Messiah University – Murray Library Learning Commons
Higher Education

Messiah University Murray Library Learning Commons

Library Renovations to Introduce Learning Commons

The initial phase of this project encompassed focus groups, a facility review and an interactive design charrette to introduce mobile computer, group collaborative and other student learning features into Messiah University’s Murray Library. The subsequent renovations incorporated Learning Commons into the existing infrastructure and involved flexible design concepts that could be implemented through a multi-phased process.

Project Highlights
Client:
Messiah University
Location:
Mechanicsburg, PA
Services:
Interior Architecture
Interior Design
Type:
Higher Education
Reinvention
Learning Commons
Cafe

Breathing New Life Into Multiple Areas

Both floors of the library include new group study rooms with laptop connections, flat panel displays and a built-in sound system and controls for group collaboration and meetings.

The design solution reconfigured the main floor to provide an enlarged “Barnes and Noble” style café and informal study area at the front door. This area has electrical power and wireless internet access throughout and includes a number of collaboration stations that support a range of group gatherings and meetings. Opposite the café is one of three “touchdown” station areas to support student walk-up use for email retrieval, library catalog review and web surfing.

RLPS successfully organized a team to integrate Learning Commons Spaces while allowing the library to remain functional with the bulk of the work occurring during the summer.

Kathie Shaffer
Vice President of Operations, Messiah University

Meeting Current Needs with an Eye to the Future

To enable Messiah College to adapt to continually evolving technologies, the Learning Commons areas utilize modular furnishings in lieu of built-ins to accommodate future updates as needed. The design solution also envisions a future mezzanine level to function as a quiet study area.

This update project, funded in part through the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), provided needed space for complementing programs, such as testing and learning /writing centers, to be assimilated into the library.  The expanded student run cafe, Cafe Diem, helps to keep students and staff on campus, provides student employment and now serves as a valuable revenue resource for the College.