If you have recently sat at a table in the Emma Waters Summar library, you may have noticed a countdown for the opening of Union’s new library.
“Countdown to the new library 8 months,” reads the flyer on each table.
With all of the visible progress made in the last several months, a great deal of anticipation revolves around the construction and what kind of progress students can expect to see next.
Gary Carter, senior vice president of business and financial services, is involved in weekly meetings regarding the library’s progress, and said construction is on track despite last week’s winter weather.
“Right now, construction on the library is going as expected,” Carter said. “As with any type of large construction project, there is always additional time built into the schedule for inclement weather as this is no surprise when you are building through the winter months.”
When the weather was warm, construction workers were on site working six days a week. However, for the last several weeks workers have moved to five days a week due to the harsh weather conditions.
“If we do lose ground due to weather, we have the spring and summer months to make that up,” Carter said. “While construction continues, meetings are currently being conducted regarding planning and purchasing of all of the furniture, fixtures, technology and security for the new building.”
An interior design team has also been working on different color schemes in anticipation of the work that will take place inside the building.
Alison Johnson, a sophomore pre-med student, has been a library worker for the past two semesters at Union.
“I am really excited about the visible progress the library has been making,” Johnson said. “Originally I was told the library wouldn’t be ready before I graduated, so I am thrilled to see the significant progress the building has made in the past couple months.”
According to Carter, students should begin to see construction of the dome at the top of the library once the weather clears.
“This is a several week process, as it will take a while for the dome to be put in place, but we should see that progress before too long,” Carter said. “As for indoor progress, other meetings are taking place in working through the layout of offices and types of furniture. Right now we are getting close to finalizing most of the furniture selections.”
