Introducing the renovated CECH Library Reading Room
The beginning of spring semester brought with it the opening of the renovated College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) Library Reading Room. Located on the 4th floor of the Teachers-Dyer Complex, and totaling more than 3,000 square feet, the reading room is accessible via the staircase in the CECH Library or directly for those with a Bearcat ID.
Bathed in natural light, the renovated reading room features flexible, soft seating arrangements in the room’s south and north ends and four large study tables with integrated lighting (coming soon) and power access. An inclusive, reservable study room (400B) features adaptive lighting and study and focus tools.
Print collections line the perimeter of the room and include materials that support the entirety of CECH, including the School of Education, School of Criminal Justice, School of Human Services and School of Information Technology. Quick access to additional print collections is available across UC Libraries and the high-density storage facility at Fishwick.
The renovation of the CECH Library 4th floor Reading Room was a joint effort between UC Libraries and CECH. Prior to his retirement in 2023, CECH dean and professor emeritus Larry Johnson teamed up with dean and university librarian Liz Kiscaden to plan for the revitalization of the space. The college expanded its support of the revitalization when CECH dean Lisa Huffman came aboard. The reimagined reading room prioritizes student access and space, while preserving the room’s historical architecture. The re-designed space will also offer improved access, re-opening direct entry from level 4 and adding an additional “front door” to the CECH Library.
Early reviews of the renovated space give the space high marks:
“ I love the vibes here. The space here gives a collegiate feeling.” Mason L.
“I love the color green – it’s my favorite color – and all the plants in the space. With all the natural light, it feels like I’m studying outside.” Pranushaka M.
“The room is so nice and chill. I love that there is enough space for everyone.” Starr R.
Reading Room History
By Katie Foran-Mulcahy, Head of the CECH Library
Before there was the Teachers-Dyer Complex or CECH, there was the Teachers College Building, completed by Garber and Woodward in 1931 for $361,000. Dyer Hall was added the following year, and the buildings were joined in 1957. Teachers and Dyer were modernized and unified in a three-phase renovation project that began in 2001 and concluded in 2016 with the addition of a two-story atrium and relocation of the building’s main entrance to level 3.
In the early days of Teachers College, the atrium space that is now the CECH Library Reading Room was an auditorium dedicated in memory of Annie Laws, an important figure in the history of both the University of Cincinnati and the kindergarten movement, regionally and internationally. Named Annie Laws Memorial Auditorium, the 18th-century style space was said to be “suitable for lectures, pageants, religious services, student-body convocations, and the gatherings of mothers’ clubs and other organizations” according to a Cincinnati Enquirer article from 1931.
Totaling more than 3,000 square feet and decked out with crown molding and art-deco-style grilles, the auditorium was indeed used for assemblies and events. Historical newspaper articles reveal its most common uses were for speakers and musical performances. At some point (circa the 1990s) the space was converted into a computer lab, complete with a drop ceiling obscuring much of its architectural grandeur.
When the CECH Library was relocated from the Carl Blegen Library next door in 2008, it made its new home in room 400 of Teachers-Dyer. Thankfully that drop ceiling was removed, and the space was remodeled to host more than 25,000 volumes and a service point.
As part of the 2016 renovation of Teachers-Dyer, the CECH Library’s main entrance was relocated down to level 3, resulting in a sense of unification between the library and the college itself. Moving the main entrance downstairs to level 3, however, also included the relocation of the library’s main service point, which resulted in the closure of the doors on level 4. It was then that the library space on level 4 transitioned from a bustling service point to a quiet reading room. For the last decade, the room has been somewhat of a best-kept-secret, only accessible from level 3 and prioritizing the storage of print collections over the people who use them.
The recently renovated CECH Library Reading Room aims to remedy that by reopening the level 4 entry, making the space more accessible and usable, while still providing a place for people to gather and study. It heightens the visibility of this space and serves as a fitting tribute as the building marks its 95th year of service to the college and university.
SAVE THE DATE: CECH Library Reading Room Opening Celebration – Tuesday, April 21 – details to follow.
Works Consulted
Archives and Rare Books Library. (2025, August 29). UC buildings. University of Cincinnati Libraries.
Bennett, P. (2001). The campus guide: University of Cincinnati an architectural tour. Princeton Architectural Press.
Co-Operative Society, University of Cincinnati. Teachers College, University of Cincinnati. [Postcard]. Columbus Metropolitan Library: My History.
Fuller, D.M. (2008, October 28). Students at the center of transformation of Teachers College. UC News.
Hargreaves, G. (2015). Overview of the history of the University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati Guide: Appendix.
LiBLog – https://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/liblog/2009/04/introducing-the-new-cech-library/
Project bid in Enquirer to renovate Annie Laws Auditorium
Initially called Annie Laws Memorial Auditorium:
- New building opened September 1931
- Memorial meeting and tribute held Oct. 25, 1931. Article included:
- Four major divisions In the new Teachers’ College Building comprise the memorial given by the friends of Miss Laws to perpetuate her memory. The first of these is the Laws Memorial Auditorium, a beautiful room in Eighteenth Century style, seating 450, suitable for lectures, pageants, religious services, student-body convocations and thegatherings of mothers clubs and other organizations.
Mark Lane Gives Talk in Annie Laws Auditorium on April 21, 1964 – “Assassination of President Kennedy and the Defense of Lee Oswald”
