Thursday: C-SPAN Founder to Keynote GMU's New Library Grand Opening

FAIRFAX CITY, VA -- George Mason University will celebrate the grand opening of Fenwick Library Thursday, March 31 with a keynote address by C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb.

Lamb, executive chairman of the C-SPAN Board of Directors, founded the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network in 1979 and is the former CEO. Lamb was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.

C-SPAN airs coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and numerous public affairs events

Lamb continues to host a weekly program, "Q&A," on C-SPAN; he donated his entire "Booknotes" author-interview program to GMU several years ago.

The grand opening celebration for the new library is set for Thursday, March 31, at 4:30 p.m. in the library atrium.

University President Ángel Cabrera, Rector Tom Davis and Members of the George Mason University Board of Visitors will also be on hand.

Those who attend the grand opening, which is open to the public, will enjoy refreshments and tours of the library. Parking is available in the visitor parking area of the Rappahannock parking garage off of University Drive and Patriot Circle.

The 150,000-square foot library, which cost about $60 million, opened on Jan. 19. Made possible by state funding, the new Fenwick Library was designed by Shepley Bulfinch architectural firm of Boston, and built by Whiting-Turner to LEED silver standards. The facility has greatly expanded services, learning spaces and digital technology and resources for the Mason community. The modern, bright facility with furniture that can be accommodate individual study as well as group collaboration, includes many new and exciting features:

• One unified full-service assistance desk, located on the first floor
• Café and study area due to open later in spring semester
• Express check out stations where student scan their own items
• Compact shelving, which allows for increased capacity for print collections
• 30 new group study rooms equipped with white boards and monitors
• MediaScape collaboration study rooms, which can allow up to 4 students to share their screen simultaneously
• A number of seminar rooms and 3 technology-rich instructional rooms
• Laptop dispenser to check out computers for use within the library
• State-of the-art Special Collections Research Center
• Enhanced device-charging capabilities
• Presentation practice rooms equipped with technology (similar to theGateway Library One Button Studio)
• A beautiful, modern Main Reading Room with seating for 75
• Research Commons featuring programming and support for individual and collaborative projects
• Two exhibition/gallery areas where student and faculty art, as well as items from the Special Collections Research Center will be featured

See information here about public use of the library and other libraries at George Mason.