Officials at Loyola Marymount University unveiled the new William H. Hannon Library at a campus ceremony Aug. 30, formally opening to the community a sophisticated library that brings the latest in technology and design, officials said.

"While melding with the more traditional buildings on our campus, the William H. Hannon Library also looks to the future," said Jesuit Father Robert B. Lawton, president of the university. "It will be the intellectual hub of our campus, and a place for the community to come together in the pursuit of knowledge."

The library opening is the culmination of a $63 million project, $56 million of which was raised from private sources, starting with a pair of gifts from the William H. Hannon Foundation and the Bill Hannon Foundation. Planning and design for the new facility began in 2006, and construction was completed in July.

The new library includes three above-ground floors and a two-story basement for a total of 121,000 square feet of space, and capacity for a collection of more than 1 million volumes.

It also has more than 100 computer workstations, plus four classrooms and dozens of group study rooms, most of which are equipped with high-definition monitors for students working on collaborative projects. The traditional reference department has become the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation Information Commons, where an information desk is staffed with librarians and IT professionals to help students and faculty get the most out of the available technology and print and electronic resources.

"This is the model of the 21st Century academic library," said Kristine Brancolini, LMU's dean of the library. "We have the latest technology, the most up-to-date design, event spaces, and room to grow our collections. Our students, our faculty, and the community will all benefit from this library."

During the dedication, Cardinal Roger Mahony presented Father Lawton with a special gift for the library: a single page from the Johannes Gutenberg Bible which previously was kept at the Archival Center at San Fernando Mission. The page is two-sided and contains a passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

"The gift is in recognition of the extraordinary relationship which exists between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the University over the many years," the cardinal said, "-a relationship which has resulted in many joint programs to benefit the Church in general, and the people of the Archdiocese in particular." Examples include the LMU Bible Institute, operated in conjunction with the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education; a program to prepare business managers to work in archdiocesan parishes; and the PLACE teachers who work in archdiocesan Catholic elementary and secondary schools.

"In addition," Cardinal Mahony continued, "William Hannon had been a long-time friend and benefactor to countless programs, apostolates and institutions here within our Archdiocese. I knew him over the years, and I always admired his great commitment to his faith, to the Church, and to Catholic education at all levels. The gift of the Gutenberg page is meant to confirm with gratitude that wonderful working relationship."

The cardinal recommended that the Gutenberg Bible page be permanently displayed in the new Hannon Library so that students, scholars and visitors would have the opportunity to view it regularly.

Situated on the bluff between LMU's Jesuit Community and residence halls, the library features a view through its floor-to-ceiling windows that stretches from Playa del Rey to Downtown Los Angeles.

Designed by architecture firm AECOM, the building is expected to qualify for LEED certification. It includes numerous green features, such as the use of recycled building materials, drought-tolerant landscaping and interior lighting that automatically dims in response to the sun's brightness.

The library will be open to the public during daytime hours, and residents of the Westchester (90045), Playa Vista (90094) and Playa del Rey (90293) neighborhoods may apply for a visitors card allowing them access after 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.