After heating, ventilation and air conditioning problems arose, areas of Pearson Library are under construction and Information Technology Services has been moved to Ahmanson Science Center. Library hours and all other operations will not be affected.

Renovations are expected to be complete in the second week of March with plans to have ITS back in their normal offices by the first week of April.

California Lutheran University Facilities and Infrastructure Project Manager Nick Boudreaux said that ITS was in need of a remodel as it was outdated and will be getting new ceilings, flooring and furniture. 

These renovations came after facilities discovered that the heating systems of the library needed improvements, during the same time that plans to remodel the ITS Department areas of the building began. 

“This was only supposed to be a small IT improvement just for the IT Department,” Cal Lutheran Capital Projects Manager Alicia Cabrera Cabrera said. “We had a huge HVAC problem that became a lot more massive than we expected.”

Boudreaux said that this problem began in the summer with issues in the air conditioning systems and has come back with the season change. 

“Come to wintertime when we needed to get the heating going, we noticed way too many [gas] leaks in the system,” Boudreaux said. 

Boudreaux and Cabrera both shared that new ceiling grids, new lights, carpet, furniture and light remodeling can be expected in the ITS areas of the library. 

According to Cabrera, construction started during winter break and the ITS Department was moved to Ahmanson.

ITS was reached out to for comment but did not respond in time for publication.

According to Cal Lutheran Writing Center Spanish-English bilingual writing specialist Brenda Solis, there is no heating in the main areas of the library.

“It has been hard to manage the weather because there is no HVAC system,” Solis said. 

Solis said she noticed that students were wearing beanies inside of the library to deal with the cold temperatures in the main areas of the building. 

“I think it’s been harder on the students,” Solis said. “This is the only space that’s literally meant to support students in their learning process.” 

The library sent out emails where they included their offer of earplugs to students if construction becomes too noisy for them during study sessions.

Solis said she has told students they can study in the Writing Center if they are too cold in the main library areas.

“Our system in the Writing Center, the heating system, is separate from the library’s so we have been fortunate enough to have our heating,” Solis said. “I always tell students they can work here if they want to.”

The Writing Center has remained open during construction since the start of the semester, but Solis said that during winter break they worked remotely because of the construction.

While construction at the Pearson Library will continue through March, there are plans for more campus renovations, according to Boudreaux and Cabrera. 

“Ahmanson is the next big one,” Boudreaux said. “We are going to be building, hopefully, a robotics class coming up.”

For more information about Pearson Library hours and construction updates visit their website.