Inside Two Virginia University Library Renovations

Furniture In The Field, University Library Furniture

AGATI group study tables at JMU Carrier Library and individual study carrels at UVA Claude Moore Library.

Designing for Focus and Collaboration: Two Approaches to Library Design

The University of Virginia’s Claude Moore Health Sciences Library renovation focused on private, independent study, giving health sciences students screen privacy and quiet space for demanding clinical coursework. James Madison University’s Carrier Library renovation and expansion focused on group and shared study, prioritizing floor space for students and connecting the library’s restored 1939 spaces with its new additions.

Joe Agati Sr. and I toured both libraries to see how each university matched its furniture to the way its students study.

Project Summary: University of Virginia’s Independent Study Solutions

Project: Claude Moore Health Sciences Library Renovation

Scope: Furniture solutions for library lobby and quiet study spaces

Location: Charlottesville, Virginia

Completion: 2026

Design Objective: Create environments that support prolonged concentration, accommodate technology-driven learning, and provide the privacy required for clinical education.

Featured AGATI Solutions: Single PODs, Cove Carrels, and Hampton Nook Duos.

Students using AGATI Cove Carrels and blue POD study carrels in UVA’s Claude Moore Health Sciences Library.

Wood-finish AGATI Cove Carrels with gray interior panels arranged near windows at UVA’s Claude Moore Library.

Primary Focus: Quiet, independent study spaces designed to help medical and health sciences students succeed in demanding academic programs.

Key Design Priorities: Student privacy, visual and acoustic separation, integrated power, durable materials, and comfortable workspaces for extended study sessions.

Outcome: A modern health sciences library that enhances the student experience by providing purpose-built environments using focus workstations for independent study.

See the University of Virginia Installation Gallery.

Project Examples: Insights from our Onsite Visit

Privacy-Focused Study Spaces for Healthcare Education

David Moody, IT Director, gave us a tour of the University of Virginia’s Claude Moore Health Sciences Library. He explained that their Cove Carrels are configured to protect sensitive patient information. Medical students frequently review confidential patient records and clinical information while preparing for coursework and collaborating with physicians, making screen privacy a critical requirement. To address this need, the carrels are arranged side by side with students’ backs facing the wall, helping shield computer monitors from public view while minimizing distractions. Cove Carrel’s flexible design allows universities to create configurations that support a variety of learning environments without compromising privacy.

A spacious worksurface easily accommodates university-provided monitors and keyboards, along with students’ personal belongings. Durable plastic laminate construction with protective metal trim and acoustical interior panels delivers long-lasting performance, comfort, and a quiet environment for concentrated study.

Students studying in a row of AGATI Cove Carrels with their backs toward the wall at UVA’s Claude Moore Library.

Orange AGATI Hampton Nook Duos with white tables and wood privacy dividers at UVA’s Claude Moore Library.

Flexible Study Nooks for Individual Focus and Study Partners

Hampton Nook Duos Adapt to the Changing Needs of Health Sciences Students

Located near the entrance to the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, Hampton Nook Duos create an inviting transition from the lobby into the library’s study spaces. Their semi-enclosed design offers students the choice to work independently or collaborate with a classmate, making them an ideal solution for this slightly higher-traffic area. By providing a sense of privacy without complete isolation, the nooks support focused work while remaining accessible and welcoming.

David explained that as students progress through their health sciences programs, their study habits tend to evolve. Early in their academic journey, many first-year students study alongside classmates. Later, coursework often requires prolonged concentration and individual preparation. Hampton Nook Duos accommodate both learning styles, giving students the flexibility to move seamlessly between collaborative study sessions and quiet, distraction-reducing individual work.

Single Study in Large Open Space

Designed for Quiet Refuge and Focus

Claude Moore Health Sciences Library segments one expansive quiet study room into multiple quiet study zones with PODs in serpentine layout. Each POD provides a sense of refuge within a large, open quiet study room. Visual and acoustical separation helps medical and health sciences students focus while studying complex clinical material.

These quiet study settings reflect the Library’s renovation goal to provide the independent study solutions that their medical students need. When David reflected on the Library’s renovation goals, I asked him for feedback on our furniture:

Of all the furniture we bought during our renovation, Agati Furniture has been the best quality. Its well-designed. Students love the look and utility of it.

