To recognize the fortieth anniversary of the opening of Penrose Library, here are forty things to look forward to in the Academic Commons.

1. Look forward to books!  Nearly eight miles of books will be housed in the Academic Commons, representing most books published since 1983, books that circulate the most, and “browsing” books – those that include a lot of visual images.
2. Look forward to abundant natural light, thanks to the Frederic C. and Jane M.  Hamilton Atrium opening on to the main and upper levels, as well as to walls of windows where they previously didn’t exist — on the lower level, and interior glass walls that allow light to flow through the interior.
3. Look forward to new furniture!  The Academic Commons will have a seat for everyone, whether you want an upright chair, a cushy reading chair, or a cozy booth perfect for collaborating students.  DU alum Daniel Strawn’s custom-built, one-of-a kind tables will be found throughout the building.
4. Feel good about old furniture!  Penrose Library took about 4,000 pieces of high quality furniture out of the original building and has had them cleaned, repaired, and/or re-upholstered so that we recycle valuable and functional pieces rather than replace them. And of course, you fans of mid-century modern design can say hello again to your favorite white bubble chairs, orange and white round carrels, and more!
5. Be prepared to have a place where you can spread out Penrose treasures and work comfortably with these unique materials.  The Fogel Special Collections Reading Room in the Academic Commons will encourage exploration of Penrose’s rare resources, including the civil war collections; documents, photographs, and textiles relating to the Jewish experience in the Rocky Mountain West; the Carson-Brierly Dance Library’s collection representing the history of dance; and one of the largest collections of cookery in the country.  Students and scholars, visitors and advocates may use these unique and rare resources.  The reading room will include exhibit and display cases to celebrate the primary resources of the library.
6. Anticipate finding all of the academic support units you need, under one roof.  This is why we call it the Academic Commons – because in addition to traditional library services, you will also find help in research, writing, math, digital media, and computer hardware and software.  Faculty will be supported by the Office of Teaching and Learning where staff offers creative programs, award-winning technology, and course management software and systems to help DU professors be better teachers. 
7. If you sometimes struggle to balance parenting responsibilities with your role as a graduate student, look forward to the Family Study Room in the Academic Common, a large enclosed space equipped with children’s furniture, toys, books, puzzles and a TV with earphones, where kids will pass time while their parents study.
8. Count on efficiency.  During the construction project, Penrose patrons have been pleased to find that the books and materials they need and request from the storage facility are delivered quickly.  In the rare case that you will want one of the items that stays at the Hampden Center storage, Penrose will continue to offer delivery at high speed, usually in less than two hours.
9. Gather with your group.  In response to student interest, the Academic Commons will have dozens of rooms for small and large groups to work together. Soundproofing will limit conversation to the group inside, and a floor-to-ceiling window will enable a view. Technology will allow students to share laptop, phone, or tablet screens on the wall-hung flat panels.
10. Plan to be well fed.  The Front Porch Café at the Academic Commons will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, all in a setting meant to embody the neighborliness and comfort that donor and trustee Doug Scrivner enjoyed on his family’s front porch, growing up in Wisconsin.  There will be 75 seats in the café and more on the adjacent patio. We’ll even have rocking chairs, like every front porch should.
11. Check out the latest magazine or newspaper while sipping some coffee or tea.  The current issues of a variety of paper journals and news will be conveniently located next to comfy chairs in the Front Porch Café. 
12. Foresee the latest technology.  The Academic Commons will have forty computers for research instruction, sixty PCs for general use, twenty Macs for general use, twelve Macs in the Digital Media Center, plus additional PCs on each floor as look-up stations.
13. Be glad for instruction.  The Academic Commons will not only be an impressive brick and mortar space.  Instruction and guidance about how to use the technology and how to research, write, solve math, and incorporate digital media will be available to everyone.
14. Be energized.  Gone are the days when patrons would bring extension cords in to Penrose in order to be connected.  With a power outlet corresponding to every chair in the Academic Commons, everyone (and every laptop or tablet or phone) should stay charged.
15. Prepare for the unexpected.  The Academic Commons will have two fireplaces. Combat homesickness and homework dread by settling in to the cozy fireplaced living rooms in this comprehensive academic library.
