Henry Madden Library
By Amanda Fine
As the sun sets, signifying the end of yet another spring day on the Fresno State campus, the whirl of the new Henry Madden Library’s automatic doors can be heard as students enter and leave the building.
Covering 340,000 square feet, with over 23 miles of book shelving and housing 1.3 million books, the new Henry Madden Library is a long-awaited treasure for Fresno State students, faculty and staff.
“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,” says Brianna Simpson, a junior mass communication and journalism student. “It was well worth the wait and the money spent.”
Simpson, who started at Fresno State in the fall of 2006, has only ever known the library as the south wing and a fenced off hole in the ground. “I really believe it will be a valuable asset and resource for the campus community,” she says.
The $105 million project included the tear down and construction of the new five-story north wing. The project also includes 307 space-saving shelves that are electrically powered and each able to move independently by a push of a button, which allows the library to hold nearly double its collection. In addition to the shelving units, the library is also home to state-of-the-art information technology systems, 3,600 reader stations, individual study areas and group study rooms, making it the largest library in the entire 23-campus California State University system.
“The Henry Madden Library has the largest installation of open access, electronic compact shelving in any library in North America. We have the largest music collection (recordings and scores) of any CSU library and more maps and aerial photographs than any other CSU library making us clearly the most technologically advanced library in the system,” Associate Dean of Library Services Dave Tyckoson says.
As a thank you to Table Mountain Rancheria, who donated a large gift to the project, the library is inspired by Native American themes, inside and outside. The interior features the main staircase, which is designed to reflect a basket weave, while the walls are painted in rich tones to mirror those of the earth.
The exterior features plants to reflect Native American culture and large granite blocks with Native American and English words etched into the stone.
Comprised of large glass windows, the north wall of the library opens up to reveal the beautifully remodeled Peace Garden. With its large grassy knolls centered on the statues of Cesar Chavez, Jane Addams, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, the Peace Garden serves as a place for students to enjoy the beauty of campus and take a break from classes.
While the library has been full of students, faculty and staff since its doors opened, it still has several hurdles to overcome. Due to the recent budget freeze and the state’s financial crisis, most of the library’s interior furnishings are on hold. “We are looking forward to having the library fully furnished for the 2009-2010 school year,” Peter McDonald, Dean of Library Services says.
Despite the hold on furniture, students are happy with the library. “I love the building even if it does have the noisiest staircase I have ever been on,” Michelle Duncan, a senior math major, says with a laugh. “And we have a Starbucks now. How can you go wrong with that?”
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