Library Celebrates Renovation of Reading Rooms

On Wednesday, Sept. 2, the University of New Hampshire Library celebrated the renovation of Dimond Library’s three grand reading rooms with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.  

“This grand reopening would not be possible without the contributions of many people,” Dean Kimberly Burke Sweetman told an assembled group of students, faculty, and library employees. Sweetman went on to thank Assistant Dean Emerita Tracey Lauder, who led the library’s refurbishment of existing tables and chairs, a sustainable and cost-effective way to make the rooms more comfortable and more welcoming. This project was made possible by the generosity of Bob and Beverly Glendenning and received a UNH Sustainability Award in 2023. 

Sweetman also thanked Information Desk Manager Donald Dow, Senior Administrative Assistant Jennifer Daly, and North Shore Refinishing for their work on the furniture refurbishment. 

Over the summer, each reading room—Addison, Hubbard, and Courtyard—was recarpeted, and new flooring was installed in the hallway spaces around the rooms. Sweetman expressed her gratitude to Cliff Wallace and Ken Weston from Campus Planning for their guidance in the process and to President Elizabeth Chilton and Provost Jen Riley for their support and vision.  

Sweetman concluded the ceremony by thanking the late Sally Zyla Addison, whose bequest made the flooring project possible, and inviting attendees to enjoy coffee and pastries in the freshly renovated Addison Room.  

The reading rooms, along with the rest of Dimond Library, are open to members of the public for their use and enjoyment.