Students will soon have new places to sit in Parks Library.

After the bill was initially voted down by the Government of the Student Body, some senators and library staff decided to take the matter of new library chairs into their own hands. Olivia Madison, dean of the library, said the project was still given the green light after she saw such passion from those involved in the decision.

“I can’t thank them enough,” Madison said. “They felt the library was a place to be proud of.”

One of those students was GSB Sen. Matthew Dohrmann, junior in finance. Dohrmann served on the library advisory council since his freshman year and realized the library needed some improvements.

The junior worked with other senators and Madison to draft a bill for which he was the main sponsor. After heated debate, the bill died on the GSB floor.

“It really upset me that the student body wasn’t as for this bill as I thought they would be,” Dohrmann said. “I knew Iowa State isn’t Iowa State without Parks Library, but the condition Parks is in makes it seem like it’s still the ’80s when my dad went here. I was really just hoping that this would be a nice step forward for Parks to get the ball rolling on some improvements.”

Madison saw this passion from other senators during the debates and did not want to lose the momentum. She decided to go forward with the renovations, embarking on a collaborative effort in improving the space.

“Thanks to that spark, we decided to work with the whole area,” Madison said.

Students will soon see new chairs, study tables and lighting when they walk through the Parks Library doors. The chairs will be similar to those seen in the Carver Hall lounge, equipped with tables attached and bright colored fabric.

“We wanted to make the entrance fun and inviting,” Madison said. “It’s a comfy and clean place to stay and study. Everything has come together.”

Madison said the money for the renovations came from funds received during the ISU Foundation’s annual Call-a-Thon. She said they make every effort to use these funds to really make a difference for those students who use the library.

Madison is pleased with how this process has turned out.

“It could not have been a better process. It gave us the opportunity to hear first hand about the importance of the library.”