Inside glimpse of the Mary Idema Pew Library

A group from the West Michigan U.S. Green Building Council received a guided tour of the new Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons currently under construction on the Allendale Campus.

On July 18, James Moyer, assistant vice president for Facilities Planning, and representatives from Pioneer Construction discussed sustainable features the building will include when it is finished. Some features are sensor-based lighting systems that dim artificial lighting when natural lighting reaches a certain level, and paints, carpets and wood products with low emissions that will reduce air pollutants. Some parts of the building will be finished with recycled wood scrap from local furniture factories.

The Pew Library will join 16 LEED-certified buildings at Grand Valley, including the L. William Seidman Center.

The library will open in the fall of 2013 and will provide 1,500 seats for student study, 20 group study rooms, and offices and support areas for faculty and staff members. There will be room for 150,000 books on open shelves and 600,000 books in an automated storage/retrieval system.

Visit gvsu.edu/library/newbuilding to see floor plans and to take a virtual tour of the library.