There are many exciting changes happening on campus this semester, and one of the most prominent of these changes is the renovation of the Nash Library. Renovations started over the summer and should be completed by 2018.

While Nash is being renovated, the temporary location for the library is in the newly acquired Knight Tower on 131 West 9^th Street, next to the Robert H. Morosky Academic Center.  This building features seven floors and windows overlooking the city on the south side of the building.

Along with this new building, there is also a new layout for the library.  I went to Knight Tower to see the features offered by our library and to learn how to navigate through it all.

Four of the Knight Tower’s seven floors are in use and accessible to students. When you first walk into the building, you have the option of using the stairs or the elevator.  If you want my opinion: take the elevator.

Contrary to popular belief, there are windows in the building, however they only face the south side of the city on the fifth and sixth floors. Located next to these windows are reading areas that give you a great view of downtown Erie.

On the sixth floor is the replacement room for Classroom D, or Room 605, that was in the basement of Nash.  The sixth floor also has a study area by the windows and a meeting room for students to use. There are cubical desks for students who want to study in private and computers available for use.

On the fifth floor, there are new study pods that the library just received. They provide a cushioned chair, desk, lamp and outlets to charge your electronic devices. In addition to these new study pods are new Mac computers that are available for use by the students. Lastly, the fifth floor contains the art books, current periodicals, juvenile literature collection, instruction room, group study areas and vending machines.

Knight Tower’s third floor is where you will find the checkout desk, private study areas and movies.  This floor is just like the sixth and fifth.  In addition to having private studies, desks and books, it’s also where the checkout desk and movie section is.   The third floor also contains the circulating book section letters A-PN, newspapers and magazines, loaner laptops, new books, reference books and the scanner.

Lastly, the second floor is where the Gannon University Archives, administrative offices and library staff are located.  The administrative offices are where you will find the reference librarians, administrators’ office, and the library director’s offices. Also on the second floor are the processing center and the mail and book deliveries desk.

The new Knight Tower offers the same resources as the Nash library did, with even more features available to students. From the study pods to the new Mac computers, the Knight Tower will surely be a great place for students to study and get work done.