Loyola University Chicago Libraries Receives Grant to Enhance Study Spaces

CHICAGO, IL – August 12, 2022
Loyola University Chicago Libraries has been awarded a $25,000 “On the Road to Recovery: Transforming Library Spaces” grant from the State of Illinois. Funded through the Secretary of State/Illinois State Library with American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds distributed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, this initiative is designed to provide emergency relief and support to improve library spaces in the aftermath of the pandemic.   

“During the ongoing pandemic, libraries across the State of Illinois have had to retool their services to match the needs of the people they serve,” said Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White. “I applaud the Loyola University Chicago Libraries as they adapt their essential services to ensure the safety of students and faculty during this challenging time.” 

The University Libraries grant project, titled “Ready for Ramblers,” will expand dedicated spaces for graduate students both at Cudahy Library and Lewis Library on the Lake Shore and Water Tower campuses, respectively. University Libraries will collaborate with students, faculty, and staff to ensure that the new furnishings and equipment purchased with grant funds will effectively meet the needs of this population. The enhanced areas will be ready for graduate students this fall and the Libraries will host an open house to unveil the spaces at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. 

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About Loyola University Chicago

Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with nearly 17,500 students. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens), and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations including AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago.

About the University Libraries 

The Loyola University Chicago Libraries’ mission is to facilitate the pursuit of knowledge and creativity through user-focused services and collections in an inviting, collaborative, and innovative learning environment. The University Libraries includes the Information Commons, the Elizabeth M. Cudahy Memorial Library, and the Library Storage Facility at the Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park; the Lewis Library at the Water Tower Campus in downtown Chicago; and the Anthony and Susan Brazier Piazza Information Commons at the John Felice Rome Center in Italy.  Collections include more than 1.1 million volumes, 550 databases, 60,000 journals, and a variety of physical and streaming media resources. Visit us at libraries.LUC.edu or follow us @LUClibraries.

For more information about the “Ready for Ramblers” project, please contact Jocelyn Cheng, University Libraries Community Relations and Communication Coordinator at jcheng5@LUC.edu.