KEARNEY, Neb. — Workers in hard hats have been replaced with students wearing backpacks at the University of Nebraska-Kearney’s Calvin T. Ryan Library.

After two years of construction, UNK cut the ribbon on a $25 million renovation of its library on Thursday. The 100,000-square-foot building still had most of the furnishing from its last update in 1982 and many of the mechanical systems were starting to fail.

Dean of the Library Evan Boyd says he’s seen a big uptick in student usage since the renovation finished.

“It makes me feel great that we have a full building most of the time," Boyd said. "It means the work we’ve done has been right. It means that we’re going to be helping students succeed.”

The new-look space follows the trend of modern academic libraries. It emphasizes light and open spaces. It includes a greater focus on providing services than storing a massive collection of books.

Aaron Estes is Senior Director of the Loper Success Center and coordinates many of those services out of the library’s second floor.

“It allows us to be more holistic in the way we support students and it allows us to be more collaborative in our approach to supporting those students,” Estes said.

The library now features the art installation “cumulate.” It is in the east entrance and central atrium and includes elements of Nebraska poetry and the colors of a Nebraska sunset.