Chicago State University - part 1

I normally visit libraries closer to home, but yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the Chicago State University Library.

Yes, that's CSU Library, not a futuristic spaceport. And, yeah, that's a poorly fixed sidewalk out front. You're going to see this contrast in a lot of the following pictures.

I didn't take pictures of right inside the entrance, but that's some tight security, with having to put my drivers license through a scanner before going in.

 Visible from outside was this interesting hallway, branded as the "innovationlab." There's some mats on the floor and beanbag chairs (not really visible here) for students to hang out and socialize while innovating. It seems an odd placement, as the silent computer lab area is right on the other side of a wall with square holes in it.  It was also pretty messy; even though no one was in sight in the hallway, their leftover garbage, like that Dunkin Donuts coffee box, were still sitting out.

I like these recharging stations, and I saw several of them around the library. But what's with all those red cords down on the floor? Looks messy.

 Here is elegance again, with the wooden geometry of the IT help desk. The walls around the desk are too impractically high, but they sure look nice, as well as the staircase behind it.

...and the view at the top of the stairs is really nice!  This is now the second floor.

As you can see, there are huge, wide open spaces around the library that could be housing books, but the books were for some reason moved to a remote facility, at greater expense than just leaving them here would have been.

Here's the reference desk -- no patron sees a reference desk until they reach the second floor. You can't tell the wall around the desk is as high here, but it is. The librarians combat this by having a student worker sit on a higher chair along the wall and direct patrons around it (not seen here, though).

One thing the library has lots of is study rooms. This long hall is one big row of study rooms, and around the other side of this hall is a second row of study rooms! Some are nicer than others, and I think there were a couple with equipment inside with out of order signs on them.

Lots of natural light, though!

Ooo, old-fashioned magnifying machine! Just sitting in a back corner.