Beginning May 21, the Reference Area in San Diego State’s Love Library will be closed for renovations to add larger seating areas and more electronic reference materials, among other improvements.

“The Reference Department and the whole library is really thrilled to be taking on a project to make the library even more accessible, relaxing and productive for students,” reference librarian Brittany Cronin said

One of the most anticipated renovations will be increasing and enhancing the student seating area. The Reference Area plans to add more individual study carrels and group study spaces by relocating reference materials, such as books and the maps collection, to other sections of the library.

“The focus is to create more student study space, both individual and group study, in response to increased student demand and the library’s goal to meet student and faculty needs,” Cronin said.

The seating renovation will also include new technology-friendly furniture with integrated power sources, as well as more comfortable seating.

Part of the renovation will also focus on expanding the selection of electronic materials, some of which could be available to students before finals week. More than 150 electronic reference books have already been purchased through the Reference Department, with hopes of accommodating what the students and faculty have requested.

“The new purchases were focused to create a more usable reference collection in a format that is highly desirable and makes ease of access a priority,” Cronin said. “These electronic resources are focused on traditional reference titles, and include almanacs, biographies, directories, encyclopedias and other sources that contain traditional reference information.”

A few of the most requested reference books include a top-selling medical dictionary, an encyclopedia on culture wars and a historical encyclopedia of the American economy. The library will post an update on recent purchases next week.

The renovation is using student fees and the Academic Affairs budget to cover the costs of the project. According to Cronin, the complete cost projection for the entire renovation is unknown at this time.

The Reference Area will be closed May 21 to July 9, and reference desk materials will be relocated to the 24/7 Study Area. Students can access a reference librarian from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday at the 24/7 Study Area Help Desk.

“We love helping students with their projects and teaching them how to better use library resources, so please stop by the desk with your questions,” Cronin said.