With the completion of the Library Enhancement Project, the Southern Oregon University Library has become the Lenn and Dixie Hannon Library. The Program and Design Committee began work with the architectural firm SRG Partnership of Portland in late fall 2001. Emerick Construction was hired as the general contractor in the spring of 2002. Design development continued through spring and summer with the final design decisions being made in early fall 2002. Construction began in March 2003 and completed in the Summer of 2005.
The technologically sophisticated building will carry Library and information services forward for the next 20 to 30 years. The new library has both wired and wireless access to the campus network and the web; seminar, study and meeting rooms equipped for electronic information access; and laptops that students can check out. The new building features a number of student group study rooms; inviting, comfortable informal seating areas; light filled reading areas; fireplace lounges featuring new books and periodicals; and a variety of study spaces, from quiet individual tables to group study areas, to small tables, or to spaces where students can use their own laptops. A first floor coffee shop invites users into the building, enhancing the comfortable nature of the Library and providing a service to commuting students.
New instructional spaces have been provided for the campus. In addition to the Library's Electronic Classroom that has computer stations for 30 students, there are two general campus classrooms, one of which is equipped for distance education courses. In the expanded building the Bailey Collection of Shakespeare materials has a distinctive area encompassing a discrete, open location with plenty of informal and formal seating. The Library's Special Collections and University Archives has found a secure home that is both adequate in size and provides a proper climate controlled atmosphere. The DeBoer Board Room will provides a very comfortable, well equipped meeting room for up to 24 distinguished guests. Student art and regional artists can be featured in art gallery located on the third floor.
The Lenn and Dixie Hannon Library provides Southern Oregon University a Library for the third millennium.
