Happy Birthday to Us!

Believe it or not, the “new” Library is now five years old. Opening ceremonies and a ribbon cutting took place on Thursday, February 19, 2009, and the Library opened for business the next day. Much has happened over the past five years, but the Library remains the centerpiece of the Fresno State campus.

When we opened, we were in the midst of the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Governor Schwarzenegger had frozen state expenditures. We had a grand new building, but no furniture—so the Library opened with folding tables and chairs. Despite the lack of permanent furniture, the building impressed everyone who entered. Over time furniture arrived, and thanks to the $10 million donation from Table Mountain Rancheria, we were able to purchase custom fabrics and finishes on much of that furniture. With a basket motif and other Native American designs, the Library was transformed.

We wanted to build a library that would meet the study and research needs of all types of users, so a wide range of amenities was designed: individual and group study rooms; classrooms for library instruction; meeting rooms; large event rooms; tables with power for plugging in laptops; and service desks on every floor. Students quickly discovered the areas that worked best for their needs. When we opened, the building did not have a traditional quiet study area, but after being made aware of the need for one, we made the second floor in the South Wing and the Table Mountain Rancheria Reading Room in the North Wing designated quiet areas.

The Library has become a major venue for exhibitions and events, drawing many people to Fresno State who might not have otherwise visited. The first exhibition in the Ellipse Gallery was a combination of Indian Basketry and original Ansel Adams photographs. Subsequent exhibitions have included Samurai Armor, Carousel Horses, Little Golden Books, Alice in Wonderland, [Central] Valley Firsts, and Turning Pages.

Unfortunately, the recession has heavily impacted library staffing. Today, there are fewer library employees even though we are busier than ever. Based on previous gate counts (traffic into the building), we anticipate over 1.4 million people will have used the Library during the course of the 2013/2014 academic year.