The November issue of University Business takes an “Inside Look at Libraries” and features San Francisco State University’s J. Paul Leonard and Sutro Library. The article states, “while campus libraries are still a place where one can study, today’s libraries are active spaces that offer so much more…Although the library’s shell may look the same, inside it’s a decidedly different and livelier place.” Read how the hush-hush is over, collaboration spaces tend to look less like boardrooms and more like small restaurants, and how reference areas have evolved too.

The $103.8 million renovation and expansion to San Francisco State University’s original J. Paul Leonard Library utilized a design-build delivery method, which saved money as changes were made and the schedule experienced delays. The aim with the project was to create an environment that promotes study, research, and scholarly interaction. The library café and informal group seating options were deliberately placed in the main entryway, to create an immediate high level of activity for those entering the facility. Within the study space at San Francisco State’s library, furnishings are flexible. Movable white boards serve as visual aids for groups studying as well as privacy screens between each work area. The new building has been open since March 2012.

Link to the Inside Look: Libraries >>