David Moody, IT Director
Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia

Blue curved AGATI Single POD study carrels with individual seats and tables at UVA’s Claude Moore Library.

Light-wood AGATI Etta study tables and lounge seating in JMU Carrier Library’s bright, window-lined entrance

Project Summary: James Madison University’s Group Study Solutions

Project: Carrier Library Renovation & Expansion

Scope: Furniture solutions for renovation and expansion of the university’s flagship library, including group study areas, reading rooms, and technology-rich learning environments

Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia

Completion: August 2026

Design Objective: Create welcoming spaces that support student success while preserving the library’s historic character and expanding its role as the intellectual crossroads of campus.

Featured AGATI Solutions: Etta Tables, Baja Chairs, Williams Tables, and Williams Carrels.

Primary Focus: Reclaim library space for students by transforming former book stack areas into collaborative learning environments. The furniture strategy emphasizes shared study tables and gathering spaces that encourage teamwork, discussion, and individual work in a busy open space.

Key Design Priorities: Respect the architectural legacy of Carrier Library while supporting the needs of today’s students. Originally constructed in 1939 and expanded in 1960 and 1980, today’s expansion and renovation thoughtfully blends historic character with contemporary design. Durable materials, integrated power, and a cohesive furniture aesthetic ensure the new spaces perform for high-traffic academic use while feeling like a natural extension of the library’s history.

Outcome: The efficient layout of collection spaces in the renovated Carrier Library prioritizes valuable floor space for students, creating an inviting destination for collaboration, study, and campus life. Agati’s Active Learning & Study Tables, Carrels, and Side Seating contribute to a modern learning environment that balances large-group collaboration with individual study, enhancing both the functionality and student experience of one of James Madison University’s most iconic buildings.

See the James Madison University Installation Gallery.

Overhead view of light-wood AGATI Etta group study tables beside tall windows at JMU Carrier Library.

Dark-wood AGATI Etta study tables beneath historic column capitals in JMU Carrier Library’s restored wing.

Project Examples: Insights from our Onsite Visit

One Timeless Table Style Connects Two Eras

Kelly Miller-Martin, Director of Facilities Operations for JMU Libraries, kindly gave us a tour of the JMU Carrier Library renovation and expansion. She explained that they selected the Etta Table for its transitional design to connect the library’s historic and modern spaces.

Students entering the renovated Carrier Library through the south entrance are welcomed by AGATI Etta group study tables in a light wood finish, establishing a bright, contemporary first impression. Deeper within the library, the same Etta tables appear in a rich dark wood, creating a natural transition into the restored 1939 spaces. Etta’s fundamental design speaks equally well to both traditional and modern architecture, making it the ideal table to unify spaces built nearly a century apart.

That thoughtful design approach allowed James Madison University to blend the library’s newest additions with its historic character without making either feel out of place. The dark wood tables complement the original architectural details, including these beautifully preserved 1939 column capitals. Nearby, a section of the original stone walls is intentionally exposed, allowing students to experience—and even touch—the history of the building as they study!

A Shared Study Table That Gives Space Back to Students

Custom Etta Table Invites Students to Study Side by Side

One of the primary goals of the Carrier Library renovation was to give study space back to students and create a variety of student-centered environments. This exceptionally long, custom Etta table is sized so students who don’t know each other can comfortably share the space, each working independently while studying side by side. Built-in power and integrated reading lamps support laptops and extended study sessions at every seat.

The design team used a consistent furniture vocabulary to connect the library’s different eras. The Etta collection provides the warmth, durability, and timeless aesthetic needed to complement both contemporary and historic architecture. The result is a library where the furniture enhances the experience without competing with it, allowing students to enjoy a space that feels both rooted in history and designed for the future.

Long custom AGATI Etta group study table with reading lamps and power outlets at JMU Carrier Library.

AGATI Williams study tables and Baja chairs surrounded by bookshelves in JMU Carrier Library’s Grand Reading Room.

