The Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine will celebrate the completion of a multiyear renovation project on Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
The event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks by Dean George Q. Daley and other stakeholders, tours of the library, refreshments, and prizes.
The renovations reshaped how the library integrates with the Harvard Longwood campus and the surrounding neighborhood and reimagined how patrons study, work, and collaborate.
“Libraries are no longer just brick and mortar buildings to house collections,” said Elaine Martin, director and head librarian of the Countway Library. “Medical libraries can and do play an important role in improving the health and well-being of their campus community.”
The first phase of the renovation, completed in 2021, created:
- a new entrance to the library on Huntington Ave.
- adaptable spaces for individual and group study.
- a makerspace with a 3D anatomy and physiology visualization table.
- a new café.
- new event and multiuse instruction rooms.
- more natural light and views of campus.
- improved accessibility inside and outside the library.
The renovation of Countway’s lower level (L1), completed in September 2023, provides expanded study and seating areas, new conference rooms and classrooms, a tech hub, and other features.
“Our renovation allowed the Countway Library to redesign its spaces with a renewed focus on building community, fostering social connections, and providing improved access to resources and collections to support collaboration, interactive learning, scientific discovery, academic excellence, and diversity and inclusion,” Martin said.
