Giblin-Eunson Library

Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) and Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) Library Development

Project Overview

Construction of a new library to support the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Melbourne Graduate School of Education is currently underway in the ICT Building at 111 Barry St, and will be open for Semester 2, 2011.

This combined library will house the Business/Economics collection and the Education collection which will be relocated from their current locations in the Giblin Business and Economics Library and the Education Resource Centre (ERC) respectively.

The relocation and redevelopment of these libraries will create a physical environment that supports the development of scholarly communities in the Parkville south precinct, particularly communities related to the two disciplines of Business and Economics and Education, with faculty members and teaching spaces nearby.

The new library, designed by Hassell and developed through a collaborative process with both faculties, will include a mix of study spaces over three floors with accommodation for over 470 student seats, making this an important contribution to the student experience at the University. It will offer students individual and collaborative study spaces, comfortable reading areas, computer facilities and an e-learning studio for training purposes. There will also be an area that can be opened for extended hours. The new space will incorporate an abundance of natural light and views to University Square. The colour scheme and design have been chosen to harmonise with the colours and textures of the neighbouring park.

Current Status as at 25 July 2011

The newly named Giblin-Eunson library officially opened on 25 July 2011.  Whilst there are still some post occupancy issues, the space is absolutely fantastic-it is full of natural light and students are enjoying and utilising the study spaces on a daily basis.

Current status as at 11 July 2011

Construction is now complete at Barry St and your new library is looking amazing. We are now busy installing the collections, computers, the automatic book sorting machine and other library gear. We will be opening the doors of the new library on day 1 of Semester 2, 2011 - Monday 25 July. Get down to Barry St on opening day to explore, find your favourite study spot, and participate in our opening celebrations! Check out the photos on Flickr for a sneak peak.

Current status as at 16 May 2011

See floorplans, finishes and works in progress at Barry St over at our Flickr site!

Current status as at 1 April 2011

Works are on schedule and progressing nicely.

The following works are anticipated for this week:

  • Services rough in work will be continuing
  • Ceiling tile installation will commence on the Upper Ground Floor
  • Block laying will commence
  • Structural steel installation will commence
  • The new concrete infill slab will also commence.

 

Current status as at 14 March 2011

Building is underway at Barry Street, and being carried out by Schiavello.

Demolition work on each level has been completed. The stairs to the Student Centre on Upper Ground have been demolished and the concrete will be poured next week for the new stairs to be built within the Library footprint. Service rough in work is underway, which includes fire sprinklers, electrical & air conditioning ductwork, plumbing, security and audio-visual cabling.

A prototype of the new service desk was built and after a few changes, a final design has been approved. Final decisions have been made with regard to signage, and furniture and equipment is being ordered.  

The following works are anticipated for the week 16/3/2011 – 19/3/2011:

·         Services rough in will be continuing 

·         Ceiling grid installation to commence 

·         Hoarding to be erected at Ground Floor entrance to the Library to provide a separate construction entry to the site 

·         The former stair opening between Levels 1 & 2 will be filled in

 The new library will include a mix of study spaces over three floors and will house the Business/Economics and Education collections, which will be relocated from their current locations in the Giblin Library and the ERC. The new space will incorporate plenty of natural light and views of University Square, and the final design of the new space will reflect the colours and textures of the park.

 

Current Status - as at 18 November, 2010

The Library has signed off on most of the design for this Library except for the Library Service desk and a couple of the collaborative student spaces.

The opening date has been revised and the new library (which will be located at 111 Barry Street) is due to open in Semester Two, 2011.  The new library will cover the ground floor, upper ground and first floor of the current building located at 111 Barry Street.

Status - as at 1 July, 2010

The architects for this project, Hassell, and relevant University staff including Associate Professor Peter Jamieson, continue to finalise the Schematic Design.

A stakeholder workshop was conducted during the first week of June, including stakeholders from both faculties.  Academic staff, professional staff and student representatives attended.  Stakeholders were pleased with the progress of the project thus far and contributed useful feedback.

Library staff have been involved in the planning phase and a further stakeholder workshop for Library staff will be conducted in July.