{"id":58397,"date":"2025-09-15T08:12:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T12:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=58397"},"modified":"2025-09-15T14:04:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T18:04:56","slug":"olin-library-renovations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/olin-library-renovations\/","title":{"rendered":"New Era, New Olin: Library Unveils Sweeping Interior Renovations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Take a photo tour of the redesigned spaces\u2014including a glow-up of the iconic call board, now a colorful custom clock <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Joe Wilensky<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A major renovation of Olin Library\u2019s main floor and lower levels, completed in summer 2025, has given the venerable campus building a long-awaited overhaul of some of its most-used common areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A reopening celebration was held in late August, capping a project that spanned several years beginning with brainstorming sessions and a feasibility study in 2019; construction began in December 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"students
Rare and Manuscript Collections<\/figcaption>
The circulation desk and call board in 1983.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The renovations include sweeping changes to the first floor, combining what had been separate circulation and help desks into one; a more open floor plan; and a permanent additional entrance on the Arts Quad side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One floor down, the Map Collection entrance has been reconfigured and a new student commons area added. A new space was created for the Anthropology Collaboratory<\/a>, home to several collections that used to reside in McGraw Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The renovations include sweeping changes to the first floor, combining what had been separate circulation and help desks into one.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A signature element of the project was the reimagining and repurposing of the iconic call board<\/a>, which for decades alerted students that books and other materials were ready for pick-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(From its 1961 opening until the 1990s, Olin was a \u201cclosed-stack\u201d research library: only faculty and grad students were typically allowed to browse and retrieve materials.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The call board has been turned into a programmable LED-lit display as part of a project by engineering professor Joe Skovira, PhD \u201990, and several of his students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"professor
Prof. Joe Skovira, PhD \u201990, and students work on the call board.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The board\u2019s numbered display now serves as a dynamic, multicolored clock; it also can be programmed for other uses. (It generated random numbers, for example, for a raffle held during the celebration.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new board uses 900 LEDs\u2014and even with all its lights illuminated, it draws only 15% of the power used by the original, which had incandescent bulbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scroll down for a look at some of Olin\u2019s redesigned spaces!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"new<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The main floor boasts a more open floor plan and new seating and study areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Multicolored LEDs illuminate the call board numerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"new<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first floor has a panoramic view of the Arts Quad\u2014and a new entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"patrons<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Research materials are on display in the new Anthropology Collaboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"patrons<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A student study space on the first floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"new<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The updated furniture includes several uniquely shaped pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"the<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The circulation and help desks have been combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"patrons<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Map Room, whose entrance was renovated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"new<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The project created more inviting spaces in common areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top: The combined circulation and help desk. (Photos courtesy of Cornell University Library, unless otherwise indicated.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published September 15, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take a photo tour of the redesigned spaces\u2014including a glow-up of the iconic call board, now a colorful custom clock<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":58394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alumni_hub_syml_posts":[36342,11042,12323],"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[],"cornell_year_post":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-58397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-beyond"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Era, New Olin: Library Unveils Sweeping Interior Renovations - Cornellians | Cornell University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Take a photo tour of the redesigned spaces\u2014including a glow-up of the iconic call board, now a colorful custom clock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/olin-library-renovations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Era, New Olin: Library Unveils Sweeping Interior Renovations - 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