ALYSON E. GROVE/Arizona Daily Wildcat A construction employee works on Main Library improvements yesterday afternoon. The construction, which has a total cost of $13 million, is nearly complete, and most areas are already open.

Only 'details' remain in $13 million Main Library Improvement Project

The Main Library construction project that created an addition to the fifth floor and joined the library with the new Integrated Learning Center is in its final stages, library officials said.

The $13 million improvement to the library, 1510 E. University Blvd., began in September 2000. In addition to the fifth-floor addition and the ILC connection, it added a larger Special Collections area, the newly opened Bookends Cafe, a new circulation desk and a photocopy area, said Library Dean Carla Stoffle.

These additions will hopefully entice prospective students to decide to come to the University of Arizona, Stoffle said.

"When you have really good spaces for students, it makes you more competitive and students see you care," she said.

The project began when the library received a $2 million grant from the federal government for the Special Collections because it houses congressional archives.

Then, during the planning process of the ILC, they decided to expand the Information Commons to connect with the ILC. The ensuing displacement of library staff necessitated the fifth floor expansion.

"It more than doubled the space for the Info Commons and made it for all students, not just freshmen," Stoffle said. "Special Collections space tripled, adding reading rooms; it doubled the exhibit space and provided space for specialized exhibits," she said.

The biggest part of the project was adding a fifth floor wing: Pod "A." The library is comprised of three pods: "A," "B" and "C." Pod A is the west side, B is the middle and C is the east side.

"When the library was built, the original idea was to literally just build up for additions, building on top of the pods," said Barbara Allen, special assistant to the library dean.

Very little is left to the project, and they are "just down to the details," Allen said.

"Everybody is occupying the new space," said Jim Fromm, building manager for the Main Library. "They are just working a little on the skin of the fifth floor."

The Pod A addition is different from the original building because the builders were afraid they could not get the same color.

"They were worried that they couldn't match concrete, so they decided on the color; they thought it would complement the original parts," Fromm said.

The new Special Collections allows several exhibits at a time. It has classroom space to "literally" show the exhibits to students, Allen said.

The project also included a more central circulation desk on the second floor, and the library is converting the old reference area into a study area with more shelf space.