Cornell's Mann Library was planned in the late 1930's but did not actually open until 1952 due to WWII delays. As one of Cornell's twenty campus libraries, Mann primarily services the College of Agriculture nd Life Sciences and the College of Human Ecology. Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Human Ecology.The library has gone through a few of renovations, but the new Mann that re-opened its doors in 2007 fulfills both the historic architectural requirements at Cornell, while creating a contemporary use of space and technology to serve today's faculty and students.
The goal of library staff in the re-design was to make Mann an attractive central meeting place for all Cornell students. This was accomplished by adding new collaborative study spaces, an atrium, which serves as a central gathering spot for study and discussion and a new cafe. The cafe was a top priority to provide an 'eco-friendly' place to grab locally baked pastries, espressos and coffees, salads and sandwiches.
Theresa Wells, evening supervisor at Mann, expressed the central study place theme in comments to the Cornell Sun. “We hope that Mann becomes a central place for students from all across Cornell,” said Theresa Wells ’92, the evening supervisor at Mann. “To me it feels like a family unit. That is what we hope for: that Mann will feel like a community center where students can study, rather than just a library.”
Everyone had to be patient during reconstruction. For two years Mann was nothing but a hard hat zone, and even after the library reopened, there were still areas unavailable as areas were brought on-line over time. Final construction was complete in 2009.
The links below provide fuller detail on Mann's renovation.
Sources:
Mann Renovation site: http://www.openhouse.mannlib.cornell.edu/
Cornell Sun- August 27, 2007: http://cornellsun.com/node/23805
Picture: Mannible Cafe, which can be accessed from the first floor lobby.
