MRC and TLC to change locations in library as part of three-phase project

Big changes are in motion at Boatwright Memorial Library. The Media Resource Center is moving from the library's second floor to the first floor. The Technology Learning Center is moving from the third floor into the MRC's former space. And where the TLC once was will be the new Teaching and Scholarship Hub.

It is time to make use of integrated space in the library, said biology professor Linda Boland, who is heading the initiative for the hub.

A few years ago, the entrance door to the library that faces Puryear Hall did not exist Boland said. Now, it is the most used door.

This past summer, staff members from multiple departments, including University Facilities and the library, decided that the library’s MRC and TLC would be relocated, Boland said. 

The idea, Boland said, was to use that thoroughfare walk-through so that students see what the MRC and TLC have to offer. 

University librarian Kevin Butterfield agreed. 

“We want the MRC and TLC to have more visibility,” he said.

Some students do not know what or where the MRC or TLC are. 

“I don’t even know what that one acronym [MRC] is," senior Dani Sklar said. "All I know is that I’ve used one of them [the TLC] to print research posters."

Meredith Wang, sophomore, said: "I definitely think making them more visible will incline people to use them more. But also, I think they need to advertise their resources more as well. I still don't know the full extent of resources that each offer."

Boland said she thought many students had the misconception that all the TLC had to offer was poster making, when it offered much more, including computer support, media production, blogs and virtual reality experiences.

The relocating is a three-part process, Butterfield said.

The first part is to move the MRC. All that is seen on the second floor now is the vacant shelfs made for holding DVDs and a sign that states: “The Media Resources are currently in transition. Course reserves are now located downstairs at the Information & Assistance Desk. Need a DVD or Blu-ray? We will gladly retrieve it for you.”

The remodeling will not prevent students from accessing the resources. Throughout the process, students are allowed to check out materials, Butterfield said.

The relocation of the MRC is expected to be completed by fall break, Butterfield said.

The second part is to move the TLC. Facilities members are working to move everything as quickly as they can. The goal is to have the move finished during winter break, Boland said.

The last part of the process, the installation of the Teaching and Scholarship Hub, is still in the works.

What remains on the third floor will now house the Hub-- a space for faculty and staff members to “help faculty advance their teaching and scholarship goals," Boland said. 

UR staff as a whole wants to provide more career development for both teachers and students, Boland said.

The plan is to have the Hub completed by winter break, because it takes time to move the TLC out of its current space, Boland said. Decisions about where new walls will go up or where new outlets go takes time, she said. Facilities staff members are also working to decide what kind of furniture to decorate the space with and whether new light fixtures are needed.

Facilities staff members understand that remodeling is noisy and bothersome to students. They are working hard to avoid such issues, Boland said. 

Butterfield, Boland or Melissa Foster, one of UR's academic computing specialists, can answer questions about the relocations of the MRC and TLC.

Contact news writer Haley Gibbons at haley.gibbons@richmond.edu.