by: Brian McMillan
After several years of planning, the Howard Ross Library of Management will undergo a complete renovation beginning in January 2011. This overhaul of the entire second floor of the Bronfman building, co-sponsored by the McGill University Library and the Desautels Faculty of Management, will provide our students, faculty and community with a completely renovated library combined with vibrant teaching and learning spaces and an exciting 60 seat Trading Centre. The new Business Intelligence Centre will double our seating capacity, increase the number of wired study spaces, and provide eight dedicated group study rooms. The Desautels Faculty will construct the latest jewel in its crown – a live data trading centre which is a teaching space equipped with 60 seats and 30 trading desks – as well as a conference room and a Trading Research Lab which will accommodate the needs of its new undergraduate and graduate programs in investment management. The project is being designed by the Montreal architectural firm Saia Barbarese Topouzanov, who have handled such projects as the UQAM Science pavilion (Sherbrooke and Jeanne-Mance), the Conservatoire de musique de Montreal (Mont-Royal and Henri-Julien), and l’Agora de la danse (Cherrier and St-André).
To ensure ongoing library services to the Howard Ross Library clients, a temporary service point will be set up on the 4th floor of the Bronfman building. This space, due to open in January 2011, will house the information and reserve loans services; the Howard Ross recently received journals, newspapers, and reference collections; as well as the popular Bloomberg database stations. Tables, chairs, and computers will be placed in the adjacent open area. The Howard Ross print collections will move temporarily to the 4th floor of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library.
The Howard Ross Library staff are looking forward to joining their colleagues in HSSL for the duration of the renovation. Space in the old ILL area (directly behind the McLennan information desk) is currently undergoing its own renovation to welcome the Management Library staff. Staff members of both libraries are working together to achieve a smooth integration of the Management staff and collections into the HSSL work flow.
We thank our colleagues in advance for your accommodation and understanding in the months to come. You’ll all certainly be invited to celebrate the opening of the new Business Intelligence Centre in Fall 2011.
