UVU Library

It's official! Joe and I now work at Utah Valley University. Some might say: Same place, different name... big deal. However I actually get to work somewhere new!

Yesterday I helped out with the open house for the new UVU Library. I drove in to campus around noon and then gave Joe and the boys a tour. Since Joe was with me, we got to go into the room where all the servers for the entire campus will be housed. I also took Joe into some of that staff areas that most people wouldn't get to see. Then Joe took the boys home and I spent the next four hours or so giving tours of the new library. There were TONS of people who had come to see the new building and I had a good time showing it off. But boy are my feet tired!

Here is a photo of a piece of artwork that hangs out over the first floor (cafe seating area) of the new library. I never did find out what the official name for it is, so I just call it the spiral. I really think that the new building is beautiful. It has wonderful views and a nice open, airy feeling. I'm excited that I get to work there.

Although the new building may be open, it's not quite finished yet. A lot of the furniture, computers, and other equipment are not in place yet. As a matter of fact, the circulation and reference desks have not arrived yet. The cafe isn't finished yet and neither is most of the furniture for the information commons. Most of the library staff are still working on moving their offices to the new building and getting situated. It will take us a while to get everything up and running. At least the books are in the new building, right?

So why is the new library open, you ask? Because today is the day that Utah Valley State College becomes Utah Valley University and the new library is a monument to that accomplishment.

After giving tours in the afternoon, last night I helped close our old building. I was the last librarian to sit at the old reference desk. Soon they will remodel our old library and turn in into something completely different.

This morning they were having the ribbon cutting and dedication of the new library. I ran in with the boys early this morning to have my picture taken with the rest of the staff in front of the new library. I dropped Jacob off with Daddy and took Ephraim with me. After the photo was done, I took the boys and we headed off to playgroup.

I would have liked to stay for the ribbon cutting and dedication because President Thomas S. Monson, the prophet, was going to be speaking and offering a dedication on the building. But I didn't think that the boys would enjoy sitting out in front of the building in the sun for most of the morning. I guess I will have to be content with hearing about it from my coworkers and seeing the news coverage on TV about it this evening.