Compared to their peers in Wharton, students in the School of Arts and Sciences have limited options when it comes to studying together outside of their rooms. The opening of the David B. Weigle Information Commons could help narrow this gap as early as next semester, assuming construction and fundraising go as planned.
Originally slated to be ready by this January, the study center -- a collaboration between the College of Arts and Sciences, the Penn Library and a Wharton alumnus -- has experienced some setbacks since construction began in August.
Officials are still trying to secure donations for the center's high-tech facilities.
The Information Commons -- encompassing 6,600 square feet on the first floor of the Van Pelt Library -- will cost $2 million to construct and furnish. Weigle's donation foots half the bill, with numerous smaller donations covering the rest.
As for technology, managers are hoping corporate vendors will pick up the costs of the study center's new computers and LCD screens.
"We're still negotiating," project manager Ira Winston said. "I don't want to mess up the negotiations with the corporate sponsors by talking about [it] right now."
In addition, construction must proceed slowly in order to avoid disruptions in the library.
Administrators hope the center will be ready for student use in time for finals next semester. No date has been set yet for the official dedication and opening ceremony.
"We're still working out the details," said Sandra Kerbel, director of public services for the library. "There should be a series of dedication events that will continue up to the fall."
"The delays in any one factor can have a snowball effect [on] the schedule," Kerbel added.
Facilities planned include study rooms and booths outfitted with laptops and LCD screens, a seminar room with a 42-inch plasma screen and a video camera and a room for digital video editing.
Officials hope students will be able to complete a research project from start to finish without ever having to leave the premises.
Students in all schools, not just SAS, will be able to reserve these services ahead of time through the library's Web site.
"When I was an undergraduate, I was not aware of the range of resources available to students on campus," said Weigle, who graduated from the Wharton School in 1969.
Ideas for the project's design were drawn from a survey, mainly of students from the School of Arts and Sciences.
"Students wanted more places like Huntsman [Hall]," College Dean Dennis DeTurck said.
There is, however, some doubt as to how effectively student suggestions were integrated into the center's design.
"I think the booth setup is stupid," College junior Laura Hughes said, referring to the prototype booths library officials are testing out in the back of the first floor of Van Pelt.
The booths are designed to be "diner-style" banquettes, which means that the entire study group is disrupted each time any one student needs to leave.
The space will also include "consultant booths," which will pair representatives from the Kelly Writers House and other student services, such as Communication Within the Curriculum, with students seeking help.
"It's not just another study space," DeTurck said. "We are giving students a resource to take their work to the next level."
