Students enjoy studying in the expanded Coe Library at the University of Wyoming.
Dedication for the addition and renovation to the University of Wyoming's William Robertson Coe Library will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19.
The ceremony is at the lower level of the library, located at Ivinson and 13th streets. A reception follows and tours will be available. As a central student facility, Coe Library provides space for learning and research, says Maggie Farrell, UW Libraries dean. The building serves as the university's central library.
The addition and renovation of Coe Library is more than 281,000 square feet and includes 20 group study rooms and 180 computer terminals. Located east of the existing library, the 94,500 square-foot addition is designed to shelve a capacity of 1.4 million books.
The Wyoming State Legislature allocated $45 million for the project in 2005 and another $4.9 million in 2007. Private donors contributed $1.2 million.
Farrell says Coe Library meets student demands for integrated learning that combines information, technology, and assistance in a modern facility. She adds that information is packaged in a variety of formats including printed and electronic books, online journals, databases, and media such as recordings, music, and movies.
"The addition and renovation will bring together these formats to enable UW students and faculty to readily access information and incorporate it within their research and learning," she says.
New spaces within Coe Library, designed to reflect student's learning styles, include flexible study space, quiet study spaces and the integration of technology with instruction services.
University Libraries' collections include an extensive media collection of films, television programming and music. This collection supports the inclusion of media in teaching and student projects. The new Coe Library wing now houses the Grace Raymond Hebard Wyoming Collection within the Chisum Special Collections Room. Students researching Wyoming history now have improved access to the collection.
Dedication speakers will be Farrell; Gov. Dave Freudenthal; UW President Tom Buchanan; State Sen. Hank Coe; Associated Students of UW President Matt Haigler; and Bobbalu Hoefer, Coe Library board chairwoman.
Ev Ruffcorn, the building's architect, will be available to answer questions at 2 p.m. in the Chisum Room.
Posted on Monday, November 16, 2009