Ceremony Marks Completion of Library Renovation Project

KEENE, N.H. 4/4/03 - The Wallace E. Mason Library, named in honor of the second president of the Keene Normal School - now Keene State College - has undergone construction and renovation in two phases spanning nearly a decade. On Monday, April 14, the completion of the renovation project will be celebrated at a rededication ceremony, to be held on the second floor of the library. The event is free and open to the public.

Among speakers to attend the ceremony will be Thomas Eaton, president of the New Hampshire State Senate, John Lynch, chair of the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees, Bruce Keough, past chair of the USNH Board of Trustees, William Walker, president of the MacMillin Company, Inc. of Keene, David Lauren, principal of Banwell Architects of Lebanon, N.H., and Irene Herold, director of Mason Library.

The second phase of the renovation project began last May. A new addition now connects the 1963 and 1972 wings of the original library, providing extra seating and study space and extending natural light throughout the building. The renovated library provides improved handicapped access, upgraded book and stack collections, improved mechanical systems and fire safety controls, and the technology needed for accessing electronic resources and collections.

The final phase of the Mason Library construction is the first project to be completed using KEEP-NH (the Knowledge Economy Education Plan), a six-year capital appropriation to the University System of New Hampshire to upgrade science and technology facilities on its campuses.

The Mason Library project was designed by Banwell Architects, with support from the engineering firm Rist-Frost-Shumway. Construction management was provided by the MacMillin Company.

For more information, contact Irene Herold, director of Mason Library, at 603-358-2736.