News
Local Gift Funds Library Learning Lab
(Posted: June 13, 2012) The learning laboratory in the expanded Boreham Library now under construction at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith will be named for a local company.
The Farrell-Cooper Mining Team Learning Laboratory will be located in the Babb Institute for Applied Innovation in the Learning and Research Center library addition and was named following a $50,000 gift from Farrell-Cooper. The laboratory, which will have window views of the UAFS campus, will provide meeting space for faculty, staff, students and the community.
The gift, which is part of the Giving Opportunity Now campaign being conducted by the UAFS Foundation, was the decision of Hank Farrell Jr., Bill Cooper and Bob Cooper. The University committed to raising $5 million in private gifts to help offset costs for the 40,000-square-foot addition to Boreham Library.
Dr. Marta M. Loyd, vice chancellor for university advancement, said UAFS officials are grateful for the support of Farrell-Cooper.
"Farrell-Cooper is a successful family business, and they understand and value the importance of community and education," said Loyd. "Their gift is an expression of their commitment toward that. The Farrell-Cooper Mining Team Learning Laboratory will help to bridge business leaders and education through the resources provided through the Babb Institute for Applied Innovation."
The Learning and Research Center addition is expected to be completed in August 2012. The Learning and Research Center, which will increase seating from 384 to 920, includes 214 computer stations, creates space for roughly 52,000 new volumes and features a 24-hour study area and computer lab for students studying late at night.
The library project includes a refit of the existing Boreham Library, which is slated for a January 2013 completion. Total cost is approximately $14.2 million and the project is funded in part with a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce as well as monies provided through the American Recovery and Investment Act, the State of Arkansas, new bond issues and refinancing of existing bonds.
The UAFS Foundation has received a little over $1 million in private support for the Learning and Research Center at Boreham Library.
