Library 2.0: the new UB library

It’s a home, a university square where students and faculty will work together. It’s designed to inspire both individual research and collaboration. Kyle Fierstien

The library is certainly home to us! With only a week before the highly anticipated move begins, we're packing, marking boxes, inventorying, and taking count of the lasts for Langsdale.

The last Final Finish.
The last birthday party celebration.
The last student appreciation event.
The last learning and success workshop.
The last Coffee Break.

What will the new UB library look like? Well, we're not sure--and that's kind of the point.

Learn more about the new library, its flexible space, and what we hope will be the new heart of the university at the Library 2.0 blog.

End of an era - the Langsdale Auditorium is history

The first phase of the Langsdale renovation is well underway and the Auditorium is down!  Keep watching for more updates - the next phase is to start peeling away the stucco "skin" or facade, which should start in about a week!

Documenting our Move

As mentioned in the latest issue of the UB Post and our previous blog post, Langsdale Library is moving into the 3rd and 4th floors of the Learning Commons while our current building is remodeled.

Photo credit: Catherine Johnson, University of Baltimore

It takes a lot to move a library! We've got thousands of books, a little over one hundred computers, and lots of desks, tables, chairs, dry erase boards, and printers. We're planning to document behind-the-scenes happenings on our Instagram account using the hashtag #LangsdaleMove.

Photo credit: Instagram user @langsdalelibrary

Starting in March, each week (and sometimes more than once a week) we'll be snapping pictures of what departments are doing to get ready, leading up to our move at the end of May, and through our unpacking phase in our new location this summer. Visit us on Instagram as we share our move!

New Look for Langsdale

[From the spring edition of Langsdale Link, out soon:]

It’s finally happening: Langsdale is getting a facelift. With the University of Baltimore becoming, bit by bit, a modern and glittering campus—see the bright, glass hive of the John and Frances Angelos Law Center, the sloped and swirling geometry of the Student Center—Langsdale was beginning to feel a bit like an old shoe. But that is all about to change.

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, six firms were chosen to present their designs for the renovation and remodeling of Langsdale Library. As expected, many of the firms focused on the library as a space of learning and collaboration, one brimming with new technology and spaces adaptable to a variety of needs. This is a long way from the old mode of thinking about libraries as giant book warehouses, an idea that predominated both the philosophies of architects and librarians alike. Those days are dead and gone. The day just before us is full of color and light, glass and open floor-plans, in a word, spaces designed more for people than books. Concepts of airy, collaborative spaces were featured in one way or another in each of the design proposals presented at the contest.

Ground was broken for Langsdale Library on April 7, 1965 to accommodate both a growing collection of books and a growing student body. The building as it looks today was designed in the brutalist style (which, believe it or not was en vogue at the time of construction) by local architect Henry Powell Hopkins. Aside from the façade of the building looking progressively dated, the “bones,” as many of the architects at the competition called them, are still in good shape. For this reason, there was no need to start from scratch, instead the building will be gutted and given an entirely new identity, one that will serve the current needs of patrons and students, while remaining flexible enough to change with the times and with technology.

On January 31, the winner of the design competition was announced. Behnish Architen, the firm that drew plans for the Law Center, won with a design that celebrated the current façade’s strong vertical lines, bringing them squarely into the 21st century both aesthetically and technologically. The new design will be LEED certified and feature many similar environmentally-friendly features that now make the Law Center the jewel of the UB campus.

We are excited for the range of possibilities a new building will afford the library, and thankful to the Governor, the Maryland legislature and President Robert Bogomolny for their commitment to the project and the support they have shown University of Baltimore’s library.

Behnisch Architekten Wins Design Competition for Major Renovation to Langsdale Library

Official press release:

Six Firms Presented Concepts

A competition to select a design for a major renovation to the University of Baltimore's Langsdale Library was won by Behnisch Architekten of Boston, following a series of presentations on Jan. 15 for improving the building. Six architectural firms competed for the chance to redesign and renovate the building so that it is more accessible, energy efficient and more closely tied to the rest of the UB campus as well as the surrounding neighborhood.

"We are thrilled to embark on the design and construction of a new library that will change the lives of students as well as impact the architectural landscape of UB and central Baltimore," said Lucy Holman, director of Langsdale Library and a participant in the presentations by various architectural firms in UB's Student Center. "Langsdale's location makes it a gateway to the campus, and now this transformative design will establish the building as a beacon that reflects UB's innovation and our determination to offer our students and the community a wonderful place to learn and grow. All of us are looking forward to working with the architect and design team to create a new Langsdale Library—one that is inspiring, exciting and central to student learning."

