A look inside the renovated Miller Nichols Library

The changes opened up floors of space for white boards and other study amenities

In recent months, Miller Nichols Library (MNL) has begun to have a new “face.”

With multiple floors and features being added, MNL is becoming a new library with new functionality and more space than before.

Last week the Robot Café, which replaced the old name Café Ala Carte, opened on the first floor where the copy center was once located.

The entire first is completely different from how it was this time last year; MNL veterans may feel the absence of the reference commons, and the government documents.

On the second floor, all shelves and books have been removed, books placed in the “Roobot,” and what is left is more space than you could need.

“Students are loving the new space, lots of room to spread out and study, to meet and work in groups, and expanded café, 9 new study rooms, a presentation/practice room, iX Theatre. Lots of

The future site of the classroom wing and west entrances

white boards, lots of comfortable soft, flexible seating, electrical outlets everywhere,” said Advancement Officer for University Libraries Mark Mattison.

MNL is also featuring artwork in the Dean’s Gallery located on the second floor.

The gallery is meant to show student, faculty, and community artwork.

According to Mattison, The Dean’s Gallery could possibly move as construction and renovations of MNL continue.

Many frustrations have developed since the sacrificing of the south entrance for the Roobot warehouse.

The in January, MNL was allotted $17.8 million for the construction, a portion of that will be used to build a western entrance that will be the entrance for the classroom wing, which will be

The satellite location for the Writing Center

adjacent to the Fine Arts building.

“The entrance will be from the south next to the existing window that looks in to Roobot.” Mattison said. “Folks will enter the new [classroom] addition and turn right into the library, entering near where the service desk is now located.

Construction of the classroom wing and the west entrance is scheduled to begin this fall.

For more information on the construction update for MNL, please go to http://library.umkc.edu/newmnl/construction-updates-blog.

mlinville@unews.com