The James A. Cannavino Library

Library photograph by V. VanCarpels

The 83,000-square-foot James A. Cannavino Library is drawing notice throughout the country for its classical design and 21st-century technology. The three-story structure overlooks the campus green and Hudson River on the west, and "Heritage Plaza," which connects historic 19th-century buildings and the college chapel, on the east.

This landmark facility showcases IBM digital library technology, allowing Marist students and faculty to access material stored on the college's powerful IBM S/390 mainframe as well as online sources of information from around the world.

The $25 million library houses book stacks and archives on its ground floor; research materials, periodicals and an "e-scriptorium" on its main floor; and a Center for Collaborative Learning on its top floor. The Cannavino Library offers more ports-per-student than any other college or university library in the United States. At any of the 860 seats - ranging from individual study carrels to soft-cushioned easy chairs overlooking the Hudson River - students and faculty can plug in their laptops and connect to sources of information on campus and across the globe. Don't own a laptop? IBM ThinkPads® are available for loan at the circulation desk. Collaborative study rooms allow group discussions on projects while quiet study areas offer scenic vistas to go with tranquil settings in which to read.

Academic support functions ranging from a writing center to language labs and multimedia classrooms are just some of the features that serve as a laboratory for learning on the library's top floor. An executive presentation room provides a corporate board of directors' setting, complete with the latest presentation technology offerings.

The Cannavino Library's two-story atrium entrance also features a coffee bar and is a popular gathering space for students, faculty and staff.

The library is named for James A. Cannavino, a long-time member of the Marist Board of Trustees and one of the country's leading technology visionaries.