By Jessica Brown
Published on January 8 , 2008
Plans are in the works to move Pensacola Junior College’s Learning Resource Center into the Student Life Center in late 2008 in order to accommodate renovations to the LRC. The LRC will be housed in the Student Center until the spring of 2009, when the renovations of the original LRC building are scheduled for completion.
The LRC will be moving from a 50,000 square foot building into a space of less than 5,000 square feet. The student computers, the reserve materials, ready reference shelf, the McNaughton Collection, the CD collection, and the DVD collection will occupy the space that is currently the Student Center cafeteria area.
According to Sandra Davis, district department head of the LRC, “[the move] is going to be a challenge. We will be sacrificing student study areas.” Current plans are for the open area in the Student Center to be the public space for students, filled with tables and chairs for studying.
Davis plans to move all the library staff to the Student Center. However, the computer lab will be in Room 253 in Building 2.
Though some students might choose to go elsewhere for a quiet studying zone, Davis expects “the same number of students, and same group of students that already come for computer use.”
“The librarians always plan to offer the same services, only in a smaller space,” David added.
Walt Winter, director of the physical plant, will be in charge of finding a place to store all the circulating books, reference books, periodicals, microfilm reader/printer, and most of the furniture. Currently PJC has an existing on-campus moving contract with a local company “that is capable of packing and moving the books, [but] this company does not have a place to store the books.”
There are about six companies to choose from in the Pensacola area that specialize in the temporary storing of library materials. A firm has yet to be chosen for this project.
“We are still in the process of collecting data to make that determination,” said Winter.
Michael Hayse, assistant director, facilities planning and construction, is in charge of how the LRC will be arranged once located in the Student Center. The culinary classes and kitchen will remain, though the Pirate’s Cove will not be in service during the time the LRC is there.
“At this point the design for the temporary facility is very sketchy,” Hayse said. Depending upon cost and function, Hayse said the plan is to move out all of the equipment from the kitchen area “[and] use it for clerical/administrative functions.”
For privacy purposes, Davis also hopes to have some of the offices put into the back room where the Pirate’s Cove kitchen is now located, and maybe knock out some walls.
“The north end of that open area and the stage [will be] fashioned into additional administrative/clerical space, and we should have more details in a couple of weeks,” Hayes said.
Davis hopes to have as little of a negative impact on the students as possible, and keep the same hours. Though this move is going to limit study areas, Davis said, “we are still available; come study with us.”
For more information students can go to the LRC website located on www.pjc.edu, and click LRC news. For a layout of what the LRC will look like when renovations are completed, check the bulletin boards located in the present LRC building.
