The Triangle

Issue date: 5/30/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Dave Hernandez Renovations at the Hagerty Library along with increased student use led officials to implement a new access policy to enter the library from June 5 to June 13.

Renovations and increased use have led officials at Hagerty Library to implement a new access policy, allowing only those with a DragonCard to enter the library from June 5 to June 13, according to Director of Libraries Jane Bryan.

Only students, faculty and staff at Drexel would be allowed in while the policy is in effect. Regularly, Hagerty Library allows students from other local schools to use the facility through reciprocal agreements.

Lack of seating was a driving force behind the change, according to Bryan.

"We [library staff] regularly hear from students that there is no place to sit, no space for studying," Bryan wrote in an e-mail.

According to Bryan, allowing only those with DragonCards will make more space available for students studying for finals.

"Our short-term strategy gives priority to readers and reader spaces," Bryan said.

In addition to changing the access policy, Bryan said many print materials have been moved to storage at One Drexel Plaza to make more space for students.

Those materials will be available for order and will be delivered quickly, according to Bryan.

The ongoing construction in Hagerty will include addition seating, more workstations and improved lighting, and outdated heating and cooling systems will also be updated, Bryan added.

One of the larger projects underway is the Earle Mack School of Law's library addition on the third floor.

"We view the law library's use of Hagerty's third floor as a long-term loan," Bryan said.

Law School officials were not available for comment at the time of this writing.

According to Bryan, Funding for the library improvements have come from a variety of sources, including the Provost's and President's Offices. University President Constantine Papadakis made the library improvements a priority, she added.

"He [Papadakis] provided the funding to create the 24/7 space, Bookmark Café, and, along with Provost Stephen Director, has been continually supportive of our efforts to provide a better library environment," she said.

Other planned improvements include more loaner laptops and DVDs, web site improvements and plans to make librarians available outside the library, according to Bryan.

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