ALTOONA, Pa. — Significant renovations are planned for Penn State Altoona's Learning Resources Center (LRC), located on the first floor of the Eiche Library. This 3,000-square-foot project, with a cost estimate of $1.5 million, will serve three major needs. First, it will increase academic space for the campus' largest major, electro-mechanical engineering technology (EMET), including much-needed lab space.

The renovations also will enhance Penn State Altoona’s academic support services, including: library, LRC, internships and community-based studies, learning design, and education abroad. The campus' Writing Center will gain an independent location with 647 assignable square feet of space. There also will be an increase in the amount of open space available for group tutoring.

Finally, the project supports the campus' longtime goal of developing disciplinary homes for faculty and students. For example, the expanded EMET space allows the clustering of engineering faculty on the first floor of the library. As a result, the education, English, business, economics, physics, and security and risk analysis faculty will be similarly clustered, allowing academic hubs for students in those programs.

"We are extremely excited about this project as it will enable us to better serve our students' academic needs,” said Penn State Altoona Chancellor and Dean Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry. “I am grateful for the University's support of this project, as it will provide critically needed lab space for our EMET program and a variety of services that will facilitate students' learning and success."