A library is one of the most challenging and rewarding building types what we consider to be the very heart of education, the repository of thought. FLITE has proven itself to be an example of the great tradition of academic libraries that are literal and figurative centers of university life a cathedral of knowledge.

FLITE is a 175,000-square-foot, high-tech facility that combines a traditional print library and a state-of-the-art digital information library with a technological learning center. As the central focus of the campus, it is designed to act as a social and intellectual commons, a cultural space for Ferris State University and the larger community.

In addition to the library, the building houses an Educational Technology Center that includes an Instructional Technology Unit, a Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development, and a Center for Distributed Learning. The design facilitates personal assistance with information needs and helps with finding, assessing, creating and using expanded resources. The buildings informal Study Court, as well as the entire ground level, is designed to stay open for extended hours when the rest of the library is closed, offering food service, a children's area and electronic hookups for personal computers.

The 440,000-volume print collection of monographs, periodicals and documents is housed in standard open shelving and compact shelving. The building is interspersed with computer facilities and electronically equipped study, teaching, and meeting rooms, allowing electronic access from homes, laboratories, residence halls, and offices. Flexibility, both electronic and physical, is a major design attribute.

Aspirational interior spaces include three double-height reading rooms, each of very different character, which link the four levels of the building. A diversity of environments for work and study are provided to allow for the greatest individual choice. Extension of interior spaces of different characteristics to other interior spaces and to the campus exterior provides additional variety of view and exposure, enriching the experience from within and without.

FLITE's function extends beyond its immediate interior and exterior realm. The building has been designed to provide an appropriately distinguished architectural and symbolic presence on a largely homogenous campus. The setting of the new facility became the impetus for a complete reconsideration of campus circulation systems, the organization of public arrival, and the spatial relationships among the University's component parts. Fittingly, it became a catalyst for the conversion of the centrally located parking lot to a new campus green as part of the new heart of the University.

We intend that FLITE's design has a timeless aspect, reflecting the library's continuing commitment to knowledge, culture, personal growth and community service. The vocabulary is classically modern, expressed in materials that connote value, quality and durability. Our goal has been to transcend style and function, creating an architecture that will continue to inspire, engage and serve the University community for many generations.
Jacob Alspector, Architect, Gwathmey Siegel & Associates