Mary Potter
Monday, March 5, 2012 4:46 pm

(Murray, KY March 2, 2012) - Take a good look at the pretty picture of a new building scheduled to replace the present library at MSU. The artist's drawing on display in the conference room of the Pogue Library is all it will be for years to come.

The Murray State University Board of Regents voted Friday not to pursue a new library building for MSU. The estimated $60 million dollar construction would be funded out of student fees and tuition. The Board was adamant in its rejection of that idea.

The Board directed that all efforts to move the project forward be suspended.

President Randy Dunn was not happy about putting the new library building in mothballs before ground could be broken. He told the Regents that a new library, or the lack of one, would come up when the University faces accreditation in 2014.

Calling the library, “absolutely necessary,” Dunn said that he will “recognize the Board’s authority and will go forth accordingly.” He expressed concern that the Board’s suspension of all efforts on the project would close off searching for areas of future funding.

For all intents and purposes, Dunn told the Board, the library project is on the back burner for the next eight to ten years.