Renovations Under Way at Library

Renovations Under Way at Gym, Library
While students are home enjoying the winter break, renovations are under way at Williams Gymnasium and the Mary Cochran Library. Many of the improvements, which include a major redo in the women’s locker room and cosmetic changes at the library, will be completed by the time students return next month.

At the gym, the women’s locker room is being divided into five separate locker rooms. One will be what Steve Bailey, director of the physical plant, called the “general locker room.” The other four will be team locker rooms for use by Sweet Briar athletics teams and visiting squads.

Two of the team locker rooms should be finished by mid-January, he said, and the remaining two will open for business several weeks later.

The shower and bathroom spaces also are undergoing a complete overhaul, including new fixtures and tile.

The cost of renovating the locker room is estimated at $210,000.

Library carts and books sit in limbo during renovations at the Mary Cochran Library.
A couple of hundred yards away at the library, a makeover also is in progress. There are stacks of books on the floor, the staff is wearing dust masks, carpet installers are tearing out worn carpet, and navigating the Browsing Room is a bit like tackling an obstacle course.

When students return to campus, they will find new carpet, freshly painted walls in Kellogg and the reference gallery, and beautifully refinished library tables. Electrical work and repair of the book lift also are on the to-do list, as are new furnishings.

“We’ve gotten a lot of student input on the types of new furnishings we should have and we want the College community involved in this process,” said Lisa Johnston, library professor.

Renovations, at a cost of $200,000 will continue throughout the spring.

— By Suzanne Ramsey, SBC staff writer