By Timothy Ritterbusch, Staff Writer
On Oct. 14, President Philip Ryken sent an email announcing renovations to the campus library. As part of the Faithfully Forward capital campaign, renovations will include new Learning and Accessibility Services (LAS) facilities, an expanded writing center and more collaborative workspaces for students.
According to Jordan Christner, director of the Faithfully Forward campaign, construction is aimed to begin in the spring semester of 2027 and be completed by the fall semester of 2028. The fundraising goal for the library is $54 million.
While the library is under construction, Coray Alumni Gymnasium will house part of the library’s collection for students to access. Less-used items will be placed in storage elsewhere on campus. Wheaton will use interlibrary loan programs during this time to ensure that students can access the books they need.
The library’s Nicholas Wing, built in 1950, will be torn down and replaced with a new building. According to Dean of Library and Archives Brent Etzel, the Nicholas Wing’s second floor cannot currently support the weight of library stacks, meaning that much of its space cannot be used. The new design aims to correct this.
“It might only be a couple of percentage points bigger, but it will be laid out in such a way that it’ll be much more efficient and a lot more of the second-floor space we could use to store the books,” Etzel said.
The newer wing, built in 1975, will remain but undergo significant interior changes to adapt to the modern educational landscape.
“The way students do schoolwork, prepare for exams, write papers and do projects together has changed,” Etzel said. In recognition of this cultural shift, the new design will include more space for collaborative work and for audio and visual media creation. Wheaton’s writing center will also move to a more central location in the new design.
“The new design will definitely place the writing center at a position where more people have access to it, and I think hopefully shape a better understanding of how writing is integral to the Wheaton College education,” said junior English education major Gracielle Lee, who works as the writing center’s student manager of operations.
One of the most significant changes includes relocating LAS from the Student Services Building to the library, where its facilities will expand.
“We are thrilled to think of a space where LAS can provide all of its resources and assistance under one roof, from peer coaching to test proctoring to our monthly Foundations series,” said Melissa Norton, director of LAS.
The changes to the library design will enable students to utilize the space more effectively, turning the library into a hub for learning on campus. Etzel said he hopes the library will serve students and the college well. “It’s an attempt at being responsible with our resources. It’s definitely gonna be an improvement in the student experience.”