Langsdale gets a facelift!

You may have seen on UB's homepage that there is a design competition for Langsdale next week. Next year, Langsdale will be across the street in the Learning Commons as we have the building you know and love spruced up! Six different firms are presenting their designs to try and win the contract. With 12 million dollars from the state and additional funding, we're all really hoping to see some interesting and innovative designs for our space.

How would you change the library if you were going to renovate it?

Making Room for the Future: Renovations at Langsdale

Before

From the upcoming Langsdale Link:

If you could look on the actions of humanity in the same distanced and objective way you might the movements of a cell under a slide or a zebra in the African grasslands, then, if so inclined, it might be possible to map the ways in which technology has utterly transformed just about every aspect of our lives, and to predict how these effects might grow in magnitude. Progress (read: technology) doesn’t stop. And because it doesn’t stop, we, both at the library, and, generally, as people living on planet earth, always have our ear to the ground looking for the next new thing that will utterly transform our lives…again.

So we’ve made some changes to Langsdale, our feeble but educated attempt to guess which way the winds are blowing and will blow in the future. we have added some new technology—a web, print and game design lab on the lower level; a new touch-screen scanner to the first floor—as well as additional study and laptop space on the third floor.

Libraries are changing, and in addition to being the repository of books, we are also becoming a repository of technology and space to use and grow with that technology. We have designed space to study, space to work, space to prepare presentations and Power Points, space to write papers and design websites; space designed specifically for the tasks that now are part of everyday student life, which means space that can be adapted to a myriad of needs. To do this we have consolidated our print collection on the third floor to fit on one side of the building, leaving half the floor open to accommodate large tables for quiet study. We are also in the process of outfitting our second floor with movable tables and whiteboards, which will facilitate multiple uses and allow for greater flexibility, especially of interest to study groups.

After

We continue to try to anticipate the needs of all UB students, here now and those who will attend in the future. To do this we have tried to keep our eyes open to all the possibilities that innovation brings. But unlike cells or zebras, humans come up with some crazy devices that are impossible to predict. So to plan for the future we’ve made space for you to grow.

See more pictures here.

Langsdale to move books from the 3rd floor in latest renovation plan

If you have visited your library recently, you may have noticed some changes.  When you first enter the building, you will now see the circulation desk straight ahead, and an open work space to your right. 

Our government documents were moved to the basement in order to create space for study rooms on the second floor (coming soon!).

In the latest plans for renovation, Langsdale aims to create a large open space on the 3rd floor by removing all of the books.  Library Director Lucy Holman explains the motivation behind the plans: "When we removed the shelves of government documents from the second floor, we uncovered rows of golden carpet that had been hidden underneath the stacks for decades.  People really like them.  Unfortunately, we already have plans to replace the carpet and put study rooms in that area.  So this got me thinking about what might be under those shelves on the 3rd floor."

The former home of our government documents collection is only a few walls away from becoming 4 new study rooms

As of now, the library has not determined where to put all of the books that are on the third floor, but the leading proposal is to move the existing bookshelves into the stairwell and have the books line the stairs as you go up and down the building.  The stairwells have a rather industrial look to them, and rows of books are sure to give a warmer feeling.

Be sure to stop by Langsdale Library to see our new look, and enjoy the rest of April.

"I can't wait to see what color stripes we get on the 3rd floor" added Holman.

Please pardon our progress.

While students are off for spring break, furniture is moving about within the library.  Langsdale Library is open for its regular hours (except for being closed on Friday), however, things may get a bit noisy at times on the first and second floors. The 3rd floor will remain undisturbed and that is the best place to go if you are looking for a quiet study are in the library.

One of the big changes is that the circulation desk is now right in front of you when you enter the library, and our feedback on this so far has been very positive.  If you want a sneak preview of what the library is going to look like when you return from Spring Break, check out the photos on Langsdale's Facebook page.  We have a few more changes in the works, including adding several tables on the first floor and some new study rooms on the second.

Thank you for your patience.

Come in through the front door

Langsdale's front doors have been replaced and you can now proudly walk in through the front door! We apologize to those of you who do not want to be caught studying or doing research, but you won't be able to slink through the side door anymore.



Of course, once you get in the building, you will have to use the stairs to get to other floors, but the elevator should be back in working order soon.

