The English Library, located within in the Main Library, will be merging with another unit by the beginning of spring semester.

“We are part of the new service model process. We are merging with the Modern Languages and Linguistics Library to create the Literature and Languages Library,” said Harriett Green, English and digital humanities librarian and assistant professor of library administration. “We will be creating this new unit that will retain the collection and make it a more streamline collection.”

The English Library, which is currently located in Room 321, will be moved to the second floor to Room 225. Green said she is looking forward to the prospects of the project.

“I’m excited about it. It will streamline a lot of the collections,” she said. “A lot of scholars are doing interdisciplinary work where they are talking about French philosophy and a British writer, so bringing together those collections will be really helpful for the scholar and for us being able to interact with the other librarians.”

Tracy Miller, senior in LAS, said she has never visited the English Library and did not know of the library’s new location, but thinks the project will be a good one if the news is made aware to the public.

Still, some students are not as excited about the project as Green.

Albert Lin, sophomore in DGS, said he felt indifferent about the project because he does not go to the English Library at all.

Melanie Caldera, sophomore in LAS, said she did not know there was an English Library, yet she said disabled students will benefit from the change in location.

“I don’t think it will be that bad because people with disabilities will be able to be closer to have access to books, articles or such things,” Caldera said.

Scott Walter, associate University librarian for services, said he routinely hears complaints of the complexity of the Main Library. He added that his goal is “to make the physical library environment more inviting and less confusing.”

“The end result will be an easier access to these services,” Walter said. “I’m hoping that this new unit will be more active.”

The combined collection of both of these units will total to about 50,000 books, which will not be able to fit in one space, Green said. She added that the English Library is currently clearing out and renovating the new space, coordinating with other parties that are involved and reducing a lot of duplications of the same work.

Marek Sroka, acting head of the English Library, said he agreed with Green about shaping up the collection for the new unit.

“We’ve been trying really hard to reduce some of the duplicate reference materials because between (the) modern languages, our unit and main reference (sections) you have sometimes three copies of the same work,” Sroka said.

He said he wants to see this new unit as a place where everyone is welcome, both undergraduates and graduate students alike.

“Hopefully the new unit will be able to be kind of more proactive — reaching out to the faculty and also to the students, including the undergraduate students,” Sroka said.

Green said the move will be a benefit for scholars, students and the collection of works itself.

“It’s going to be a really great way to make our collections even more dynamic and even more relevant for today’s scholars and today’s students,” Green said. “It’s a bit like a chess game, you’ve got to make sure that all the pieces are in one place, but it’s been going smoothly so far.”