Jewell announces plans to build a library for the 21st century

The past four decades have brought revolutionary change to the nature of library services, rapid evolution of computerized information processing, dramatic shifts in student and faculty needs and the relationship between college libraries and their constituencies. 

In response to these changes, William Jewell plans to build a new Library and Learning Commons on the current Greene Hall site. This modern technology and information center will strengthen student and faculty collaboration at Jewell and provide the kind of resources found at other top liberal arts colleges. The flexible infrastructure will grow as technology evolves, ensuring the Library and Learning Commons remains a strong and visible symbol of William Jewell’s academic vitality.

Anticipated features and benefits of the new Library and Learning Commons:

        ·         expanded access to on-line journals and research tools
·         wireless and flexible computing environment
·         video conferencing facilities
·         presentation rehearsal studio for students and faculty
·         media production and viewing studios and the development of digital classroom materials
·         engaging spaces for faculty colloquiums, campus and community lectures
·         training labs to help faculty and students remain current with software and 
      hardware developments
·         flexible and comfortable spaces and furniture that invite collaboration
·         café with late night access
·         demonstrable commitment to sustainability

New role for the Charles F. Curry Building
Curry will continue to be an integral part of the College’s library system by housing most of the book collection. In addition, the structure will be remodeled and is expected to become the home for critical student service functions such as the business, financial aid, registrar, career services and counseling offices. The Office of the President, Academic Dean and Office of Admission will ultimately move to this renovated space.

Shaping the Campus Environment
The construction of the new Library and Learning Commons will bring other important changes to the core of campus. With entrances facing both the College Quad and Greene Stadium, the new Library and Learning Commons will provide an impressive new “front door to the campus” and dedicated space for a campus welcome center. The current plans call for a new plaza to connect the Pillsbury Music Center and Brown Hall to the College Quad, allowing the College to make the heart of the campus more pedestrian friendly.

A Home for Centers of Excellence
The Library and Learning Commons is expected to house two centers of excellence that will drive collaboration, mentoring, creativity, entrepreneurial behavior, and sensitivity to the world’s most significant challenges.

The Center for Justice and Sustainability
Believing that justice and sustainability issues must be addressed by a well-educated and motivated populace, William Jewell College has established the Center for Justice and Sustainability in order to develop in its students the commitment, competence, and confidence to address significant issues in human communities and in societal, economic, and ecological systems. The Center for Justice and Sustainability is at the heart of the College’s mission to cultivate leadership, service, and spiritual growth. We invite students to spend their lives creating solutions to these complex and interconnected issues. The construction and operating principles for the Library and Learning Commons, the home for the Center, will reflect Jewell’s broader commitment to global sustainability.

The Center for Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry
This Center takes its name from the Core Curriculum it supports. It has the potential to transform the campus culture through a focused commitment to creative, entrepreneurial thinking and experiential learning. The Center will help students shape the experiential component of their Core Curriculum and offer mentoring related to internship placement and project development. This Center will allow us to reframe the value of the liberal arts for our students and the world by amplifying how the liberal arts tradition facilitates creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.

Building the New Library and Learning Commons
William Jewell College has received a pledge of $6 million from the Hall Family Foundation and a pledge of $1 million from the William T. Kemper Foundation toward the creation of the new Library and Learning Commons. The College is seeking an additional $10 million to complete these capital improvements. 

For more information on how to participate in this project and recognition opportunities in the new facility, contact Chad Jolly, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, at jollyc@william.jewell.edu or (816) 415-7567.