An estimated $1.4 million renovation at SMU’s Fondren Library is scheduled to be complete by June, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.
Construction began on December 18, according to the university’s website.
The project encompasses 10,500 square feet and includes demolition of interior walls, installation of a new floor plan with finishes and electrical infrastructure, and bringing existing restrooms up to current Texas accessibility standards. Dallas-based Beck Group is listed as the design firm on the filing.
“If you’ve noticed the signs in the Commons on the first floor of Fondren Red, you may already know about the upcoming construction in the library,” SMU’s website reads.
“We’ve teamed up with Master of Design and Innovation (MADI) students to understand how students use the library. Student feedback, combined with what we learn from this collaboration, will help shape our spaces. For now, we’re embarking on a small renovation project to enhance some of our staff spaces.”
Fondren was the first stand-alone library at SMU when it opened in 1940 as Fondren Library West. W.W. and Ella Fondren funded the project, and the Fondren Foundation later backed the construction of Fondren Library East — now Fondren Library Red — that opened in 1968. Thirty-one years later, the link in the main desk area was added to connect East, West, and the Science Information Center, now known as Fondren Library Blue.
Fondren maintains a collection of more than 2 million volumes across disciplines, according to SMU. The library supports undergraduate and graduate programs at Lyle School of Engineering, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, and Simmons School of Education and Human Development.