Grand Reading Room: A Modern Home for Print Collections

Keeping Books Close to Students

As library collections become digital, James Madison University found that students increasingly value spaces where they can study alongside physical books. The Grand Reading Room embraces this shift by pairing open shelving with more than 230 Baja Side Chairs, creating a welcoming destination where students can read, research, and work in a quiet academic setting. The room’s warm wood finishes and generous table layouts reinforce the timeless comfort of studying among library books.

The Williams Tables feature integrated tabletop power outlets, but the university intentionally omitted USB charging. Their guiding philosophy, “Long life, Loose fit.”, recognized that power standards evolve more slowly than USB technologies. Kelly explained that the students’ primary need is power and that investment remains relevant as technology continues to change.

Carrier Library’s Experience With AGATI Furniture

Furniture That Earned Its Place in the Next Renovation

As Carrier Library has grown over the decades, so has their furniture collection. In 2008, JMU Libraries purchased 366 Ella chairs, 72 Charles Tables and 18 Charles Carrels for Rose Library. They also purchased Williams Collection pieces over the years, such as the Williams Carrels. When I asked Kelly how she selected furniture for their most recent and biggest renovation, she said:

My experience with the lasting power of your products informed my input as part of the selection process for furniture in a renovated and expanded Carrier Library. I considered our previously purchased furniture, dating back to 2008, and how well it has served us over the years.

Kelly Miller-Martin, Director of Facilities Operations, James Madison University
Carrier Library Renovation & Expansion

Planning a university library renovation? We can help you create spaces that support your goals for independent study and group study. Contact us to discuss your project.

Rows of dark-wood AGATI Williams study carrels beside tall windows at JMU Carrier Library.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you design library study spaces that protect screen privacy for health sciences students?

At the University of Virginia’s Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, AGATI Cove Carrels are arranged side by side with students’ backs to the wall, which shields monitors from public view. Medical students often review confidential patient records, so screen privacy is a critical requirement. Acoustical interior panels and spacious worksurfaces support long, focused study sessions.

Should library study tables include USB charging?

James Madison University chose tabletop power outlets only for the Williams Tables in Carrier Library. Their guiding philosophy, “Long life. Loose fit.,” recognizes that power standards evolve more slowly than USB technologies. Students’ primary need is power, so outlets keep the investment relevant as charging technology changes.

How do you choose library furniture that works in both historic and modern spaces?

James Madison University used one table style, the AGATI Etta Table, throughout the renovated and expanded Carrier Library. Light wood Etta tables welcome students at the South Plaza entrance, and the same tables in a rich dark wood fill the restored 1939 spaces. Etta’s transitional design suits both eras and unifies spaces built nearly a century apart.

How can a large open study room support quiet, individual study?

UVA’s Claude Moore Health Sciences Library divides one expansive quiet study room into multiple quiet study zones using AGATI PODs in a serpentine layout. Each POD gives students a sense of refuge, with visual and acoustical separation that helps them concentrate on complex clinical material.

How do universities evaluate furniture durability before a library renovation?

JMU Libraries looked at how their existing furniture had performed over time. Kelly Miller-Martin, Director of Facilities Operations, considered AGATI furniture purchased as far back as 2008, including 366 Ella chairs, 72 Charles Tables, and 18 Charles Carrels for Rose Library. That experience informed her input in the furniture selection for the renovated and expanded Carrier Library.

Inside Two Virginia University Library Renovations

Designing for Focus and Collaboration: Two Approaches to Library Design

Project Summary: University of Virginia’s Independent Study Solutions

Project Examples: Insights from our Onsite Visit

Privacy-Focused Study Spaces for Healthcare Education

Flexible Study Nooks for Individual Focus and Study Partners

Hampton Nook Duos Adapt to the Changing Needs of Health Sciences Students

Single Study in Large Open Space

Designed for Quiet Refuge and Focus

Project Summary: James Madison University’s Group Study Solutions

Project Examples: Insights from our Onsite Visit

One Timeless Table Style Connects Two Eras

A Shared Study Table That Gives Space Back to Students

Custom Etta Table Invites Students to Study Side by Side

Grand Reading Room: A Modern Home for Print Collections

Keeping Books Close to Students

Carrier Library’s Experience With AGATI Furniture

Furniture That Earned Its Place in the Next Renovation

You don’t have to sacrifice design for durability.