Millersville University, McNair Library and Learning Forum

Millersville, Pennsylvania

Firm

Highland Associates, LTD Architecture Engineering Interior Design

Client

Millersville University

Area

106,500 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$16,060,208

Completion Date

08/2013

Millersville University has changed dramatically in size and educational expectations since the Library was constructed in 1965. As a result, library stacks were replaced by a space where information meets curiosity to produce knowledge in all subjects. The reinvented McNairy Library and Learning Forum is now the academic and social hub of the campus.

Today, activity and collaboration are not just permitted but encouraged. Mobile furniture allows for flexible collaboration or quiet, personal study areas. A light-filled reading room overlooks a new urban plaza, connecting the Library to the campus as a whole. The new entrance consolidates all entry points in one secure location and is accessible through a Reading Sculpture Garden designed with sustainable elements and local flora. A café and lounge area is open 24 hours a day, with on-demand wireless access to library resources.

The new McNairy Library transforms the social dynamic of the campus, broadening learning opportunities for students, faculty and the community. The renovations provide flexible collaborative spaces, rich in technology, to support learning, exploration and the development of knowledge.