John Unsworth, the University’s Dean of Libraries and an English professor, sent an email to the University community Wednesday afternoon regarding the continuation of the Alderman Library renovations. The email stated that Gov. Ralph Northam (D-Va.) recently approved construction funding without alteration, allowing the University to move forward with the renovation project.
Alderman will be fully closed in May 2020 and is expected to reopen by spring of 2023. Unsworth added that library materials will be moved from Alderman to Clemons Library and Ivy Stacks starting in May 2019 as construction activity begins on a small scale. No materials are being removed from circulation.
The $160 million renovation plans were approved by the Board of Visitors in June 2018 and will include the demolition of both the old and new stacks of the library, which were built in 1938 and 1967, respectively. A larger new addition will be created with student study spaces replacing many of the stacks and new terraces on the north side of Alderman, providing views out onto University Avenue. Preliminary construction work will begin in the Alderman stacks in January 2020.
“We look forward to working with you during this transitional time to make the renovated Alderman a library that welcomes all who enter and inspires them in their scholarly and academic pursuits,” Unsworth wrote in his email.
According to their website, the University library system is currently collaborating with other spaces on Grounds to help students find useful places to work while Alderman is closed.