By BESS HARVEY
The BYU Bookstore is no exception when it comes to major construction and renovations.
The BYU Bookstore is in a three-phase renovation and upgrading project.
Dennis Lindberg, assistant director of operations and training said,”We are currently in the first phase.”
Lindberg said phase one will be completed by the end of December if construction is on time.
Phase-one consists of renovations to the first floor. When it is completed, health and beauty will move to the first floor along with the music and photo center.
Lindberg said, “The shipping department will return as well as school and art supplies.”
The changes in the Wilkinson Center are taking place because the building needs to be updated both mechanically and electrically.
Lindberg says, “When you change the building you must also do seismic updating.”
Sheer walls have already been added in some areas of the bookstore as part of the seizmic updating.
“As technology advances, they understand how to better build a building to better withhold things like earthquakes. This will help to save lives,” Lindberg said.
Lindberg also said there needs to be an upgrading because fixtures were getting old and they need to be modified as departments change.
Bookstore employee Jaime Kent said,”(Despite the changes)the bookstore hasn’t been a lot busier. People are a little more impatient and a lot of people stop and ask for directions even with all the signs.”
“There hasn’t been a lot of complaints.” Lindberg said.
Lindberg says it is a challenge to put the word out and to rearrange the bookstore to have entrances so people will not have problems,” he said.
Katie Magleby, a junior from Provo, majoring in history said,”I’ve never had problems finding things. It is pretty obvious where things are with all the signs and arrows and footsteps everywhere.”
Phase two of the construction will begin in February on the east portion of the bookstore. The east portion includes the men’s, women’s, gift and computer departments.
“Those departments will move up to the third floor and texts will move to the garden court,” Lindberg said.
These phase two changes will be in place until August.
Phase three will be renovations on the general book area on the second floor.
All phases in the bookstore are expected to be completed by April of 1999.
