East Texas A&M Library Unveils Renovations with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
On Sept. 10, a crowd of students, faculty and staff gathered outside the south entrance of the Velma K. Waters Library at East Texas A&M University to celebrate the completion of the building’s first-floor renovations.
The renovations, which began on March 10, include new carpet and ceiling grids, fresh paint, upgraded furniture, new lighting and rooms with technology for large and small group study and presentations. The library’s first floor now has a warm, welcoming feel to it, with a relaxed setting that featuring numerous dry erase boards where students can jot down ideas or work out complex equations. There are also what Administrative Coordinator Dana Toles calls “huddle space rooms” that allow students to get together and work on projects in comfort without having to reserve a room.
Leading the ceremony were President Mark Rudin and Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Tammi Vacha-Haase, both of whom acknowledged that the renovations were key to meeting ETAMU students’ needs.
“Our students need a place for studying that is less formal,” Rudin said, “a place where they can be comfortable.”
After a few words from the president and provost, Lanee Dunlap, dean of the library, performed the ribbon cutting to officially open the library’s revamped first floor for visitors. Inside, attendees were treated to refreshments and allowed to roam about and explore the fresh furnishings. In the hours and days before the ribbon cutting, students had already taken in the new look, and many such students were hard at work as the ceremony moved indoors.
Next, the library’s second floor and elevators are set to receive makeovers. The elevators are being upgraded while the second floor will receive a similar treatment to the first, along with the building of the Innovation Lab, a space for new technologies that can be used by students, faculty and staff.
The library is not only a place of study and home to thousands of books (on the third and fifth floors) but also a central hub for student services throughout the college journey. Occupying the first floor are the Honors College, Student Disability Services, Student Access and Success, and, of course, Starbucks. On the second floor one can find Advising, the Blue to Gold Money Management Center, and Student Career Preparedness.
