Building Project Gets Official Nod

It’s happening: the University Library’s Archives and Special Collections Building Project has officially launched.

In March, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees gave the go-ahead, approving the budget and construction contract to create a new home for three special collections units: the University Archives, the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, and the Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

“We are thrilled to move forward with this transformational project,” said Claire Stewart, the Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian. “These exceptional collections are heavily used in teaching here at Illinois and by scholars from all over the world, and there will now be a dedicated research center to house all of these activities.

“Strong support from our donor community, students, and university leadership has made this possible.”

Construction has begun and is expected to take approximately two years, with a completion date set for 2027.

The project, which will reimagine the space formerly occupied by the Undergraduate Library, was originally approved in January 2022. With initial bids coming in unexpectedly high, the project’s scope was adjusted and additional funding allocated by the university, with a revised cost estimate leading to a successfully secured bid in May 2024.

Following the closing of the Undergraduate Library in May 2022, patron services were integrated across campus, including at the Main Library, Grainger Engineering Library and Information Center, Funk ACES Library, and other campus libraries.