A light blue sign posted at the front entrance of McWherter Library asks library patrons to "please bear with us" during construction in the Learning Commons. Yet instead of construction noises, the sounds that could be heard from the Learning Commons are hushed conversations, the flip-flip of book pages and the light tapping of keyboards.
The only obvious sign of changes coming to the library was the relocation of computer desks from the west side of the Learning Commons to the east side. Heavy wood chairs stand at regular intervals facing where tables and computers once sat.
"What happened to all the computers?" said Djeinaba Diallo, a junior nursing student, looking for a computer to work on a speech for an oral communication class she is taking this summer.
Diallo said she had a lot of work still to do on her speech but said that the changes in library were not much of an inconvenience.
Brad Pope, one of the technical assistants in the Learning Commons, sits at a desk with another light blue sign that said, "Construction starting July 12."
"All I know is that they're rewiring and putting in new furniture," Pope said. "I don't know where we're going to be. I think the librarians know more than we do."
The head of the reference department, Betsy Park did know more about the upcoming changes to McWherter Library and the Learning Commons.
"We're clearing out the whole west area up, and they're putting electricity in," Park said.
During construction, students can access computers on the west side of the Learning Commons, the government publications room or on the third and fourth floors.
Park said the completion deadline for the furniture installation was Aug. 7.
"It has to be done and it will be done before school starts," Park said.
According to Park, the new furniture in the Learning Commons will encourage cooperation and collaboration among students. An area with casual seating including couches and chairs with attached individual tables will allow students to gather in an informal way.
"We've heard from faculty that group work is being done more, and students tend to do more collaboration," Park said.
She said the workstations will allow for group work because they will not have the dividers that wall off each computer. The ends of the new computer station tables are set up for two people to work together.
"It's not going to be a hush-hush area," Park said of the new Learning Commons.
Students wanting a quiet space to work in will still have access to quiet zones on the third and fourth floors of the library.
Another change coming to the Learning Commons is the construction of a presentation studio that students may reserve to practice speeches and PowerPoint presentations.
Ennis Newman, a technical assistant working on the third floor of McWherter wondered about the Einstein Bros. Bagels Café that was supposed to open this summer.
According to Danny Armitage, associate dean of student resident life and dining services, the bagel café will open for fall semester pending the approval of the state fire marshal in Nashville.
"Everything's approved on campus and locally. We've ordered the furnishings, but we need that state approval," Armitage said.
Armitage said the contractor, Aramark services and Einstein Bros. were ready to begin construction and installation of the café as soon as state approval was received.
"We're working as hard as we can to open as soon as we can," Armitage said.
