Textbook Services to move to Hagestad

Textbook Services is going to be moving from the basement of the Chalmer Davee Library to the old Freddy's dining hall, inside the former student center, Hagestad Hall. The move has been in the works for at least five years, since the plan was in the making for the new University Center.

With the growing enrollment of students, the office needs to house more books. This new location will allow for the growth the University has seen as well as give extra space for future growth.

The move will give students more walking space and allow for more room between the bookshelves.

"We will be able to more rapidly service students and have better traffic control," Virgil Monroe, the manager of Textbook Services said.

There will be three printers for printing booklists instead of two, which will ease congestion. Students will have plenty of room to maneuver around the computers, unlike in the old office where bookshelves directly behind the lines caused overcrowding.

The checkout counters will be more convenient for students. The area is planned so that lines do not intersect. The checkout area is set up so that there are six terminals instead of four, with room for up to four more if needed.

A staging area will be where the kitchen was located during the time of Freddy's, where all the new books that are ready for processing will be. The volume of new books plays a large role in the move, due to the growing population on campus.

"Summer is actually a very busy time for us because we are getting in all the new book orders in for the fall," Monroe said, "There's a two month period when it is slower. Spring break time is the slowest time of the year, that's why we are doing the move right now."

The old Textbook Services is going to be used by the Archives Research Center for their expanding collection.

Monroe is working on setting up the new center while Assistant Manager Shirley Matzek is heading up the old Textbook Services.

Textbook Services is using the same equipment from the old center. The new location has had a face lift with ceilings painted and new drywall put up, with a lot of help from the University's Facilities Management, to convert the old Freddy's.

Students feel they were adequately informed about the upcoming move.

"They did a really good job of getting the word out in advance, I saw that they were moving from all the fliers outside Textbook Services. The employees told us as we were getting our books for this semester, and I think it was on our book print out lists as well," senior Mike Femling said. "I've known about it all semester."

In May, Student Counseling, Health Services and Career Services are all going to be moving to Hagestad Hall.

"The only bad thing is that I'll have to walk a little farther for staff meetings," Monroe said.

The move for Textbook Services is right on schedule and Monroe hopes to be fully moved into Hagestad Hall by mid-April if not, by the end of the semester.

"The main thing that I want to convey is that students will have to return this semester's books to the new location in Hagestad," Monroe said.