Students studying in Pattee now have a different view of University life through new tinted windows.

The project to replace the 50-year-old windows in central Pattee and the stacks began last April, said Ron Servello, manager of libraries facilities, planning and maintenance. The project cost about $750,000 and was funded by the University's capital improvement fund, which comes from state money, he said.

The old windows were worn, not energy-efficient and did not keep the weather out, Servello said.

"(The new windows) help to protect the collection," he said.

They are essential to maintain a comfortable study environment for students and preserve Pattee's collection, Servello said.

"It was definitely the right kind of expenditure because it had 100 percent value," he said, adding that the project is almost completed.

About 320 tinted windows were installed in Pattee, said David Hace, vice president of Wickersham Construction and Engineering Inc., the Lancaster company that installed the windows. During installation, only two or three windows were broken.

"It should generally provide a more usable library, especially in stacks," Hace said.

Servello said students were unaffected by the window replacement. The only section of the library closed was the stacks. The desks on the north wall of the stacks were removed, but books were still accessible.

But some students were disrupted by the construction. Heidi Hendershott (graduate-media studies) said the construction should not have taken place during the academic year.

"The remodeling was a real hassle -- it was really cold," she said. "They should have to do it in the off times."

Trent Santonastaso (senior-biology) was upset because he couldn't study in the stacks.

The heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems were also replaced at the same time. The second project cost about $500,000, Servello said, adding that it made things more difficult to have two projects going on at once. The new windows and climate-control system are more efficient, he said.