The University of Michigan’s Taubman Health Sciences Library in Ann Arbor reopened today after a $55 million renovation including the addition of a simulated health clinic and high-tech learning spaces.
“This new space is truly designed by educators, and it shows in every detail,” says Dr. Rajesh Mangrulkar, associate dean for medical student education at the University of Michigan Medical School. “For example, students can write on erasable walls and tables to help facilitate discussions and teamwork. There’s supportive technology infused in every element, not so that it stands out, but so it’s an integral part of the learning environment.”
The 143,400-square-foot facility now has dozens of classrooms and small-group meeting rooms, a café serving coffee and snacks, and an all-glass exterior. New technologies include a touch-screen table, facilities for teleconferencing and computer-based testing, and a clinical skills suite featuring 30 patient care rooms with simulated medical technology.
The nearly 520,000-volume print health sciences collection now resides off campus.
“Today’s library can be anywhere, thanks to technology, yet there is still a desire for a physical location that facilitates collaboration, study, and learning,” says Jane Blumenthal, associate university librarian and director of the Taubman Health Sciences Library.
Blumenthal says students and faculty can request books and other printed materials for delivery from an off-campus location.
The building’s namesake, the late A. Alfred Taubman, whose 1977 gift helped fund the original library provided input for the renovation planning. The project was designed by TMP Architecture in Bloomfield Township and Ballinger Architecture and Engineering in Philadelphia.
