Burns Library will be renovated to make room for a new archive space. The renovation will replace the computer lab and storage area in Burns Library with the archive space.
The renovation is scheduled to begin during the winter break and is scheduled to be finished around February during second semester. The funding for this project came from donations specifically for the archive space. A donation from Meredith and Lawrence Adams ’53 made this renovation possible.
The new archive space in the library will include a reading room, where students will be able to research the history of Loyola by reading or examining documents through the archives. In addition, there will be a display case that will showcase different records or items held within the archives for students, faculty and visitors to view.
Michael McDermott, Senior Director of Facilities Management, said, “The President and the administration feel that a lot of people don’t know the history of Loyola High School, especially parents and people who want to know more about Loyola. There is just a lot of memorabilia and history that can be displayed that I think will be very interesting to our current student body, alumni, friends of Loyola and parents.”
The current archive space for the school is in the back of the Berendo building. The documents and possessions, which date back nearly 100 years, in the current archive space in Berendo will be transferred to the new, planned area in the library. The new space in the library will also provide an area that is better suited for protecting the items.
Principal Frank Kozakowski said, “The new archive space will have special air conditioning in order to preserve the materials. Another thing you don’t think about is the use of fire sprinklers. The fire sprinklers can’t be water sprinklers; they have to be powder. Otherwise, you’d destroy the things you’re trying to protect.”
The Berendo archive room will be replaced with a workspace for the Robotics team.
McDermott said, “Paul Jordan, Chris Walter, and I thought it would be a good idea for robotics to move to Berendo because the robotics team would be closer to our maintenance shop, where we have a lot of tools that they will be able to use with adult supervision. The room is also a big space for them to use.”
Kozakowski said, “We want to celebrate our history, and the only way to celebrate our history to is know our history. If we don’t have physical evidence of that history, then we rely on oral history, which is not always accurate. As a society we want to remember our past, and an archive space helps us do that.”
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