A new layout, earthy color palette and fresh furniture pieces are all part of the Reimagine the Library initiative to redesign the first floor of the Sterling C. Evans Library for the 2010 semesters.

The new layout will feature two entrance and exit points for Poor Yorick’s coffee house, one being the current exterior door, and another being inside the library. The inside entrance will match the outside, with a green marble façade, lantern-style light fixtures and security to protect materials.

With large quantities of milk being used in the beverages, more refrigerated storage space will be available behind the counter. This will enable employees to stay in one place, as opposed to going across campus for supplies, and the shop will be able to operate with longer hours, according to Dr. Steve Smith, associate dean for Collections and Services.

Conjoined to the current coffee house space will be an extension into the library that will have a café-like vibe.

Couches, high-backed booths, aluminum stools and long counter space with laptop hookups will add comfort and function, while repurposed Libraries’ décor, circa 1930s wooden chairs and card catalogs, will add a nostalgic, vintage atmosphere.

And rounding out the space will be planters with live plants and large windows allowing natural light to filter through.

One key element of the redesign is a new color scheme. From the beginning, natural tones have been desired for an organic and comfortable atmosphere.

There will be no stark white walls, according to Dennis Clark, head of Public and Research Services. Walls will wear a soft tan hue and accent colors will come in the shades of green and blue with subtle hints of maroon.

With natural elements being the focus, millwork made of natural woods will be incorporated throughout. The woodwork will be useful in creating and defining spaces while also providing privacy in certain areas.

Functional furniture is on the wish list, and tablet chairs come in at the top.

The new chairs with attached swivel tablets are a response to students’ misgivings about the library’s current round tables being too short, as they have to bend over their armchairs to reach their laptops and notes, according to Clark.

The new tablet chairs will alleviate that problem and have a sled bottom for better mobility.

Plans include doubling the seating on the first floor and adding more computers, as foot traffic increased by 24 percent the first month of the fall 2009 semester. Clark expects this number to grow in correlation to the closing of the Memorial Student Center (MSC). Also look for recycling bins throughout the first floor to keep the space clean and green.

“We continue to meet with the architects, designers and facilities people, and we’re making good progress,” Smith said. “We’re still on track to make a few things happen by the spring and some more substantial things perhaps ready for the fall 2010 semester.”