Renovations in Record Time at the Weinberg Memorial Library

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In just over one month, two departments united to reimagine and reconstruct an interior area on campus for the benefit of many. The result: a reimagined space at the Weinberg Memorial Library that could be a contender in HGTV's "Small Space, Big Potential."

In the weeks between finals and the spring semester, University of Scranton Facilities and Library teams contributed their vision and skills to complete a Media Room renovation in record time.

"The timeframe for the project was set to work around students' studies, finals and utilize intersession. (From) December 15 to January 23 … the majority of work was completed," said Michael Ridder, director of maintenance operations at Scranton.

Dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library George Aulisio explains the why behind the project.

"The concept grew out of a broad vision for the Library to be a place for all types of learners. We recognized that a section of the Library housing compact rolling shelving for DVDs, VHS tapes and CDs could be transformed into a dynamic student space with a clear purpose. The goal was to create a flexible, modern space that supports students and faculty while retaining media for curricular needs and personal viewing interests," Aulisio said.

"This renovation reflects the direction the Library has been moving for several years, making a shift from being primarily a physical resource repository toward a dynamic center and service point that actively meets the evolving needs of our community," he added.

He outlines the results:

• a dedicated Media Viewing Room,
• a dedicated space for the Education Laboratory and
• an open space with lounge seating, individual reading and study space and booths for collaborative learning

A resource reallocation made it possible to "flip the orientation of the room," according to Aulisio.

"To do this, we carefully curated the Media collection so that actively used, new and popular titles could take up a smaller footprint in the space itself, and less frequently used materials could be relocated to basement storage.

This called for collaboration.

"From the Library's perspective, this project was about reimagining how the space functions, not just how it looks. Working closely with the Facilities team, we translated that vision into a practical design with a new layout, updated technology infrastructure, including new displays, refreshed furnishings and an environment that feels welcoming and contemporary," Aulisio said.

Bringing that vision to life: the highly skilled Scranton staff.

"Internal staff completed this work, including Library maintenance Jake Harris and Anjelica Vaccaro, carpenters James Shygelski and Michael Tuffy, electrician Ed Piasecki, plumber Frank Lynott, painters Mark Burke and Jared Reznick, locksmith Joe Wright, and members of our IT Department Jason Wimmer and Jason Oakey," Ridder said.

Outside vendors included Premier Environments for carpeting and furniture, JP Jay for shelving units, Stone Office Furniture to disassemble, relocate and reinstall mobile shelving in the Performance Music department, and Sierra Six for data connections.

Ridder outlined the scope of work:

• Demolition of existing shelving units, removal of old flooring, cabinetry and some existing walls
• Construction of the new layout per design, including the walls and new custom wood-trimmed windows and shelving unit, completed onsite
• Installation of new flooring and shelving by Premier Environments
• Completion of electrical work, Spackle and painting, ceiling changes, data and new electronics, such as TVs

"An added bonus was that we were able to relocate the Library's rolling compact shelves to Houlihan-McLean Center so that the Performance Music department could benefit from it. It was a genuine collaboration between Library and Facilities, and the result speaks to what's possible when both teams are aligned around a shared goal."

-George Aulisio, Dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library

Viola! Feedback from Library patrons and staff suggests that the renovation, completed in a brief window of time, delivered a significant impact.

"The response has been positive and overwhelmingly strong. Students have embraced the space quickly. In fact, while painters were still putting finishing touches on the walls, students were settling in to study. The staff has also noticed that the collection is more approachable now. Compact rolling shelves are not ideal for discoverability, but now that the collection is on stationary shelvesand is curated, it's easier to explore and find a new or classic film for assignments and personal viewing," Aulisio said.

"This is exactly the type of response I had hoped for! It's gratifying to see a vision come to life and to watch the community make it their own. I'm proud to say we have a strong Library culture at Scranton, and we take that responsibility seriously."