Claflin University alumni, faculty, staff and students gathered on a chilly Friday morning to celebrate the latest update to its "cornerstone of intellectual growth." The H.V.
Manning Library was completed in 1967. It was renovated in the early 2000s and has now been updated again. Claflin University President Dr.
Dwaun Warmack said, "This facility now will be a place where intellectual curiosity is fulfilled. As we think about education of the future, we think about artificial intelligence, augmented reality, all of those things that are happening. It's still the same building, but it's what we've done in there to make sure our students are prepared for the 21st century and the workforce.
" He added, "We want to not only be one of the best HBCUs in the nation, we want to be one of the best regional institutions in the country that just happens to be a HBCU." The renovation is just a sample of what the university plans to do in the future, he said at Friday's ribbon-cutting ceremony. Claflin has, for example, more than $100 million in construction planned on campus by the end of the second quarter of next year, including new biotech and nursing facilities and a social science building.
Bill Kropff, director of auxiliary and facility services, said he is proud to have been a part of the library's transformation. "At the end of the day, everything is done here for the students. To see their excitement about the space is going to be fantastic," he said.
Kropff said, "While we sti.