June 9, 2020June 2020 Learning Commons Update

We hope this finds our campus community well and healthy as summer begins.

Construction continues on the Learning Commons. These recent photos of the project show new components of the building being constructed, including the structural steel for the expanded portion of the building, the metal decking associated with floor construction, and the frame of the large lightwell. It’s great to start to see the design drawings and renderings of the new building come to life. You can see how the outside of the building, the entrance and landscape will look in this video: https://youtu.be/j4P5ZDY6j-A. The building is on track for the original timeline and is still slated to open in Fall 2021.

Please feel free to send us your questions at learningcommons@ramapo.edu.

 

Categories: Project Progress

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September 9, 2019Potter Library and Learning Commons Updates

Welcome to the 2019-2020 academic year!

Potter Library has experienced quite a few changes. We moved in January 2019 into the renovated Linden Hall, which has been operating smoothly as a temporary library. Potter Library in Linden Hall includes faculty and staff offices, a Circulation Desk and Research Help Desk, group study rooms, print book collections, special collections such as the Ramapo College Archives and the American History Textbook Project, audiovisual collections, computer labs, wireless printing, and more. Linden Hall also houses the Center for Reading and Writing and the Gross Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. If you have any questions about our current library space and the services and resources we offer, please contact us or visit our website: ramapo.edu/library/

Meanwhile, the original Potter Library building has undergone significant changes. In July, demolition of the building’s interior was completed; please see photos below and also in our Photo Gallery. This fall, you will see more construction on the exterior of the building as layers are removed for the expansion. The College celebrated the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Learning Commons on September 4, 2019. We will welcome into the Learning Commons a new patio entrance and café, a MakerSpace and an ITS Help Desk, the Faculty Resource Center and Instructional Design Center, the Mindfulness at Ramapo College of New Jersey, and more. Please see ramapo.edu/learning-commons/ for more information. If you have any questions regarding construction, please reach out to capital@ramapo.edu.

Photos Courtesy of the Office of Marketing and Communications:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Project Progress

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December 19, 2018Potter Library in Linden Hall

The library is moving to our temporary space in Linden Hall during the weeks of January 2-21, 2019. During these weeks, the physical library is closed, but we are supporting Winter Session courses via our chat and email reference services. We will open in Linden Hall on January 22, 2019.

Librarians and library staff had the opportunity to visit Linden Hall in the Fall semester as it was being renovated (photos are below).

Linden will have: 

Please see our Learning Commons website for the floor plans of our temporary location in Linden Hall for more information. The Center for Reading and Writing, the Gross Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies, and our Archives and Special Collections will all be in Linden Hall as well.

All of our electronic resources will remain accessible through our website throughout the Winter Session and the Spring semester and will not be interrupted with our move. We have recently changed many of our print materials to electronic versions, such as electronic journals and e-books. You can always ask a librarian for assistance.

Stay tuned for information about Open Houses and tours in the Spring semester! Please email refdesk@ramapo.edu with questions.

Photos of Linden Hall in the Fall Semester:

 

Categories: Project Progress

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August 23, 2018Summer 2018 Renovation Updates

Welcome to the Learning Commons blog! We are writing from George T. Potter Library to share updates as the project progresses. In Summer 2018, we prepared for the library’s move to Linden Hall by moving a percentage of our print book collection to off-campus storage for the duration of the project. We worked with a company called National Library Relocations, Inc., based in New York, to pack and store our books. About 25% of our print collection remains on campus, but these books were chosen carefully to fulfill course requirements. We kept books with high circulation statistics and books requested by our faculty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interlibrary Loan and Electronic Resource Access

We have just implemented a new Interlibrary Loan system, Tipasa, that will help us to borrow books from other libraries during the renovation. Tipasa will allow users to log in to their accounts to see and manage book and article requests. By the start of the Fall 2018 semester, you will see changes in the library’s catalog that indicate whether an item is on campus or in off-site storage. If a needed item is in storage, the next step is to submit an Interlibrary Loan request.

We have also recently increased our access to electronic resources and have switched many of our print materials to electronic versions. Our databases, e-books, and electronic journals will all remain accessible on our website at all times of day and can be used from off-campus using your Ramapo College login information. Librarians are always available to help with your research. 

Linden Hall Renovations and Temporary Library

While the print collection was moved, the Linden Hall renovation project progressed. We met multiple times with our architects to plan our space in Linden Hall, and we are very pleased with the results. We will have two classrooms with computers, plenty of study space for students, group study rooms, a combined Circulation Desk and Research Help Desk, and a dedicated space for Special Collections (including Archives, the American History Textbook Project, and the Gross Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies). The Center for Reading & Writing will also be in Linden Hall with us. Students will be able to receive help from faculty and staff, use computers and laptops, use a printer, check out materials, and attend classes and workshops. Demolition on the interior of Linden Hall began in July 2018. To see the Linden Hall floor plans in detail, please see our Temporary Library Space page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Along!

We will continue to update this blog as the project moves forward. Follow us on social media for more updates (@rcnjlibrary on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), and please send any questions to learningcommons@ramapo.edu. Thank you for following along on our project progress!

Categories: Project Progress

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