Contacts:

Beth Blakesley, 509-335-6134, beth.blakesley@wsu.edu

Julie Titone, 509-335-6850, jtitone@wsu.edu.

PULLMAN, Wash. — The elaborate process of closing the George B. Brain Education Library is nearly complete. It is the largest of three Washington State University college libraries being closed in response to state budget cuts.

 

The Brain Library's materials are being moved from Cleveland Hall and integrated with the collections in Holland and Terrell libraries. The only exception is the juvenile collection, which is frequently used by students in the teacher education program, said education librarian Lipi Turner-Rahman. At the request of WSU College of Education faculty, those books will be housed on the second floor of the Owen Science and Engineering Library in nearby Owen Hall.  

 

"It's taken over a month so far,” Turner-Rahman said. "We have to be out of Cleveland Hall by July 1. That used to seem a long way off!”

 

In July, work will begin to convert the space into a Mathematics Learning Center, according to Valipuram Manoranjan, associate dean of the College of Sciences.

 

Student employees, library staff and maintenance workers are helping with the move. The tally of items moved so far on shrink-wrapped carts: 38,468, of which 15,002 went to the Owen Library. Yet to be moved: 1,117 reference items.

 

"The Holland and Terrell staff had to shift collections to make room for the incoming items,” said Beth Blakesley, associate dean of WSU Libraries. "At Owen, the books were unloaded onto empty shelving. 

 

Earlier this summer, the Architecture Library was moved to the Owen Science and Engineering Library. The vacated space in Carpenter Hall will be occupied by the interior design program, which is moving to Pullman from the Spokane campus. 

 

In July, the collection of the Agricultural Sciences Library also will be moved to the Owen library. There are no immediate plans for the vacated space in Fischer Hall, Blakesley said.

 

The George B. Brain Education Library was named for the College of Education's long-serving dean (1965-1983). The late Brain now will be honored by a distinguished professorship created in his name for the Educational Leadership Program, according to Dean A.G. Rud.

 

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