Shott
Foundation Supports
Bluefield College
Library Renovation
While Bluefield College
may be in the
preliminary "quiet"
phase of a new capital
campaign, "Vision 2012:
Promises Kept, Dreams
Alive," the Shott
Foundation of Bluefield,
West Virginia, is making
lots of noise on campus
with its support of an
early campaign
component, "The 21st
Century Library
Renovation Project."
Providing the initial
lead gift for Bluefield
College's first capital
campaign since 1997, the
Shott Foundation
recently awarded the
college a grant in the
amount of $150,000 for a
renovation project that
will significantly
restore the school's
Easley Library.
Typically a time of one
to three years of
planning, leadership
development and
feasibility study, the
quiet phase of BC's
capital campaign will
feature the early lead
gift from the Shott
Foundation that will
allow the college to
begin one of its
campaign improvement
projects sooner than
expected.
"The value of the Shott
Foundation's generous
and loyal commitment to
assist Bluefield College
cannot be overstated,"
said Harold Hazen, BC's
vice president for
institutional
advancement. "Seldom in
my 30-plus years in
higher education have I
witnessed such
outstanding faithfulness
by a private
foundation."
Bluefield College's
Board of Trustees
approved the school's
latest capital campaign,
"Vision 2012," in the
spring of 2006.
Currently in its quiet
phase with public
involvement scheduled to
begin in 2008, the new
BC campaign is a $17
million fundraising
venture designed to
provide funding for a
new student activities
center, endowment
growth, scholarships,
and other campus
improvements, including
"The 21st Century
Library Renovation
Project."
"Easley Library is the
one facility on campus
that represents the
academic nerve center of
our institution," said
Ruth Blankenship, BC's
associate vice president
for institutional
advancement. "That's why
the Campaign Planning
Committee identified
this project as a
priority for the
campaign. We're grateful
the Shott Foundation
decided supporting the
project was a priority,
as well."
The 21st Century Library
Renovation Project will
be a $300,000 venture
that will completely
refurbish the interior
portion of Easley
Library. Improvements
will include the
addition of new
technology, including
wireless Internet
access, fully equipped
computer workstations,
and research carrels.
The improvements will
also include new
lighting, windows, drop
ceilings, ceiling fans,
carpeting and furniture.
"If Easley Library is to
remain a dynamic life
force on the campus, it
must change to meet the
needs of 21st century
students and faculty,"
said BC interim
president Dr. Charles
Warren. "Its space must
be welcoming and
flexible in design in
order to accommodate
evolving information
technologies and their
usage. In addition, it
must become a laboratory
for new ways of teaching
and learning in a wired
or wireless
environment."
Like most historically
developed academic
libraries, Easley
Library was designed
foremost as the place to
acquire, access and
preserve collections.
Interiors were dim,
confining and not
intended for technology
and collaborative work
and study. Built in
1956, the library has
had little change in its
interior design and
physical layout, but
that will all change
thanks to the generosity
of the Shott Foundation.
"We want to respect the
history of Easley
Library, while
recognizing the future
role of libraries and
education," Dr. Warren
said. "We want to
advance the
institution's academic
mission through
extensive interior
renovations and
technology upgrades to
create a library of the
21st century. It is our
intention to make Easley
Library a beautiful,
functional, and flexible
facility that will bring
together written and new
digital information for
learners on the BC
campus and beyond."
The Shott grant will
also allow BC to create
an information commons
area on the main level
of the library, renovate
classrooms on the lower
level, and make the
building ADA compliant.
The new Easley Library
will be a space that
accommodates a variety
of learning and study
styles and a facility
that facilitates
interactions between the
library staff with
students, faculty and
visitors.
