“This grant is an extraordinary opportunity for us to offer a transformational space for present and future students, faculty, staff, and community members to share and expand their knowledge,” said President James Troha. “The Learning Commons will embody the spirit of inquiry and curiosity that Juniata strives to instill in every facet of life on and off campus.”

“Most people are familiar with a traditional library, but libraries are changing—especially academic libraries.” Lisa McDaniels, dean of the library

Beeghly Library was constructed in 1963, when the location of the College”s library was moved from the site of the current Juniata College Museum of Art.

“It is the fifth-largest grant in the state of Pennsylvania this year,” said Mike Keating, Juniata”s director of corporation and foundation support. “It”s the single largest grant we have had in the last 18 years. So, it is a very large, very significant grant.”

Made possible through a lead multimillion dollar gift from Tim ”72 and Kathy (Stavru) Statton ”72, plans for the new Learning Commons include the renovation of all three floors of the 34,610 square foot library and the construction of a singlestory addition to the front of the building. A second entrance will also be created to face Moore Street.

“Most people are familiar with a traditional library, but libraries are changing—especially academic libraries,” said Lisa McDaniels, dean of the library. “There needs to be some tangible evidence of the College”s commitment to preparing students for 21st century work and life. The way we can embody that in this building is by providing a variety of learning spaces. So, part of that is just creating environments for people to engage in collaborative and social learning. The library is a place where conversations about research happen. It”s not just a place to plop your books down and study. It”s a place to think about and talk about your research with others. We”re getting more first-generation students coming in. They may not see themselves as researchers, they may not even know what that is. So we”re inviting people into that conversation.”

Within the Learning Commons, an open floor plan will contain small group study/meeting rooms, extensive built-in technology, a full-service café, an experimental classroom, and a living space with a fireplace. Compact shelving for the existing 200,000 volumes of text, a secured rare book collection space, spaces for creativity and contemplative study, as well as tools for digital scholars are also hallmarks of this innovative project.

The reimagined facility will also be a place where students can access resources through the campus” QUEST office, which specializes in providing academic tools and resources to equip them for their college career and beyond. Services available at the Learning Commons will include tutoring, student accessibility services, and career development.

“Beeghly Library was constructed more than 55 years ago. When we build a building at Juniata, we want to build a building that is going to stand and last for decades. We”re building something that, 50 years from now when you come back, it”s still serving a purpose,” said Jim Watt, vice president for advancement. “That doesn”t mean that it won”t change, but the foundation of that building and the thought behind the design of that has to stand the test of time because the investment in it is so great.”

Construction of the Statton Learning Commons will be entirely funded by outside contributions, from various organizations as well as individual donors.

“Part of that investment is the opportunity for those philanthropic investors to name the rooms in honor of somebody, or name it for themselves. We don”t just want to tell the story of the room, but we want to tell the story of the people or the places that have given that money to make this possible. We”re talking about sharing that story of investment and philanthropy with generations to come,” said Watt. “The idea of it is the institution itself is here because of the generosity of people that have come within prior generations, some that have gone and have continued the mission of Juniata into the forefront of where we are today and beyond.”

See more at believe.juniata.edu or inquire by calling 814-641-3110.