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Alumni and public access Moore is quick to extend an open invitation to people beyond the university, including CMU alumni, to utilize Park Library. This includes everything from the library's in-house and online resources to its periodicals, Clarke Historical Library, government documents and beyond. "We welcome community users," Moore says. "We are committed to being a resource for the larger community." While nonuniversity users can check out most materials and use online materials onsite, there are some restrictions, including not being able to order books through the Michigan eLibrary Catalog and not accessing databases or electronic books and articles outside of the building. Among the many resources available to alumni, Clarke Historical Library is included within Park Library and focuses on the history of Michigan and the Old Northwest Territory, published works that shape the minds of young children, and the history of CMU. Among the primary users of Clarke Library are scholars and genealogists external to CMU. All this is what project planners were envisioning when they developed designs for a renovated and expanded Park Library nearly 13 years ago. Among these plans were to move beyond the building that opened in 1969 and create an engaging, well-lit, and technologically advanced facility that included services and resources to enhance the student and community learning experience well into the future, according to Gerry Edgar, CMU Libraries business services manager. "We wanted to build something that could accommodate whatever changes would come along years from now," he says. "It still feels new. There are days when I come into the building, look up into the atrium and think, 'This is still pretty darn cool.'" To learn more about Park Library visit library.cmich.edu. • Life of the Library. As CMU begins to look at its storied history and celebrate 120 years, one entity has remained constant through the decades: The CMU library. While students always could count on its resources, the locations have changed with the times. Old Main. The library – with thousands of books – burned with the Great Fire in 1925. Warriner Hall. The information collections were housed in Warriner Hall until the 1950s, when the space became too small. Ronan Hall (original Park Library). Dedicated on April 26, 1956, this building was the first campus space exclusively for library use. Charles V. Park Library. The Park Library was constructed in 1968 at the library's current location and named for Charles Park, who came to Central as head librarian in 1931. Finch Fieldhouse. While Park Library went through massive renovations from 1999 to 2002, Finch housed Library Services and the printed periodical collection, while books remained in Park Library. Rennovated Park Library. The $50 million renovation project converted the library from a storehouse for printed academic materials to a comprehensive, highly technological information center. • 18 centralight spring '12

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