WASHINGTON — The Bender Library and Learning Resources Center isn’t just your regular library. It’s for people who want to sit down and study as well as people who just want drink coffee and have a conversation with friends.
Susan McElrath and Katie Demetri from the library archives opened their doors and shared their knowledge about the history of the library. They provided a series of documents collected by library staff along the years.
The library was housed in Hurst Hall when the American University graduate school opened in 1914. In 1926, the Battelle Memorial Library opened for the undergraduate students, in the mid 1960s, it was expanded and the graduate school’s collection was moved to this building.
In 1971, plans for the construction of a new library began The project was completed in 1979.
The library takes its name, Jack I. & Dorothy G. Bender Library and Learning Resources Center, from the parents of contractor Howard Bender, who along with his brothers, owned Blake Construction Co. The Bender family donated about $500,000 for the construction of the library.
One of the library’s goals is to provide people easy access to the resources that will be useful and helpful for them. It provides students, faculty and the general public with information in a variety of different formats.
The library provides materials such as laptops and books that will help them get their work done. Library user Mercedes McKeel said she likes “the laptops that you can borrow. It’s really helpful.”
The library remains a source for students even in this age of ever-changing technology, said Overnight Building Supervisor Matt Barry. “The library subscribes to what are databases; also, we get subscriptions to ebooks,” said Barry. The library also has a 3D printer and a poster printer. The library even has new wearable technology for checkout, such as google glass.
The library can seat more than 1,200 people, and holds more than 450,000 volumes, as well as a Non-Print Media Collection, the Library Archives and Special Collections and a Record-Score collection.
Each floor has a different noise level allowed, which accommodates the amount of noise that people want to be surrounded by. The lower level and the first floor are moderate, talking in low voices in allowed, as well as studying in groups. The second floor is silent, used for individual studying, no talking allowed. The third floor is quiet, little talking is allowed and the floor is used for individual studying as well.
“I come every day,” said American University student Giulia Greig “It’s a good place to concentrate.”