By BRAD SLAZINSKI and KATHLEEN QUANDT

Staff Interns

Construction is underway to make renovations on Oakland University’s Kresge Library, and it could be finished by the end of winter semester.

The construction doesn’t include the café that library administrators would like to have because not enough funds have been raised for the café yet.

Associate dean of the library Frank Lepkowski said the project was started in Fall 2008. When completed, the government documents originally housed on the second floor — the main floor — will be moved to first floor, the second floor will have a new seating arrangement on one side, study rooms on that side will be turned into group study rooms, and e-learning will be moved to fourth floor.

Lepkowski said the funding for this project came from OU President Gary Russi as part of an initiative.

Designed for students’ benefit

“When it’s done, it’s going to change things quite a bit,” Lepkowski said.”The idea is that this whole space becomes a space that is flexible. We figure that students are going to be able to set up with what they feel.”

Dean of the library Julie Voelck said they want students to be able to work individually and with groups.

“We will also offer white boards to students with capability to have the information on the board converted into a JPEG to take with you,” Voelck said.

She said the ideas came not only from the faculty, but from the students too.

“We have a Facebook page where we asked for comments,” Voelck said. “We looked at the comments from students for what they envisioned.”

“Ideally, we’ll be able to have installation during winter break,” she said. “But it’s kind of out of our hands, we’re not sure if everything will arrive on time.”

Lepkowski said that they considered leaving one floor open 24 hours a day, but that due to security reasons it looks to be out of the question.           

The café that could be

Voelck said that the plans for the café came about because of student demand.

“It isn’t in fruition yet, but the idea came about because the students want it,” she said. “Students have been telling me for quite some time that they want this café.”

She said that instead of being a staffed café, it will be more like high-end vending: serving snacks, coffee, espressos and lattes.

“The idea with the seating and everything is to create a very distinct and different kind of atmosphere in that area,” Lepkowski said. “This goes against the old no food, no drink, no fun, no speak, no noise type model of the library.”

The could-be-café will cost about $90,000. Voelck said she is working hard to raise $50,000.

“It may not be this year maybe next year, but I am confident we will eventually have it,” Voelck said.

After Voelck asked OU Student Congress to help with the cafe, OUSC donated $5,000, and plans to donate more.

OUSC President Dan Evola said Congress members liked the idea when Voelck presented them with the plans.

“It seemed to be in student demand,” Evola said. “It seemed like something permanent to invest in.”

Voelck said other locations were considered, but the fishbowl near the entrance was chosen because all the others were out of sight. She said this way the students will see it right away when they walk in.

Voelck said that she did some investigations into the café that was installed in the undergraduate library at the University of Michigan last year. She found that their café is also right by the entrance.