Thomas G. Carpenter Library is preparing for third-floor renovations, with plans to expand collaborative work spaces and improve the student experience, according to library Dean Jennifer Murray. The University of North Florida’s Student Government is partnering with the library to gather student input to help shape the repurposed space and understand what students want as improvements are made.

For the month of October, SG has opened a student survey for UNF students to provide feedback on the library and its amenities.

Expanding study spaces to meet growing student demand

Over the years, visits to the UNF library have increased alongside university enrollment growth as the site has become a popular destination spot for students seeking a place to study, independently and collaboratively.

The library’s renovation process aims to adapt to this growth and provide students with the amenities they need, according to Murray. The first step in the renovation process is removing the empty shelves on the east side of the third floor. 

While the empty shelves previously housed the library’s collections, they were scheduled for relocation to make room for flexible furniture and collaborative work spaces on the third floor. The general collections have been relocated to the fourth floor, and the periodicals have been shifted from the east side of the third floor to the west side, according to Murray.

Harry Thompson, a music performance major, described the difficulty of finding an available place to study, saying, “Trying to find a spot here on the second floor is horrendous.” 

The updated floor is intended to provide students with more opportunities to work together and study in a shared environment, helping alleviate overcrowding on the library’s first and second floors, according to Murray.

The third floor will also connect to the new Student Success Center through a bridge, allowing students to travel directly between the two buildings, Murray said. 

October Osprey Voice
From left to right: Senator Hunter Hayes, Senator Alexa Dudkiewicz, USA Chair Junior Rodriguez-Perez and Senator Jack Yanow table in the library to promote the October Osprey Voice. (Photo Courtesy of SG)

To gather feedback on the changes, SG has launched its October Osprey Voice survey, titled “Feedback on the Library,” according to Rodriguez-Perez, chair of the USA committee.

The survey asks a variety of questions, including how often students visit the library, which amenities students currently use and what additional features or resources students would like to see offered. 

SG hosted a tabling event in the library on Tuesday, Oct. 20, to give students the opportunity to complete the survey in person and receive library merchandise as a reward for participating.

As the library plans to purchase new furniture for students to use in the spring semester, student feedback gathered through the survey will help inform discussions about the library’s offerings and the needs of UNF’s student community, according to Rodriguez-Perez.

“What are we doing well? What are we not doing well?” Murray said when discussing what the library hoped to learn from student feedback during a recent SG USA Committee meeting.

Murray said it was important to learn which furniture, study areas and technologies students prefer, as well as whether the existing services are going unused because students are unaware or have no need for them.

Recent library renovations
Arianna Sanislow-Pressey
The third floor now that the shelves have been removed. New furniture will be arriving in the spring for students to enjoy, according to Murray.

The third floor project follows several recent library improvements aimed at making the building more adaptable to student needs, according to Murray. 

Over the past year and a half, the library has established the Allen Lastinger Center for Florida History on the second floor, renovated group collaboration hubs and introduced new interactive displays. 

The 75-inch displays on the second floor serve as digital whiteboards that allow students to share content from their personal devices and use for group work, according to Murray. 

In addition, the library has renovated the west side of the fourth floor, adding flexible furniture, 14 power stations, and a quieter relaxation area separated by acoustic panels, Murray said.

New digital signage has been placed throughout the building to help students learn about available resources, services and study spaces.

“We are very focused on our spaces right now and a lot of that has to do not only with the growth we’ve had, but the growth that’s expected,” Murray said. “Focusing on how we can best use the space we have to meet the needs of students because the building’s not going to get any bigger.”

 

 

 

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