What’s taking so long?

The library's newly renovated third floor is like Technicolor Oz compared to the black-and-white Kansas of its other floors.

That is how John Deosdade, reference librarian, sees things, and he wishes a wizard could grant the long overdue remodeling and expansion that keeps getting bumped from the college's priority list. He said he does not speak for the library staff.

The idea of a brand new library and renovations date to 2004 and went before the voters in a failed bond election in February 2005.

The $450 million bond package included the library as a priority, but voters turned it down because of major opposition to moving health-related programs to a separate campus at the medical center, David Mrizek, vice president of college services, said.

Deosdade said "resurrected" ideas for the library were included in a reconfigured bond package in November 2005.

The new bond package's improvements for this college included a new nursing and allied health building, parking garage and renovation of Nail Technical Center, nursing education building and the library in Moody Learning Center.

Primarily because parking is such a major issue, the bond was approved.

Of this bond, the library was promised $4.4 million to renovate the second, third, fourth and half of the fifth floor of Moody allocated to the library alone, Librarian Ralph Domas said. Domas served on the library user group for planning the renovation.

Five years later, the third floor is completely renovated, but improvements for the other floors continue to be on hold.

Deosdade said, "In my personal opinion, I think it's sad that we, the college, don't seem to recognize the importance of a library."

While other projects benefit students with particular majors, the library serves the entire student population.

But Mrizek said, "It's not a lack of wanting, but there have been some circumstances."

First, "the college was impacted by the economy," he said.

When the bond was approved, the economy was roaring, so the college couldn't build as much as officials thought they could, he said.

An early estimate placed the value lost to inflation at about one-third, so many projects had to be tabled or reduced drastically.

By the end of construction of the nursing and allied health complex, the academic instruction center and parking garage, the college was out of money, Mrizek said.

Over time, interest on the capital improvements funding accrued and tax notes brought in money to renovate Nail, the nursing education building and Moody.

Then unexpected problems arose in the chemistry and geology building, which claimed the funding for the library.

Candace Peterson, chair of the library department, said that this was beyond anyone's control.

As interest kept accruing, additional money became available, which paid for renovations of the library's third floor.

"We had to deal with the hand we were dealt," Peterson said, "and, now, the third floor looks fabulous."

Domas added, "The construction company was just a joy to work with and always kept us posted."

Mrizek said that additional money is available in savings from recent construction and the fifth floor is next to be renovated.

As soon as Nail is complete, the American Sign Language and interpreter training department can move out of the south end of Moody's fifth floor back to its home, he said.

When that space is cleared, renovation can begin anew in Moody.

The third floor and the upcoming fifth floor renovations are a "big step forward," Mrizek said.

Peterson said administrators assure her that the library plans have not changed.

"The college is committed," Mrizek affirmed.