This year, the Milton S. Eisenhower Library (MSE) closed for renovations. The plan was announced in the fall of 2023, and, as of last October, the renovations were expected to cost $100 million and to be completed in two and a half years. This semester, The News-Letter conducted a survey gauging student responses to this closure and assessing its impact on student life at Hopkins.
MSE is a 182,000 square foot library, divided into five floors based on noise level. Opened in 1964, the library is connected to Brody Learning Commons (BLC), a more recent addition that remains open for students. The renovations aim to increase natural light, open and decompress study spaces, respond to the increasing use of rare books and archival material at Special Collections, and enhance sustainability.
In an email to The News-Letter, Dean of the Sheridan Libraries Elisabeth Long explained the reasons behind MSE’s renovation. She referenced the building’s history and its current need for physical upgrades in her response.
“The MSE Library building, which first opened in 1964, has been critically overdue for health, safety and mechanical upgrades for several years and we simply could not delay any longer for the safety of library users and the collections,” Long said. “The renovation will update building systems, provide universal access, and bring natural light into the building’s underground levels.”
However, given the size of MSE and its frequent use as a location for both group and individual study, the building’s closure has raised the important question of how to provide the student population with adequate study spaces to compensate for it. This year, the University expanded former study locations and offered new spaces for students to compensate for MSE’s absence. These include the MSE Annex (currently located in the Hopkins Club building), the Hutzler Reading Room in Gilman and additional study spaces in Hodson Hall, as well as the continued operation of BLC.
In a survey of 75 students conducted by The News-Letter, students expressed discontent with the library’s renovation. In response to a question that asked students to rate how much MSE’s closure has impacted them on a scale of 1–10, with 1 being a little and 10 being a lot, the average rating was 7.41. When students were asked to rate how often they used MSE last year, the average score was 8.08.
In an interview with The News-Letter, sophomore Rhea Singh expressed her opinions about the new study spaces on campus and the aftermath of MSE’s closure.
“I feel very distraught [about the closure of MSE]. That used to be my main study space every day, where I’d go after one class ended, and now I need to find somewhere else on campus,” she said. “I think that it’s difficult to find good study spaces because a lot of the other places are noisy or just uncomfortable. For example, in Gilman, they don’t have electricity plugged into the seats for the electrical cords, so I can’t charge my stuff.”
Other students appear to share Singh’s perspective on the University’s additional study spaces. In response to a question which asked how students would rate the new study spaces on a scale of one to 10, with one being “not well” and 10 being “well”, the average rating was 3.51. Several responses commented on the temperature of the MSE Annex (“MSE Annex is way too cold, way colder than MSE”) and the lack of sound-level divided study spaces, which was a staple of the library (“we are seriously missing out on varied sound level spaces to study in”).
In her email to The News-Letter, Long shared the various ways students can submit feedback on the new study spaces. She also mentioned the University’s plans to improve those spaces in light of student commentary.
“Students can submit feedback about the MSE Library Annex, Brody Learning Commons, Hutzler Reading Room in Gilman Hall and Hodson Hall study space, through an ongoing survey at https://bit.ly/jhu-study-spaces,” she wrote. “We’re also getting helpful feedback through surveys led by the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Graduate Representative Organization (GRO), and by meeting regularly with leaders of both groups.”
She then mentioned that the University has recently updated the Annex based on student feedback from the survey linked above, including the addition of power towers to increase the number of electrical outlets in the area, a vending machine for tea and coffee, and outdoor tables near the entryway awning to provide additional seating for students.
Hopkins has also undertaken efforts to provide additional study spaces to further compensate for MSE’s closure. In an email to The News-Letter, Vice Provost of Student Affairs Rachelle Hernandez shed light on the University’s upcoming plans.
“The university has heard student requests for additional interim study spaces, and we’re actively exploring options. In addition to the library study spaces at the MSE Library Annex, Brody Learning Commons, Hutzler Reading Room in Gilman Hall, and Hodson Hall, we’ve added furniture and study spaces in the residence halls,” she wrote. “We value student feedback and will continue collaborating with students to identify and implement viable solutions.”
She added that new furniture has been provided in Levering Café to provide students with additional seating, and that the University is working closely with SGA to provide new study spaces.
SGA has also been working with University administration and seeking student feedback about study spaces in light of MSE’s renovation. In an email to The News-Letter, Student Body President Stone Meng detailed SGA’s efforts to provide additional compensation to students given their current lack of a library and Student Center. SGA recently conducted a survey gauging student responses to MSE; Meng described the general tone of student responses in his email.
“The general tone of student reactions is one of widespread dissatisfaction with the current campus alternatives,” he said. “In response to our final question, ‘Do the current solutions for campus renovations adequately address the loss of study and social spaces, as well as the disruptions to walking routes? If not, what additional changes would you suggest to compensate for these impacts?’, the majority of respondents indicated that the replacement study spaces are too far away, insufficient, and many have expressed a demand for some form of compensation for these impacts.”
He then mentioned that the sudden closure of the MSE patio is something that SGA also plans to address. He voiced discontent with the lack of communication between the administration and the student body prior to this development, and hopes to bridge this gap moving forward.
“While I do not know whether this development was expected from a construction standpoint, it certainly was not from the students’ perspective,” Meng wrote. “The lack of prior notice is unacceptable, as informing students in advance should be the bare minimum. I’ve already raised this issue with the administration, emphasizing the need for better communication moving forward.”
Students also expressed discontent not only with MSE’s closure and the lack of transparency regarding construction developments, but also with the fact that renovation was coupled with a lack of a Student Center to properly compensate for it. In their additional responses to The News-Letter’s survey, students voiced concerns, including: “I wish JHU had waited until the Student Center was completed/open before closing MSE for construction since it greatly limits study/collaboration space for students,” and “this is genuinely insane, I truly believe that waiting until the student center [was opened] would’ve been better.”
Junior Nicole Parris also voiced her discontent with MSE’s closure given that the Student Center that is currently under construction. In an email to The News-Letter, she detailed her perspectives about the renovation.
“I believe that the lack of MSE has negatively impacted students a great deal. I believe that this all will come to a head when final season rolls around and students are looking for places to study really late on campus,” she wrote. “I think that at the very least MSE renovations could’ve waited until the student center was complete since it would be able to hold a similar capacity of students.”
However, while the University has faced significant backlash from students following MSE’s closure, its attempts to compensate for the lack of study spaces have not gone unnoticed. In her interview with The News-Letter, Singh added that while she was generally frustrated with the library’s closure, she understands the importance of the renovation and respects the attempts to compensate for it.
“I do appreciate that they opened up different spaces. It seems like they’re trying their best by adding the desks everywhere,” she added. “I think that once the new Student Center opens, it might get better. I think they’re doing all that they can do, especially with the surveys and all, but I just don’t like it being closed.”
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