<

/a>For four years, AU’s seniors have walked past a fenced-off pile of rubbish in Tenleytown, a block down Wisconsin Avenue from Best Buy. Not long ago, the pile of rubble was cleared, revealing an empty lot. But believe it or not, something will soon occupy that space.

The new Tenleytown library will house books, CDs, and DVDs from the Tenley-Friendship Interim Library (now located on Wisconsin near Van Ness) and will also have several new additions to its collections. After four years, the new library will finally be open for business.

Caleb Quakenbush, an AU senior, remarked, “I didn’t even realize the library was there until one morning when I was sitting out at the bus stop in front of Best Buy, and a British woman bonks me on the head with her newspaper, pointing at what used to be a bare lot.”

In many ways, when the new Tenleytown library’s doors open, it will be much like our beloved Bender Library: beverages are allowed but no food, free Wi-Fi is provided (but you’ll likely have to open an account to use it), and there are a few study spaces thrown in. George Williams, Media Relations Manager for D.C. Public Libraries, says the new library will have five study rooms, reading rooms that fit up to 100 people, and two conference rooms. Like Bender, there will also be public access to a range of scholarly databases.

So, what makes the Tenleytown library different from what we have on campus? In addition to the standard fare of books, music, movies, and a quiet place to enjoy it all, the Tenleytown library will have several other amenities. For one, you can download music, videos, audio books and e-books. You can also get apps for your Blackberry or iPhone, allowing you to search the library catalog and place holds on library materials.

Library patrons will also have access to live one-on-one web-based tutoring, as well a writing center to help students improve anything from a term paper to a cover letter. For students close to graduation, the library’s job directory and resumé improvement resources will be valuable complements to AU’s Career Center. And for those who are just looking for a way to get involved in the community, there will even be a volunteer coordinator.

The Tenleytown library will open Monday, January 24. The library will host a grand opening party on Saturday, February 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For updates on the new Tenleytown Library, visit the District library’s webpage.