Vassar Today
Spacious study area with light wood floors, various tables, chairs, and booths. Glass-enclosed rooms line the left, and spherical pendant lights hang over booths on the right.
Interior view of a study room with yellow walls and glass partitions. A whiteboard is mounted on the wall near a table and red chairs.

Vassar’s New Library Study Commons—a Boon to Student Learning

This spring semester, the College celebrated the opening of a freshly renovated space in Vassar’s Thompson Library. The Library Study Commons is intended to enhance the academic experience. The Commons features:

  • A 24-hour study space with enclosed rooms for study groups
  • A fully accessible entrance on the north side of the building
  • New space for Vassar’s Writing Center, Quantitative Reasoning Center, and Inclusive Pedagogy programs
  • Improved facilities for Library staff

President Elizabeth Bradley thanked Marianne Begemann, Dean of Strategic Planning and Academic Resources and Associate Professor of Chemistry; Sarah Hayes, Project Manager; and Maryann Pilon, Director of Project Management and Construction, for spearheading the project. Bradley said she had visited the newly renovated space the morning before the February 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony, “and there were students here at 9:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning! I’m so happy we have this beautiful space, which, most importantly, is accessible to all.”

“The space satisfies so many long-held needs,” said Andy Ashton, Director of the Vassar Libraries. “We’re deeply grateful to those who helped to plan and fund the new space. Not to mention my library colleagues who patiently rearranged their work-lives to accommodate the construction.”

Stockton Photo, Inc.
View from a room with green walls and a large window looking out onto a snowy campus and a brick building. A whiteboard is mounted on the wall next to the window.
A pink-walled hallway featuring three circular, glowing wall-mounted lights of different sizes. An elevator door and a standard door are visible.
Lounge area with orange armchairs and small wooden tables under a large, circular recessed light. A glass wall overlooks another study room with tables and chairs.
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