Second floor renovation of SWOSU’s Al Harris Library almost completed

Johannes Becht, News Editor

The renovation of the second floor of SWOSU’s Al Harris Library started in May 2019. Now, a little more than 2 years later, the project is about to be completed.

“All the construction is done and the fire marshal signed it off,” Jason Dupree, Director of Libraries, said. However, there are still a few minor things to do.

Dupree: “We are waiting for some AV equipment, a couple of signs need to be reprinted, the books have to be organized, the Wifi needs to be fine tuned, and we had 2 water leaks recently.”

One of those leaks might be the roof, according to Dupree. The other could have been attached to the sprinkler system. Nevertheless, Dupree can assure that the second floor will be open for students by the beginning of the Fall 2021 Semester.

One problem that had to be dealt with was asbestos.

“The tiles and mastic both had asbestos, so we had to remove all the stuff and sand and clean the floor,” Dupree said.

Besides a variety of books, students can take advantage of one of the many study lounges that can be found on the newly renovated floor, including power outlets. The second floor will also include some offices and a classroom, that can be used to teach students on how to conduct research, use databases, etc.

While the floor will be accessible for students, the new Thomas Stafford Archives still need some time. Dupree plans on opening the archives by the end of the year. Stay tuned for more information!

>>>Johannes Becht

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