Beginning May 8, 2024, access to UNCW library services will be modified as the original William Madison Randall Library building will undergo renovations and be closed for onsite entry to UNCW and community patrons. The renovation is one of the final stages in the multi-year expansion and renovation project of the university’s library. The temporary service modifications beginning in May will last for the duration of the renovation, with a goal of returning to normal operations in Fall 2024.
Noticeable from South College Road, construction work on the library’s addition is also progressing quickly as the exterior nears completion and crews continue work on the addition’s interior. The new addition significantly increases the library’s total size to nearly 266,000 gross square feet and brings many exciting new spaces and improvements, including an events space with adjacent exhibit area, a new data visualization teaching lab, and an enhanced and enlarged digital makerspace, recording studio and virtual reality space. The expansion will also consolidate the collections of the Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History with a single research room that will be staffed during the week for walk-in consultations.
The expansion and renovation of Randall Library is an exciting and long-awaited project for the UNCW community. Originally opened in 1969 and last expanded in 1986, the improvements and enhancements with this project are vital for providing engaging and cutting-edge teaching, learning and library services to the university’s nearly 18,000 students and more than 2,500 faculty and staff.
Randall Library is also a staple in the greater Wilmington area with regular visits from community patrons – particularly through usage of the Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History, located within the library. During the building’s renovation, the center will close a few days earlier on May 1. The staff will continue to assist remotely, but portions of the collection may be inaccessible.
More information on the Randall Library Expansion and Renovation project can be found online, including a list of modified library services starting May 8.
This article has the following tags: myUNCW - Students myUNCW Academics myUNCW - Faculty & Staff