Students using the Friedman Study Center in the Sciences Library may notice a few aesthetic changes in the coming months.
Administrators, with the help of a student advisory group, hope to improve the space by adding more furniture and housing temporary art exhibits there.
Collectively known as the Friedman Advisory Board, these students and administrators began working together a few months ago to respond effectively to student needs regarding the library. "We want to make (the center) as good as possible," said Brian Becker '09, chair of the Undergraduate Council of Students' campus life committee.
"Thirty-four students came after the opening of the Friedman Center to tell us what they liked or disliked," said Florence Doksansky, associate University librarian and a member of the advisory group.
"We always talk to students first regarding changes to the center," she said. "We hope we're accommodating students' concerns and ideas."
The Friedman Center, which officially opened Jan. 25, is already popular with students.
"The colors are bright, the chairs are comfortable, I never have trouble finding a spot to sit, and it's nice having the snack bar," said Kimberly Dickinson '09.
"It's cozy," said Angela Pullen '07.
Though advisory board members were unsure of the exact number of students who use the Friedman Center each night, they have noticed that the number of card swiped at the SciLi has increased significantly since it opened. "The center is being heavily used," Becker said.
Some improvements to the study center have already been made since its opening. Twenty-two new computers were recently added to the mezzanine of the SciLi, along with more wingback chairs and footstools.
"We've added more computers to the mezzanine, added more furniture and seating, plan to add artwork throughout the center and are looking for ways to improve the cafe center and extending cafe hours past 2 a.m.," Becker said.
The advisory committee plans to hang student artwork in the space and may possibly install large whiteboards and markers so anyone can contribute to the Friedman Center's visual atmosphere.
While response to the center's current decor has been mostly positive, there remain a number of concerns that the group seeks to address.
"There were problems with the water pressure in the bathrooms, issues with the amount of cleaning of the bathrooms (and) reserving the study rooms. We're using student critiques to improve these problems," Becker said.
The group is also concerned the center may be too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. Though heating, ventilating and air conditioning services were consulted, Doksansky said, "Some places will always be cold, like the projection room, because it has (untreated) glass windows."
Steven Lavallee, co-leader of the University Library's Gateway Services Department and head of the Friedman Center, said a reservation system for the projection rooms, implemented April 1, now prevents individuals from taking them over. He added that "Friedman etiquette" expects that smaller rooms are used for study space and bigger rooms for projection or group space.
As for the bathrooms, Doksansky said staff is available to clean them five times a day and will extend their cleaning hours during finals period. "We know this is an issue," she said.
Further improvements to the Friedman Center will not cause the center to close, Lavallee said. "Anything too disruptive happens when students aren't there (such as) over spring break." Becker said he expects the improvements will cause little to no interference with student use of the space.
Lavallee urged students to make the Friedman Center their own, unique territory. "It's not (the administration's) space, it's your space," he said.
Interim Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Russell Carey '91 MA'06 told The Herald in February that the Friedman Center is still a work in progress.
"As with other projects on campus, we will continue to assess how facilities and programs are working and adjust them as necessary," he said. "The primary goal of the center was and still is to greatly increase the amount of 24-hour study space, and we've done that."
