Sir Eric Neal Library
Marked
by an impressive full glass connecting atrium, the $9.2 million extension of
the Sir Eric Neal Library brings a new sense of vitality to this key
university resource centre.
The extension has created a new learning environment for students characterised by open, interactive and welcoming spaces.
The building features improved areas for study and research. New facilities include extra group study rooms, increased computer access, improved student resources, new training facilities and access to special collections.
The 2,500m2 extension now provides space for more than 160,000 books and journals as well as the recently relocated headquarters of UniSA's Library Central Service.
A series of sculptures originally created in the 1970s by renowned Australian artist John Dowie now have pride of place in the entrance to the new library.
The Art of Learning mullions, which represent the transferral of an idea to form through different cultures throughout history, were commissioned to complement the original library building at the then Levels campus of UniSA's antecedent institution, the South Australian Institute of Technology.
Most of the 72 mullions were installed around the outside of the original building and in the ground floor foyer in 1972, but at the time there was not enough space for all of them, and 13 were put into storage.
The installation of the remaining mullions was not originally factored into the Blueprint 2005 budget but was made possible through generous donations from alumni and friends of the University, including Sir Eric Neal.
Matching the open design of the extension, the Sir Eric Neal Library is open to members of the community, enriching the learning and life opportunities for students and the broader northern Adelaide community.