Hannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal, Missouri, will have a dedication ceremony for the new Roland Library on April 27th, according to the Quincy Herald-Whig. Though the library won’t officially open until August, students and faculty will be given a tour of the building. Also as part of the event, students, staff and others will form a human chain to move the first 100 books from the old library to the new library, though the bulk of the moving will take place in May after the close of the academic year.
HLGU's Roland Library
At 20,000 square feet, the Roland Library is significantly larger than the existing L.A. Foster Library, which holds 135,000 volumes, allowing the university to double its available space for print and audiovisual materials, as well as housing multimedia-equipped computer classrooms, computer labs, private and group study rooms, audio and video editing stations, a “coffee corner,” fireplace lounge and children’s reading area.
But though larger than Foster, the library is one third smaller than was forecast when a $30 million capital campaign was launched several years ago, $7 million of which was earmarked for the library. When the economic downturn reduced contributions, HLGU decided to scale back to the current plan at a cost of $3 million.
In April 2010, the Maybee Foundation issued a challenge grant of $450,000, which gave university officials a year to raise a similar amount. The challenge was met in early 2011, and the university broke ground on April 15, 2011.
Once vacant, the Foster Library will be converted into a student center.
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