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SOU library breaks new ground By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings More than 150 people showed up for the groundbreaking ceremony of the $23.2 million Southern Oregon University Library expansion project. Supporters and contributors gathered outside the SOU Library Friday to mark the beginning of a move that will double the size of the current library, built back in 1966. The multimillion dollar project was funded primarily through bonds secured by Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland, and Rep. Alan Bates, D-Ashland. Construction for the expansion, to commence in two weeks, will conclude in January 2005. "At the very last minute, we thought we were going to lose it (funding)," Bates said. "This time, Southern Oregon doesn't get left out of the budget like it always does." The remaining $3.2 million must be raised by the university to complete the project. Approximately $1 million has been secured, according to university officials. During the ceremony Sid DeBoer, chair of the SOU foundation development committee and CEO of Lithia Motors, pledged 20,000 shares of Lithia stock to aid the library. Those shares are slated to be transferred to the Sid and Karen DeBoer Foundation, and then allocated to the expansion project. The crowd cheered DeBoer's announcement. "That gift could be between $200,000 to $1 million depending on how the stock goes," Sid DeBoer said. Current value of the stock is $11.47 per share. Among the crowd of SOU faculty, students and community members were SOU President Elisabeth Zinser, Ashland Mayor Alan DeBoer, Oregon University System Chancellor Richard Jarvis, Medford Mayor Lindsay Berryman, Emerick Construction Company representatives, SRF Partnership representatives (facilitated in the library's design), and SOU student ambassadors among many other notables. For SOU Library Director Sue Burkholder, the expansion is a long-awaited goal. "It's really been a long process to get here," Burkholder said, adding she wanted the expansion to happen since she was hired by the university 18 years ago. Burkholder said the vision for the library was to create an academic and social cornerstone for learning and to "stir the hearts and intellect of the students and faculty." The new facility will feature several instructional rooms, a large meeting hall, an upgraded media playback center, 24 group study rooms, a coffee bar, a teaching design lab in addition to more space - the new building will add 64,597 square feet to the library. The expansion does come with some adjustments, according to Bruce Moats, director of the SOU Physical Plant. "The library will remain in operation and continue offering services but there will be periods of disruption," Moats said. Construction is set to begin immediately on the addition which will be located where Pine Hall once stood. Renovation will begin on the first floor of the library on May 12 and services such as circulation and reference will be relocated to the third floor. According to Burkholder, the first floor and its entrance will remain closed - students will have access to the library via the third floor entrance - until September when it reopens. Burkholder said the computer lab and computer classroom will also close from May 2003 to September 2003. Once the addition is completed, the third floor of the library will close for remodeling- estimated to be in April of 2004. Once the third floor is complete, the second floor will be completed to finish the project. "We have to sort of survive the construction," Burkholder said. "It's going to be a challenge to keep all of the services going during construction." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -