Marriott Library Rededicated: Building on Yesteryear for Today and the Future
The rededication ceremony for the J. Willard Marriott Library on October 26, 2009, gave tribute to the "unimaginable storehouse" and established the renovated building as again ready and renewed to face today and the years to come. "The library was and continues to be the North Star of what we do at the U," said U President Michael K. Young. "It’s a vibrant community center where people and ideas converge."
Keynote speaker, former First Lady Laura W. Bush, said, "Reflecting on the act of building a library in 1969 even as libraries were being burned, writer and U professor Wallace Stegner called it, ‘an act of stubborn and sassy faith.’ Today the Cold War is over; we’ve elected an African American as president of the United States; there are more democracies in the world than ever before; and the library has endured – an act of faith richly rewarded."
Breaking from tradition, President Young rejected a ribbon cutting in favor of a book exchange between dignitaries and four elementary-age children. Symbolizing the transfer of knowledge from one generation to another, the book exchange illustrated the library’s enduring role on campus and in the community.
"A storehouse of knowledge and cultural treasures, including three million books, original pioneer diaries and letters, extensive medical archives, and the fifth-largest collection of Middle Eastern materials in North America, the library is one of Utah’s most valuable buildings," said Governor Gary Herbert.
After a four-year, $79 million renovation, the library steps into the future with a seismic retrofit, technology upgrades, installation of an impressive two million volume Automated Retrieval Center, and environmentally sensitive upgrades.
Today’s students, and the ways in which they learn, have changed. While they may be found studying quietly, they also are likely to be surrounded by fellow students, books, laptops, iPods, and cell phones. In addition to individual spaces, students need collaboration-friendly zones, lounging areas, and social nooks where they can multitask, discuss assignments, and grab a snack. And they need all of those places to be technology-ready. Over time, the nature of research itself has migrated from isolated fields of expertise to collaborative, cross-disciplinary efforts. People depend upon technology to manage, access, and connect the sheer volume of information that exists in today’s world so that students, faculty, and researchers can eventually transform that information into knowledge.
New spaces in the library include the Grand Reading Room and adjoining garden terrace, which provide areas for quiet study; the Knowledge Commons, an information and technology student center; and Mom’s Café, named for donor Ira Fulton’s mother, who operated a restaurant. Other features include the Advance Technology Studio to support digital scholarship, 20 high-tech classrooms, and state-of-the-art preservation facilities.
