Over the summer, the James J. Shea Sr. Memorial Library at American International College received a massive makeover, transforming it from an old, aging library to a modern learning space.

The project to renovate the main floor of the library commenced over the summer and culminated with the opening of the space for the fall semester, the project finishing in a matter of months.

This new space has been dubbed the Learning Commons. Fitting to its name, the new project promises to help students in a myriad of new ways.

The project was aimed at creating a comfortable space for students, faculty and staff. The first floor Learning Commons is a state-of-the art area that includes significant technological upgrades including laptops, docking stations and traditional desktop computers.

The most obvious change between the old and the new libraries is the updated sense of aesthetics. The old library had been showing its age for a while, while the new Learning Commons features modern amenities, new paint and new furniture.

In keeping with the theme of helping students use the space for efficient learning, the space has been opened up and more seating has been added.

The welcome desk has been pushed aside slightly to allow for much more seating near the entrances. Additionally, a few glass study rooms have been added.

The technological situation has also been improved, with easier access to computers.

The Learning Commons also features a new café, named Café Shea. The café allows visitors to fuel late-night study sessions with coffee and a small assortment of snacks.

The cafe has variety of beverages to serve the satisfaction of their customers varying from different choices of hot chocolates to coffees. Also, Shea café serves much of the same provisions that can be bought in the Hive, so it’s no longer necessary to walk across campus to fuel up.

Students are warming up quickly to the new Café Shea. For students, it’s proving to be a perfect place to study, research and collaborate.

Freshman Lindsay Martins gave the café a solid review.

“The cafe is a good idea to have on campus,” said Martins, who was unaware of the new café until she visited the library.

Another freshman, Daisy Lebron, said she is enjoying the attractive new spot.

“It’s fun to study and have coffee,” Lebron said.

Many other students like the setup of the library much better then last year. There are more sitting areas to work on homework and drink beverages from the new Shea Café, they agree.

Aside from the new café, the Flag Room has been freshened up – it keeps its name and namesake flags, but adds computers, and aims to fit in larger groups.

The upper level, overlooking the flag room has been repurposed into the Center for Financial Literacy, another quality of life improvement for students on campus looking to manage their finances.

Students on campus are excited for the new changes, but offer some suggestions.

Junior Raffaele Albano says the new-look library is aesthetically appealing and is a fan of the Café Shea, but shared one criticism on the study rooms.

“I really like the new aesthetic of the library. It looks more modern and comfortable than before. I also appreciate the fact that I can grab a snack or drink at the Shea Café,” Albano said. The only thing I would change is the tables in the study rooms, they should be bigger like the ones in SL222.”

Senior Emin Kurbanzade echoes this sentiment.

“I think the upgrades to the library were awesome, but I wish the study rooms were more private,” said Kurbanzade.

Overall, the new-look Learning Commons at the Shea Library have been received well, so if you haven’t made your way over to see the renovation, be sure to do so!