By Sarah Rayner
Tulsa, OK – The dedication of the new Schusterman Library on the OU-Tulsa campus took place today, shining a light on the new facility. Costing $8.5 million, the library features 22,000 square feet and houses over 65,000 books and bound journals. The library staff worked in conjunction with the university to make sure they got what they needed in a library, featuring two times the technology of the old Schusterman Library.
University of Oklahoma President David Boren, who was on hand at the dedication, said that the library would "enhance the learning of our students in many ways" and overall was good for the community of OU. Stewart Brower, OU-Tulsa Schusterman Library director, said that the library "provides access to state-of-the-art electronic resources while simultaneously serving as an oasis, an academic commons for quiet concentration and contemplation."
The library was funded in part by a state bond issue, and was then met with donations, including the Grace and Franklin Bernsen Foundation and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. Both foundations were honored at the event, and spoke to the vastness of the University of Oklahoma library system, which houses eight million books altogether. "We are reinforcing the importance of learning in our community and setting the standard for integrated campus-community relationships for the nation at large," said Lynn Schusterman.