If the Student Memorial Center (SMC) is the heart of the University, Ganser Library is, without a doubt, the brain of the ‘Ville. It is where students go to do research, complete assignments, commune with friends and study partners, and even escape from hectic college life.

Ganser Library is the place where the success of the Millersville student body is harvested.
The average college library is a centerfold of information. Therefore, it is high time that Ganser Library be introduced to a new generation of learners.

With updated technologies and resources, as well as an eco friendly environment, the library will be a key element in the creation of the neo-Millersville University.

The biggest concern of the students for the next school year is how will they have library access if they have, in essence, no library?

Marilyn Parrish D. Ed. Special Collections Librarian and University Archivist had all the answers. She reported that Ganser Library is set to shut down in August 2011 and renovation is planned to begin in The Fall of 2011.

Library resources will be set up in various places on campus. For instance, the circulation and reference desks will be located in the Gerhart building, which is centrally located and will make the process of finding books and information much easier for students.

Librarians will still be available to help students doing research and locating other materials. Most of the books will be available electronically, which will also help ease the transition into the new Ganser building.

Students and Faculty are encouraged to keep themselves updated as per the timeline of the renovation process, in case there are any changes made to the plans.

Some very exciting additions are being created to help beautify and distinguish the library from what it used to be. There will be a reading sculpture garden designed by some of Millersville’s very own students and professors from the Art and Biology Departments. The new library will also have natural lighting, SMART classrooms, 24 hours access, and house a centrally located café.

The renovations that are planned may make Ganser Library the epitome of college library.

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While this was due to statewide budget changes made earlier this year, the library directors were able to study when most students came to the library and came up with the new hours posted at www.library.millersville.edu. The new hours involve not only a later opening time on Saturday, but also earlier closing times on Friday and Saturday.

With the current allocation set by the state it seems unlikely that longer library hours will be brought back anytime soon, but staff and faculty are confident that these changes are efficient and hope that students are able to make good use of the time that the building is open.

When asked about how these changes would affect their studying habits, most students felt that the changes were slight, and said that they would make use of the online resources when needed.

The outside of Ganser Library

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Along with my initial joy of  being back on campus for the semester, I was also pleasantly surprised to see improvements being made this year.

While the construction may be inconvenient for students at times, I am still happy to see that the campus is being updated.

Perhaps the best improvement to the campus is the addition of turning lanes at the intersection by the Ganser Library. The hassle of trying to turn left in traffic will soon be eliminated by the addition of a directional light.

Currently, the four-way stop provides decent traffic flow with the help of a police officer, but it is still better than the old days of a traffic jammed intersection.

Along with the directional lanes, the bricked crosswalks are a nice aesthetic touch to the otherwise dull white crosswalk pattern we see far too often in the city.

The remodeling and expansion of the Student Memorial Center (SMC) will be interesting when finished, however I see a small problem with the additions being made.

While the SMC is a multipurpose building (fitness, meeting rooms, etc), it does not see nearly the amount of student overload as a dining hall.

Gordinier, as large as it is, is still too small for sufficient student seating. I believe expanding Gordinier, rather than the SMC, would have been a better choice for improvement.

The school’s improvement to the gym will also be a welcomed addition by students who frequent the facility.

However, I do know a few students who prefer to use dumbbells when lifting. They would like to have heavier dumbbells to use, but once the weights exceed a certain size the school has to pay more liability insurance for the increased risk.

In an effort to save money, the school does not carry larger dumbbells. I think there are plenty of other students who would like to see larger dumbbells in the gym.  Perhaps the school will consider this as a future improvement.

Overall I think the school is doing well with the updates on campus, but there are other areas that could use attention.

Here is looking forward to a good school year full of improvements.

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