16. Take comfort in the thoughtful décor that builds on your DU pride in a subtle way.  Much thought and careful preparation have gone in to choosing furniture fabrics, carpet palettes and wall colors that relate to the DU crimson and gold.
17. Look forward to having a heart for all of DU, a place, a central campus hub of student and faculty activity and engagement.
18. Recognize the importance of a place for DU faculty exclusively, and share their delight about having a large, faculty-only reading room, on the upper level overlooking the Carnegie Green.
19. Imagine the reaction of DU’s founder John Evans, if he were to see the Academic Commons, given that his mission was to “help civilize” the new city of Denver, which consisted of little more than a mining camp back in 1864.  This is civilization!
20. Be excited about exhibits!  The new library will offer many more opportunities than the original Penrose to showcase its collections as well as the research and creative works of DU’s faculty and students.
21. Assume that the helpful and capable Penrose staff that you have come to count on will be there for you in the Academic Commons.  Amidst a lot of change, you can rely on familiar, friendly faces. We are still here to connect people to ideas. 
22. Count on a vibrant series of events in the technology-rich, flexible Special Event space at the Academic Commons where Penrose will feature author lectures, celebrations of students’ creative work, and more.
23. Plan to make yourself comfortable in any of the Open Reading Areas where students have their choice of study tables, carrels, booths, or soft seating.
24. Appreciate convenience.  Under one roof you will find books, newspapers and journals, technology, help and instruction, food, art, events, vending machines full of student supplies, as well as faculty and friends, all at the center of DU’s campus. 
25. Egg chairs!  Rejoice that the original and a new “egg” chair will be in the Academic Commons, to remind anyone who knew the 1972-era Penrose that in some important ways, this is still the same, genuine place.
26. Predict consistency: Penrose Library will be open 24 hours, from Sunday early morning  through Friday night, with slightly reduced hours on weekends.
27. Look forward to the Writing Center, bigger and better than before: a consultation service, staffed by trained, skilled communicators who know how to teach writing as well as the theories of composition and language use, enabling every student to excel in written expression for any medium.
28. Get to know alumni.  Every year, hundreds of DU alums borrow materials from Penrose.
29. Count on a measurably nicer Math Center where staff helps students with assignments on a drop-in basis.
30. Expect camaraderie.  Meet your friends. Even in the original Penrose, thousands of people visited daily, and patron visits will probably double in the new facility.
31. Take advantage of the expertise available to you at the Crossley Research Center.  Choosing sources requires critical thinking and an understanding of the process of contemporary research to navigate and emerge with a well-crafted set of authentic, valid resources to support a paper or presentation.
32. Daydream.  Look forward to enjoying the variety of views from the Academic Commons.  Views of Denver’s urban skyline.  Views of the Front Range.  Views of majestic Rocky Mountains.
33. Imagine being the envy of your friends who don’t get to be students in the Perched Classroom that hangs between the skylight and the main floor.  This room will be home to a compelling program that partners library faculty with faculty from all DU disciplines to teach every student how to be an expert information manager.
34. Look forward to the most recent Penrose acquisitions being on prominent display in the center of the main level.
35. Tradition.  Look forward to some touches of the old amidst all that is new, like the return of the Gottesfeld Room and the Chan classroom, as well as signage that calls out the names of donors who helped make this fabulous facility possible.
36. Deep quiet.  The Academic Commons will offer study areas for a variety of needs, including social places and silent spaces. Shhhhhh. 
37. Settle in to your own spot.  There will be a quiet study room with a mountain view where you can sign up to share a carrel and locker for a whole quarter if you have a long-term writing project and want to focus your energies and materials in one place. 
38. A new website.  The Penrose Library website will have a new look after the opening of the Academic Commons.
39. Online scheduling.  Study rooms and meeting spaces in the Academic Commons will be available to schedule remotely from online or from your smartphone.
40. Take advantage of the newest service available at Penrose: Digital Media Services will help with creation and editing of digital images, videos, audio files and more, and will help incorporate them into academic and extracurricular projects.

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