Morse Library renovation to begin in May
The updated library building will be the home of Impact Beloit, a new program which unifies the college’s career-preparedness offerings.
The college will embark on a $10 million renovation of the Col. Robert Morse Library in mid-May, following Commencement. The renovations will transform the college’s library with upgraded technology and modern, user-friendly spaces for learning, studying, collaborating, and socializing.
Library services will transition to the Powerhouse’s Riverside Lounge early in the summer, allowing access to library collections and services there during the 2023-24 academic year, when the library will be closed.
Students, faculty, and staff will still be able to check out the most popular materials, course reserves, and equipment. Most other library material will be accessed electronically or through inter-library loan. Printing services will be located at the Powerhouse and other campus locations. Some library staff will have offices in the Powerhouse, while others, including Information Technology staff, will be located in Mayer Hall.
Exterior design upgrades will feature an inviting new entrance, parking lot, and landscaping.
The library also will become the home base for Impact Beloit, a new program that unifies the college’s career-preparedness programs — Career Channels, Career Works, Center for Entrepreneurship (CELEB), and Community Connections, the new name for the college’s community-facing initiatives.
Impact Beloit will help support students in their development as productive community members and in their future job searches. The program will also help faculty and staff to further incorporate community-based learning into their classrooms, encourage alumni to contribute their time and expertise in a variety of ways to support students, and bolster connections between organizations in the city of Beloit and the college.
Janesville-based Angus-Young & Associates is overseeing the library renovation and historic landmark regulations compliance.
Originally opened in 1962, Morse Library has not seen a significant renovation since the early 1990s. Last February, the college received a Wisconsin Neighborhood Investment Fund grant to strengthen its deep connections with the city of Beloit. Funds will be used for library renovations, improving critical infrastructure and maintenance needs, and creating modern spaces for students, faculty, staff, and the community for the next 25-plus years.
