The J. Robert Van Pelt Library
Built in July 1966, the Michigan Tech library was dedicated and named after the fifth president of the University, J. Robert Van Pelt, in 1988. The building was well planned and designed and has served the University community well over the years.
Although the basic functions of the library have remained the same, the way these functions are carried out has changed. Technology has allowed off-site, 24/7 access to much of the information provided by the library. Still, students, faculty, and researchers need and use the library's collections of printed material, and they use the library's physical facility to study, work in teams, or to work with a librarian on their projects. The renovation of the current building and the handsome addition planned will fulfill the study and research space needs for many years to come.
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The John and Ruanne Opie Library Addition
The Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology consists of an addition to Fisher Hall, an addition to and renovations of the Van Pelt Library, and a connecting bridge. The Opie Addition to the library will add 54,000 to the current 80,000 square feet. It will include a 13,400-square-foot, twenty-four-hour study space and a high-tech information wall providing the latest news about the weather, the world, the campus, and library activities, as well as twenty-six small-group study rooms. The building will have fifty public computers and will provide wireless computer access. A digital studio is planned that will allow students and faculty to integrate information from print, the Internet, sound recordings, or film into their work.