NYU has added two multifaith prayer rooms to Bobst Library and plans to open two more low sensory spaces to create “as much universally accessible space as possible,” according to a statement sent to WSN from a library spokesperson. The new spaces, located on Lower Level 2 of the library in rooms LL2-19 and LL2-20, will be available to the NYU community 24 hours a day.
A spokesperson for NYU’s Division of Libraries told WSN the university will also install two individual sensory rooms on the ninth floor of Bobst and a lounge on Lower Level 2 open to all students, both of which will be funded by New York State grants. The spaces will have high-backed chairs and table desks, study pods with adjustable lighting and temperature control for individual use and noise canceling wall paneling.
Students with “acute sensory needs or sensory sensitivities” will be able to borrow sensory kits from the library’s Circulation & Reserves desk, including fidget spinners, noise canceling headphones and noise machines. The university will also add additional seating and adjustable height desks throughout the library, as well as additional furniture and lighting.
In October, NYU Libraries opened a low sensory room in Bobst’s first floor for neurodivergent students. The library’s lobby will also hold smart lockers — that allows for students to pick up books without direct contact — which had been temporarily located on Lower Level 2 during its renovation over the summer. The university did not provide a timeline for the upcoming changes when asked for comment.
The additions come after NYU unveiled renovations to Bobst’s lobby this past October. The ground floor now has a blue-green color palette, new furniture and wall paneling to reduce sound and echoes. Billie Tsien, the architect behind the renovation, had said the university was planning on adding a coffee shop in the space sometime in the future.
Gallatin sophomore Victoria Princi said she was initially unsure of how to feel about the changes, but that she has learned to appreciate them with time.
“It made the space a lot more communal and inviting,” Princi said. “NYU is a school that’s kind of hard to find community at since it’s so spread out throughout the city, but now the library is a hub of people, and it’s nice.”
Adrianna Nehme contributed reporting.
Contact Dharma Niles at [email protected].
