Hi! My name is Lance McGrath. I am an Assistant Librarian and Associate Professor at The College of Idaho.
Welcome to the Cruzen-Murray Library at The College of Idaho! This beautiful new library in Mid-Century Modern style opened in February, 2018. If you have any questions or comments regarding this wonderful new building on campus please contact me. I can be reached at lmcgrath@collegeofidaho.edu I would love to hear from you!
-Lance
#GoYotes!

Let's explore the 3 levels of the Cruzen-Murray Library. We will start at the Plaza Level, move up to the Main (or Ground) Level, and complete our virtual tour on the Upper (or Second) Level. Note the extensive use of glass, which reaches from the floor to the top of the cedar ceiling on the Upper Level. The glass is specially coated to provide UV protection. The metal ring that wraps the building is the tension ring for the 96 perforated corten shade fins.

The Plaza Level may be accessed 24 hours a day with a campus keycard. The concrete patio and stairs leading to the entrance is served by a snowmelt system powered by the geothermal climate-control system. The Plaza Level houses a presentation room, a classroom, a computer lab, and a study room.

The Main Level of the library houses the beginning of the library's collection. The library uses the Library of Congress Classification System. Books in sections A-N are located on this floor. The Main Level also houses the Main Desk, where students and faculty can receive assistance with library needs. A large classroom, outfitted with 4-84" touchscreen displays and a robust sound system, is located on this floor. Also situated on this level are study rooms, lots of seating, and study rooms.

The Upper Level of the Cruzen-Murray Library, warmed by the glow from the sweeping curves of the Idaho cedar ceiling, provides spectacular 360 views of the campus. This level houses the remainder of the book collection, P-Z, as well as another large classroom, a seminar room, study rooms, and lots of seating.

The 24-Hour study area is already proving to be a popular space for students. This section of the library has a 16-seat classroom, a 24-seat computer lab, a small study room with large-screen display, access to restrooms, drinking fountain/bottle fill station, and some soft seating. 24-hour access is made possible via keycard access. This area has been hailed as a big support for student achievement.

During program planning for the library, certain dominant themes rose to the surface. Achievement is one of those themes. The students at the college wanted another space on campus that would facilitate their pursuit of academic achievement. They enthusiastically supported the 24-hour access area in the library as one space that could help meet that need. To Achievement!

Study rooms, or enclosed study spaces, are distributed throughout the library. There is one room on the Plaza Level, four rooms on the Main Level (one of which is a floating room, like the one pictured), and five rooms (one floating) on the Upper Level. Each study room has a large display screen, HDMI connections, lots of power connections, and writable surfaces that are Expo Marker compatible. These study rooms have already become popular destinations for students. They also support the next theme in our list...Collaboration.

Collaboration is another dominant theme that emerged during planning for the library. Students and faculty alike wanted spaces that would encourage collaboration, a vital skill in the 21st Century. The design of the 4-6 person study spaces are similar to the "huddle rooms" used by leading Knowledge Economy firms.

Classrooms are arranged throughout the building. The Plaza Level hosts a classroom with seating for 16 and a 24-seat computer lab that can serve as a classroom. There is also a large presentation room with seating for 50 on the Plaza Level and 50-seat classrooms on the Main and Upper levels. A Seminar Room with space for 12 is also located on the Upper Level. The classrooms provide places for the students to learn from the college's dedicated faculty and experience...Growth.

Growth. Vibrancy. Extension. Expanding. Learning. Maturing. These are all words that rose to the top when students and faculty discussed their visions for the Cruzen-Murray Library. The classrooms are those places where conversations begin and thoughts are shared in a common setting. The library is one of the best places for academic growth to begin and for a life-long love of learning to germinate. The Cruzen-Murray Library, with its generous access to light, fosters the growth of today's young minds.

The cafe, located on the Main Level, is a long-desired campus amenity. From the beginning of the planning process, students and faculty alike expressed their desire for cafe in the library. The presence of the cafe helps to establish the library as a true "third place" on campus. A place to settle in and study for the long-haul, with sustenance just a few steps away. The cafe also sets the stage for the library to serve as a nexus of...Connections and Creativity.

Connections are fostered by both libraries and cafes. Combined, they are a connectivity powerhouse. Students and faculty are already gathering at the cafe in the library to establish and strengthen the connections that have begun to form in the classroom and the lab.

Creativity is another activity nurtured by the beautiful new spaces of the Cruzen-Murray Library. This lovely octopus magically appeared after some brown craft paper and colored pencils were set out at the table by the cafe. The writable wall surfaces have been adorned with mesmerizing tessellations and complex mathematical calculations.

Books! Yes, as mentioned earlier, the new library does have books. It is a library, after all. The building has space for 250,000 volumes. There is room for the collection to adapt and grow over time, supporting the needs of students and faculty for many years to come.

The library, its staff, the collection it houses, and all the special spaces it provides are all aligned with one goal in mind: Success for our students.
We are there to support them as they study and grow.
We celebrate their Achievements.
We facilitate Collaboration.
We nurture their intellectual Growth.
We enable Connections.
We foster Creativity.

And when our students graduate, we celebrate their success. We have watched them achieve. We set up the room that hosted the study session where collaboration began. We have seen them grow. We witnessed the formation of connections. We admired their creativity.

And the library was there as lifelong learners were forged. We are so glad that we could provide a beautiful space worthy of the efforts of our students and their pursuits of intellectual achievement.

Debbie Cruzen-Murray, a native Idahoan, gave selflessly to The College of Idaho for many years. She served on the board of trustees from 1991-2003. She also lent her talents as an interior designer to provide adornments to the college choir. Blatchley Hall, one of the oldest and most stately of buildings on campus, was also graced by her artistic touch. Debbie's final gift to the students and faculty of The College of Idaho is the beautiful library. As Debbie was fond of saying, "Beauty lifts the heart and helps the mind soar."

Here are the basic statistics about the Cruzen-Murray Library. First, the library was made possible by a very generous gift from the estate of Richard Murray and Debbie Cruzen-Murray.
The library has 3 levels. A 24-hour study area is located on the Plaza Level. There are 10 enclosed study rooms located across the 3 levels. The library has 4 classrooms, ranging in seating capacity from 16 to 50. The new library also hosts a cafe.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the Cruzen-Murray Library at The College of Idaho. We hope that you have been inspired by our story and what drives us. If you have any questions about the library, please reach out to me at lmcgrath@collegeofidaho.edu
I would love to hear from you!

Until then, keep reading!
-Lance