Sterling Library reopens Andrews Study Room and invites students to suggest further enhancements

The  Andrews Study Room (SML 215), closed for renovation in June, reopened for study and browsing on Oct. 22.  

Over the summer, the reading room on the second floor of Sterling Memorial Library was upgraded with fresh paint, new flooring, reupholstered furniture, and additional power sources. New overhead lighting is on order to be installed later in the semester, and the battered-looking entrance doors will be removed later this week and taken off-site for refinishing and new glass.

While the renovations were under way, library staff sorted through the room’s collection to identify fragile and damaged volumes for conservation or climate-controlled storage. A section of shelving that blocked the flow of light from the tall windows was removed.

“What else does this space need?”

“We’ve upgraded the space for comfort and functionality,” said Barbara Rockenbach, the Stephen F. Gates ’68 University Librarian. “In the next phase, we will add decorative elements and other amenities to support library users. We are very interested in hearing from students what they would like to see here.”  

An online student survey has been set up to capture responses from students to the question: What else does this space need? The first responses came from  members of the Student Library Advisory Committee (SLAC) who were hosted by Rockenbach on Oct. 21 for breakfast and a pre-opening view of the space. Suggestions as of Oct. 23 included installation of a phone/zoom booth, bean bags, uplighting on the top of shelves, and art displays reflecting the room’s history.

From English to history

When Sterling Memorial Library opened in 1931, the room was designated as the English Study Room; this orginal identity is still visible in the stained glass windows featuring scenes from “Oliver Twist,” “Vanity Fair,” “Gulliver’s Travels,” and other works of English literature.

The space subsequently became a History Seminar Room, and was later named for Charles McLean Andrews, a noted  historian of early America. Andrews taught at Yale from 1910 to 1931 and then was professor emeritus until his death in 1943. His personal library, donated by his family to Yale, is part of the collection still shelved in the room, and the Charles McLean Andrews papers documenting his personal and professional life are in Yale Library Special Collections. 

About Sterling 2031

The Andrews Study Room renovation is the third renovation project in the Sterling 2031 initiative, a multiyear revitalization of Sterling Library spaces that will culminate with the celebration of the building’s centennial in 2031.  Sterling 2031 seeks to balance tradition and transformation to ensure that Sterling Memorial Library remains the heart of the university, while also evolving to support changing modes of research, teaching, and community. 

The public phase of Sterling 2031 kicked off with the renovation of the Linonia and Brothers (L&B) Room, which opened in April 2024. Next came the creation of a dedicated Graduate Study Room (SML 226), which opened for use by graduate and professional students in November 2024.  

—Patricia M. Carey

Photos by Monica Reed