Earlier this year, we announced plans to complete the third phase of the John T. Richardson Library renovation this fall, including the launch of new services in the Maker Hub, Studio 1581 digital media studios, and enhanced support for digital humanities and other forms of digital scholarship.
On September 27th, we will welcome President Esteban, Provost den Boer, and all members of the DePaul University community to the grand opening of the renovated space, which will provide a new platform for innovation in teaching, learning, and scholarship at DePaul, as well as a new opportunity to build partnerships across the university as part of initiatives led by our campus partners, including Studio CHI and Faculty Instructional Technology Services (FITS).
Attendees at the grand opening will be able to tour the new spaces, get an orientation to new technology available (or planned) for the space, and get introductions to public programs and faculty development opportunities that will provided by the library and partner programs. A raffle will be held for thematically-appropriate door prizes. Event information is available here.
With this renovation, the library extends the open-plan computing of the Information Commons to the second floor of the Richardson Library to include the CoRE (Collaborative Research Environment), with Mac and Windows workstations powerful enough to handle CPU-intensive applications used in digital mapping, text and data mining, 3D modeling, graphic design, and video production, as well as Mac Pros and Dell Precision 5810 machines attached to 22” Wacom Cintiq HD Pen Displays. As on the first floor, media:scape tables will be available for reservation, and collaboration will be facilitated through the availability of new workstations with dual monitors, USB-charging outlets, and more space for students and their personal computers.
Digital media creation is the focus for Studio 1581, with specialized, sound-proofed studios available for audio and video creation, editing, and use, as well as a green screen studio suitable for use in digital imaging and video recording.
Finally, the Maker Hub provides access to foundational maker technologies, including 3D printers, laser cutters, soldering irons, sewing machines as well as tools designed to support simple coding and robotics. With the opening of the Maker Hub, the library joins other campus units in an emergent network of maker technology centers, including the recently-opened Idea Realization Lab in the College of Computing and Digital Media. Together faculty, staff, and students pioneering these DePaul maker spaces will serve as a gateway for DePaul students to the broader maker community in Chicago, e.g., at DePaul College Prep High School and Chicago Public Library.
We are still putting the finishing touches on the Maker Hub and 1581 but in the meantime we encourage you to make use of an array of ready-to-use technology in the CoRE. New resources, services, workshop programs, and more will continue rolling out in the Richardson Library throughout the year, and we look forward to welcoming you, and your classes, back to the library.