Potential renovations to Dunn Library are underway to meet the needs of students and faculty.

The renovations include creating more space on the first floor, which will be called the Success Center.

The central space will allow students to have more room to work on different projects for different classes.

Other plans include moving the Hawley Academic Resource and Advising Center staff to the first floor so those with physical disabilities can have easier access to academic and disability services.

Beth Beggs, director of Writing Across the Curriculum, emphasized the importance of having academic and disability services on the first floor of the library.

“The first thing I think of is anybody who’s ever had a broken leg, or a sprained ankle, or an injury that in any way disables them temporarily, doesn’t need to have to take an elevator to the two and a half floor and then hobble up around to get to disability services or to get to any other academic services,” Beggs said. “This places disability services in one of the most accessible locations on campus, so for our students with physical disabilities, this is a must.”

Beggs, whose office is located on the first floor next to the Writing Center, is excited about the project.

“I think it’s going to be very successful,” Beggs said. “I am thrilled at the potential of having a neighbor. I would love to have some company down here.”

College librarian Cyd Dyer said the idea to make these specific renovations came from a program review the library had several years ago that all programs on campus are required to have.

“That review team came up with 12 recommendations,” Dyer said. “Eight of those recommendations had to do with space.”

Dyer met with the academic dean and expressed the importance of having a team come in and find out the needs of students and faculty to design a space that meets those needs.

Although there are floor plans for the project, it’s not funded.

“We don’t have the money now so that’s why we’re doing the things that don’t require money that might require a lot of sweat equity,” Dyer said.

However, several things are still being done to get a head start on the development, including reducing the book and journal collection to create space.

Dyer said the Central Iowa Collaborative Collections Initiative is working together to get rid of books and journals colleges and universities around the area already have.

“If students have access to these journals online already through products that we buy, then we’re getting rid of the print,” Dyer said.

Formed in summer 2013, CI-CCI members are made up of the library directors from Central College, Drake University, Grand View University, University of Northern Iowa, Grinnell College and Simpson College.

One of the goals of CI-CCI is to eliminate duplication of books and journals to create free space in each of their libraries for other needs such as student study space, learning commons and classrooms.

“We also have what we’re calling expedited interlibrary loans so we send things fast to each other. If you need a book and we don’t have it here, but Grinnell College has it or Drake University has it, we ship it very quickly,” Dyer said. “We also have extended loan periods too for those CI-CCI books.”

According to Dyer, this is an ongoing project that will never be finished.

“We’re always paying attention to what the students need, and so we’re always bringing up new services,” Dyer said.

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