Dunn Library has been under construction since 2022, and with the possibility of the renovations proposed for Kent, many students have struggled to find adequate study locations and worried that they’d have to live with only eating at Pfeiffer. 

Although renovations for Dunn Library have taken longer than initially expected, it may be coming to an end soon and the concerns about food on campus may not even be an issue for this school year. 

Cyd Dyer, Simpson College Librarian Archivist, said the renovations are on target for the library to be fully renovated and operational in the second semester of this school year.

Many of the resources that will be offered in Dunn Library will be similar to what was there before renovations started, including the Center for Academic Resources (CARs) offices, an abundance of study spaces, education resources, etc. The difference would be a much more efficient layout. 

While Dunn has been under renovations, Great Hall, the space above Pfeiffer, has been turned into a stand-in library. Cyd Dyer believes that Great Hall has done its job in the meantime. It stands as a quiet place to study and offers some of the library’s academic resources that have been beneficial to students who choose to use them. 

With many questions building about the proposed renovations that were supposed to begin in Kent this fall, President Jay Byers sent an email stating that students “can be sure that we will update and engage you throughout this evolving process.” 

While we are unsure when these renovations will start, we know it won’t be this fall. 

One reason for the delay in the renovation start date is costs. A big point of the project was to “fundraise not on the backs of students,” says Matt Hansen, Dean of Students & Director of Residence Life, so concerns about tuition increasing should not be contributed to this project. 

Many students have been concerned about why Simpson College would choose the newest building on campus to renovate when we already have issues with other buildings on campus. 

The initial design of the Kent renovations was to gain efficiency with all campus dining in one location. Matt Hansen states that the campus recognizes that students prefer to know that their food is ‘safe,’ a benefit of watching their food being prepared at the dining options in Kent, as opposed to what is offered in Pfeiffer. 

A common desire of Cyd Dyer, Matt Hansen, and many students is to keep communication open. Matt Hansen even states that he is “excited that we are moving in that direction and that’s one thing that we, in student development, will continue to advocate for.”