Van Pelt reading room set to reopen this week after ceiling work forced it to close

The Moelis Family Grand Reading Room at Van Pelt Library has been closed to reinforce a decorative part of the ceiling since Jan. 22, and is set to open again by the end of the month, according to Michael Dausch, executive director of design and construction management at Facilities and Real Estate Services.

The work is being conducted on the wood fin system on the ceiling, which are the wooden panels that are attached to the ceiling. Dausch said there was an issue with the way the decorative portion of the ceiling was secured in place by the manufacturer's design. The ceiling panels of the reading room, which opened in fall 2017, are being fixed now while they are still under warranty. 

“We were concerned about the way those wood fins were anchored, so the contractor, as part of the warranty, is securing them with additional screws to make sure that we have no issues with they way they are anchored,” Dausch said.

There were also some areas of the ceiling where the layers of the wooden panels had slightly separated. Dausch noted that because the panels are about 20 feet high, the details are difficult to see without being on a lift, and it is unclear when the separation occurred.

Because the work is covered by a warranty, there are no additional expenses to the University, Dausch said.

Students say the popular study spot's closure has been an inconvenience for them amid midterm examinations. 

“Since it has closed, I’ve had to find elsewhere [to study], and it’s really hard especially when places are congested," Wharton senior Paul Sova said. "There’s a lot of seating in there and access to outlets.”

“I studied in there around two or three times a month. I think it was really nice because it’s spacious and well-lit and really quiet too,” Engineering junior June Seok said. “Whenever I went to VP, I would try to go there. Now, I usually find a table [on the first floor of Van Pelt] or use one of the carrels upstairs.”

Dausch said the work is expected to finish and the reading room will reopen by the end of the month.

“We’re looking forward to reopening the room, because we know how important it is to students to be able to use that space,” CFO of Penn Libraries David Nerenberg said.