For more than two years, the NW Campus library has been crammed into a small temporary room, leaving limited bookshelves and no study area for students.
However, that is expected to change by the end of this semester.
“I don’t know when all of the construction on the entire campus will be done, but we should be moving into our new space by the end of the semester,” NW library manager Brittany Parker said.
The temporary library is in the newest building, NW05, across from the cafe. Library employees and students both have limited space.
“The biggest effect would be the lack of computers to be able to sit down and have a quiet study,” Parker said.
Dayanara Espinoza, a NW student, said there simply isn’t enough seating for students to rely on.
“I prefer to study somewhere else other than there, only because it does crowd,” she said.
Espinoza said it can be difficult to find a comfortable desk area because everyone is close to each other.
“I don’t want to go up there and bother someone, you know, like invade their space,” she said.
Stephany Valenzuela, who has taken classes on NE and NW, noticed a big difference of resources between the two campuses.
“I used to go to the NE campus. The library was quiet for studying. I miss it,” she said. “But I know NW is still under construction, so it’ll be moved eventually.”
She also said there isn’t enough space on the first floor of NW05, so she prefers to study on the first floor.
“It isn’t as open as it used to be,” said Phil Jensen, a NW librarian. “But we should be getting into the new building soon.”
In Bond Report 49 for the 2019 Bond Capital Improvements Program, which includes the current NW campus redevelopment, the “outer skin” for the NW02 and NW03 buildings were completed by July, and total finish is expected no later than Jan.16, 2026.
“Following the completion of the main renovation areas, construction will continue to restore swing space areas to their original purpose,” the report said.
While it described the buildings still needing interior renovation, including electricity and design, it focused on getting classes integrated into the new spaces by Spring 2026.
“Although the original plan included demolishing the portable buildings, a decision was made to retain them in order to support the ongoing needs of the high school programs,” the report said.
Parker said some students may have been affected by the book collection getting smaller, but they’re still able to order books from other campuses.
She explained that the library team is waiting for space in the coming months.
Jensen said it has taken awhile to get used to the temporary room, but they have made the best they could out of the situation.
“It’s a good crew of people that we have,” he said. “We made it a comfortable space for us, but we look forward to bigger spaces.”
Even with construction going on, some students are aware of where the library is located.
Gabby Bryant, a first-semester college student, said it was easy for her to find the library when she and her mom toured the school.
“I noticed when we first walked in here,” she said.
Jensen said there used to be a lot of students coming to the library before construction, but he is glad some students are still coming to the library, even though it’s in a small room.
“I’m impressed by the students, because that’s a hard situation,” he said. “People are really making the best of it.”