You don't need a hard hat to visit, but it sure seems that way

Langsdale is open during construction!

It is true that the entrance way of Langsdale is undergoing a renovation, and that you need to enter along the side.


It is also true that the first floor is a tad hard to navigate, and can get a bit noisy.


But the rest of the library is still open, relatively quiet and free of construction materials lying on the floor. Plus we will still answer your reference questions on the phone, even if it does feel like we are in the middle of a construction zone.

To make things more interesting desks and other furniture are being moved into the new staff area on the 2nd floor.


Most of the loudest work will be done when the library is closed, and all work is expected to be completed before too long. So don't be afraid to stop in and check out a book or video, even if we are under construction.

While classes are out, Langsdale shifts

Classes may not be in session in January, but that does not mean all is quiet within the walls of Langsdale Library. During the break, the 4th floor is being renovated so that our Special Collections department can use most of the floor for its collections.




And while you may not be able to enjoy the 4th floor while the walls are being moved around, you can come into our 2nd floor and enjoy the comfy chairs (equipped with a swing table for your books or a laptop) that arrived last semester.

New Periodicals Section

Our renovation is not over yet.

Langsdale's 2nd floor is now home to our Periodicals section. In May, while many UB students were busy graduating and getting ready for summer, staff at Langsdale Library were taking all of our periodicals off of the shelves on the 3rd and 4th floor and placing them on carts. The carts (with periodicals on board) were taken to the 2nd floor where we then put them back onto shelves. Now, instead of having the journals and magazines intermingled with books, the periodicals are all collected on one floor to (hopefully) make them easier to find.

And we are not finished. All of the books will be consolidated on the 3rd floor over the summer, and the 4th floor will become the home of our Special collections department.

Renovation Ceremony Postponed

Due to the possibility of inclement weather on Feb 14, the celebration of Langsdale's renovation scheduled for Wednesday, Feb 14 has been postponed. But do not despair; the event will be rescheduled for a warmer date in April to be announced later. Plus, if you still stop by this week you can still register for our daily drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the bookstore.

Valentine's Day will go on as scheduled as well.

Renovation Celebration Feb 12-18

In celebration of our newly completed renovation we are inviting you to participate in a week of events, February 12-18. Each day we will pick a student’s name for a $25 gift certificate to the University of Baltimore Bookstore, just register at the Library’s first floor circulation desk beginning February 12.

On Wednesday, February 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. we will be celebrating with a reception and tours of our new facilities and at approximately 2:30 we will have words of greeting from President Bogomolny and Provost Wiewel.
UPDATE: Due to forecasts of bad weather, this event will be postponed until early April.

Of course if you want to get an early look at what we’ve done you can visit us any time! We look forward to seeing you!

Progress Continues

Welcome to Langsdale! Here is what you would have seen if you had entered the library this afternoon


Yes, we still have some construction to do, but if you turned your head to the left, you may have noticed a brand new reference desk, complete with a reference librarian...


...and some chairs waiting around for new furniture.


Meanwhile, we are trying to set up the 2nd floor for group study along with some (relatively) comfortable seating.

Open Again

On Jan 11, Langsdale Library will reopen to the public. The renovation is not quite complete as some additional work needs to be done on the 1st floor. In fact, the furniture for the 1st floor won't arrive until Friday, so it looks quite empty at the moment.

However, access to the stacks has been restored, so you can come to check out books and videos. In addition, the computer lab on the 2nd floor has been almost completely restored, and is available if you need a computer on campus.

So please come and check out our new paint job and carpet, but be sure to come back in the next few weeks to see what the final result looks like.

State of the Renovation

As we return to work after the Winter Break, we come to find that some people have been busy over the break. All the carpet has been removed from the 1st and 2nd floors, and some painting has been done as well. You can track the progress of the renovation on the Renovation Blog and on Langsdale's Flickr page.

Closed Dec 18 - Jan 10

Langsdale Library is now closed to the public so that renovations on the first and second floors can be completed.

Even though the library is closed to the public, we will be busy working behind the scenes from January 2 - 10, and beyond, getting the library ready for the new semester. You can keep up with our progress on the renovation blog.

Holiday/Renovation closings

Langsdale Library will be closed to the public from Dec 18 - Jan 10 while the first and second floors undergo renovations. If you need to talk with Langsdale staff, we will still be in the building (or somewhere on campus) on Dec 18-19, Jan 2-5 and Jan 8-10. So you can still reach us via phone or email.