By George French and Liz Komagum
The Carl B. Ylvisaker Library received an upgrade over the summer. The main floor has been transformed with new furniture, additional study spaces, and a refreshed layout designed to create a more inviting atmosphere for students.
The biggest change to the library is the furniture. With help from Facilities, the bookshelves that once divided the sightline of the main floor have been moved upstairs to create room for brand new bench seats and reused furniture from study spaces upstairs. This new space was created with the intent of creating a more open and collaborative area for students.
Student Government Association (SGA) has partnered with the library to make these changes. SGA worked with the library last spring with money set aside for new furniture and redoing the space. Originally, they wanted to rework the fishbowl or mezzanine, but they ran into some issues.
Leah Anderson, the library’s Access Services Manager, helps manage checkouts, study spaces, and how students access library resources. She explains, “The fishbowl was taken off the table because it’s needed as a computer lab, and the mezzanine is not ADA accessible so that wasn’t an option.”
Daniel Davies, the Vice President of SGA last year, played a significant role in picking out the furniture. He had previously worked with the city of Moorhead and the community center for one of his classes, so he was interested in helping select options. Initially, there were supposed to be booths added to the library, but Davies didn’t feel that students would like that and suggested buying couches instead.
Anderson adds, “It was nice to have student input to know what students would like. That was very helpful.”
Along with the changes to the main floor, there were a few changes to the upper floors as well. The reference books, tables, and reference desk have been moved to the second floor, and the shelves on that floor have also been removed to maintain that openness seen on the main floor.
An additional change was made on the third floor by moving the microfilm up there to create a more comfortable environment by filling in some empty space and adding sound absorption. Microfilm is an analog form of storing scaled down photographic images of documents on rolls of film.
The library has used social media to highlight the updates. The Carl B. Instagram first announced the update plans on May 21, 2025. Another sneak peek was posted on Jun 25. Then, on Aug 8, a joint post with the Concordia College account was posted showcasing the main floor and its new layout.
During the first few weeks of school, student activity has increased in the library. Anderson and people who work at the library have been seeing students rediscover the space and using it more than before.
Jordan Brown, a student worker at the Carl B., said, “I feel like the vibe of the library has changed just a little. It feels like students are finding themselves just a little more in the space and it gives a comforting vibe for everyone to walk into.”
The library has also noted an increase in student activity, especially on Fridays. Sometimes, workers find even the periodicals are filled.
Anderson says, “It’s been fun to watch how students use the space. We’ve seen a lot of students sitting by the windows, on couches, or in group areas. It’s been nice to see how it’s been used.”
The library invites any suggestions that students may have. Students who have something to say can email askccref@cord.edu, the email for the reference desk, or let a library staff know.
