Patricia Renfro, associate director of library public services, noted that the renovations will cause occasional disruptions to library users but "the really noisy demolition is scheduled between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m." She added, however, that although Van Pelt opens at 8:30 a.m. each day, construction is scheduled to continue until 10 a.m. But Renfro noted that "the goal is not to disrupt services at all during this period or to disrupt them as little as we can." Zucca explained that the renovations will make Van Pelt look more like the Lippincott Library, which was renovated during phase one of the project, adding that funding for the project came from alumni, class reunions and individual donations. Carpeting, new lighting, wood finishing and new conference rooms are among the scheduled improvements. And more study carrels will be equipped to provide Internet access for laptop computers. Zucca noted that a new information desk is also scheduled to be added because students often have trouble using the library. And many of the library services will be relocated so that they are all strategically located near each other. Several students said they were unaware of the upcoming renovations -- but added that they did not expect any major inconveniences. "I didn't know there were any," Wharton freshman Teresa Zien said. And College sophomore Peter King said the renovations will be worth the temporary inconvenience. "If they need the space, it doesn't really bother me," King said.