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Above is a view from
the entrance of the James B. Nutter Sr. Family Information
Commons, which will be located on the main floor of Ellis
Library. The Commons will unite information, technology,
computing expertise and instruction to support student
research and scholarship.
» View
more architectural drawings.
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Information
Meets Technology
By Jeremy Diener
When students at the University of Missouri-Columbia
enter Ellis
Library after the summer of 2004, they may not recognize
the reference area on the main floor. MU has announced a $1
million gift from James B. Nutter Sr. that will not only dramatically
alter the appearance of the reference area, but will provide
students with the tools, skills and knowledge to excel in the
information age of the 21st century.
The renovated area will be called the James B. Nutter Sr. Family
Information Commons. It will promote student scholarship by
providing a rich collection of print and online information
resources and the software tools and expert guidance necessary
to employ these resources. The facility will allow students
to work in groups or individually and will house skilled staff
from both MU Libraries
and the University’s Information
& Access Technology Services (IATS), so that users have
the benefit of expertise from both entities simultaneously.
“We’re finding that today’s students want
spaces where they can work with one another in small groups
to share information and ideas with their peers in a secure,
comfortable and motivating learning environment,” said
Jim Cogswell, director of the MU Libraries. “Increasingly,
they want those spaces to be in a library, where they can have
ready access to books, journals and computer resources, as well
as to the library staff who know how to bring all these resources
together. We are both thrilled and grateful that Mr. Nutter
and his family have given us the opportunity to make the idea
a reality.”
Nutter Sr., founder and former chief executive of James
B. Nutter & Co., one of the nation’s largest privately
owned mortgage banking firms, credits his father, Frank Clark
Nutter, with recognizing the importance of libraries.
“My interest in libraries comes from my father, who felt
that libraries are one of the most important things our country
could have,” said Nutter Sr. “So when I had an opportunity
to make an improvement in the MU library, I wanted to do so.”
As plans for the 20,000 square-foot facility were unveiled,
James B. Nutter Jr. was presented with a commemorative plaque.
When finished, the Information Commons will feature 73 desktop,
standing and multipurpose computer learning stations, 81 soft-seat
workstations, and several adaptive stations for disabled students.
The facility also will provide high-speed internet access, e-mail,
wireless laptop access, and laser printing and scanning services
in one location.
During the unveiling of the Information Commons project, it
was announced that Nutter Sr. has donated an additional $250,000
to establish an endowment in honor of his father. The endowment
will provide the library with materials from noted American
authors as well as works from James Joyce.
» View
more architectural drawings.
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Last Update:
November 15, 2007
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