A project to free up space in Founders Memorial Library will result in more study areas for students.

The library expects to begin construction in May on a $5 million project to add more storage.

“This project is expected to solve our space problem for 15 to 20 years,” said Arthur Young, dean of NIU’s library administration.

Funded by a planning grant from the State of Illinois, the project is expected to take 11 to 12 months. The additional space will provide room for books and journals, Young said.

The space will consist of compact storage in the vacant library basement, including a system of movable mechanical storage that is expected to hold between 600,000 and 750,000 volumes.

Students won’t be allowed to enter the area, but materials stored there will be accessible through library personnel.

The current space problem arose because library officials expected more texts to become digital and be added to computers. The changeover to digital information has been much slower than originally expected, Young said.

With the addition of the extra storage space, some stacks are set for removal from the aisles in the library, with the eventual addition of more tables and seating for students.

“This is a student-friendly project that will open up space for more students and more information,” Young said.

NIU is currently in the bidding process to determine what company will do the construction.