2026 Academic Libraries Overview

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LIBRARIES OVERVIEW CUNNINGHAM LIBRARY VISIONINGACADEMIC STUDY INDIANA STATE UNIVERSIT3 Y

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HIGHER EDUCATION: ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

STUDIO LOCATIONS

The collegiate library represents the institution’s attitude and commitment to learning.

INDIANAPOLIS

But more than that, contemporary libraries are indicative of a campus’ culture, its history and its sense of community. RATIO’s library design studio has served higher education institutions throughout the United States. With over 30 years of experience in library design and more than eight million square feet of library space in our portfolio, we are able to bring a national perspective to your project.

CHICAGO DENVER K ANSAS CIT Y RALEIGH MILWAUKEE CHAMPAIGN

DISCIPLINES ARCHITECTURE HISTORIC PRESERVATION INTERIOR DESIGN

We design to cultivate connections.

Knowing and caring about a place - its people, history, culture, and ecology - are fundamental to design. Our Studios skillfully see, listen, ask questions, and seek

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE URBAN DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGN

opportunities. As thoughtful interpreters, we design places that are in harmony with their regions and active in their vitality.

We design informed by interdisciplinary wisdom.

Shaping deeply relevant design solutions requires both specialized knowledge and expansive thought. We cultivate collaboration across all our disciplines and subject matter experts, avoiding blind spots and increasing possibilities.

We design in the open.

Design is a collective experience. We practice a transparent process with our clients and communities where all perspectives are welcome, and everyone moves toward impactful, creative solutions together.

We Design for Impact.

COLUMBUS LEARNING CENTER COLUMBUS, IN

200+ Design professionals and support staff across seven studios

70+ Academic Library Projects Nationwide

87 LEED Certified or Registered Facilities

28% Percent of Revenue Paid to XBE Consultants

ACADEMIC LIBRARIES OVERVIEW

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Roy O. West Library Expansion + Renovation LOCATION

DePauw University selected RATIO to renovate its Roy O. West

GREENCASTLE, IN

Library and explore solutions to modernize the building through

CLIENT DEPAUW UNIVERSIT Y

the integration of cutting-edge technology. As a highly competitive liberal arts institution with 2,300 students, the university aimed to update the library while preserving the traditions of its distinctive

SIZE 92,602 COST

campus experience. The library, which was dedicated in 1956 and sits at the core of the Greencastle campus, had not undergone renovations since 1986, prior to the advancements in technology

$21.5M

that are now integral to the academic environment.

COMPLETE

RATIO conducted visioning sessions and interviews with students,

2022

faculty, and staff to develop design concepts for the project.

CONTACT

The new library design features improved facilities including

BROOKE COX

an academic technology commons with digital production and

765.658.4342

visualization labs, collaborative study and teaching spaces, as well as event spaces. The exterior spaces include an event terrace and a garden study area. Notable enhancements include a signature twostory reading room and improvements to the university’s Tenzer Technology Center, which is equipped with advanced technology.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

ACADEMIC LIBRARIES OVERVIEW

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Pius XII Memorial Library Academic Technology Commons LOCATION

Built in 1959, the 215,000-square-foot Pius XII Memorial Library

ST. LOUIS, MO

at Saint Louis University houses more than 1.3 million volumes.

CLIENT SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y

In 2016, the University transformed its main floor into the 24,409-square-foot Academic Technology Commons (ATC), creating a campus destination for innovation, collaboration, and

SIZE 25,710 SF COST

technology-rich learning. The ATC integrates IT and library services through a peer-based support model, providing seamless access to academic resources and expertise.

$3.2M

The Innovation Studio features interactive visualization displays, COMPLETE 2017

virtual 3D modeling, holographic projection, 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics, and drone technology. Recording studios, media

CONTACT

editing stations, consultation rooms, collaboration studios, active

KYLE COLLINS

learning classrooms, and quiet study areas accommodate diverse

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learning styles and creative work.

Supported by IT professionals, librarians, instructional technologists, and student interns, the ATC offers concierge-style assistance that connects students and faculty with technology, digital resources, and library services. Together, these flexible spaces foster creativity, collaboration, innovation, and academic success across campus.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Jackson Library Master Plan + Conceptual Design LOCATION

UNC Greensboro engaged RATIO’s nationally recognized academic

GREENSBORO, NC

library studio to study the scope and costs of transforming the

CLIENT UNIVERSIT Y OF NORTH CAROLINA

nearly 240,000 SF Jackson Library (1954, 1978) into a technologyrich campus hub.

GREENSBORO SIZE 276,423 SF

Designed to LEED Silver standards, the planned renovation and 54,870 SF addition will support new initiatives for education and research, faculty development, and campus and community

COST

engagement. Programmatically, the new library will assemble many

$58M (ESTIMATED)

new partnerships, including Student Success, Technology, Digital

COMPLETE 2019 SUSTAINABILIT Y

Scholarship, and Instruction, into an effective, centrally located asset. RATIO also helped reconceive collection storage, expand the library’s Special Collection and Archives, and add clarity to the building’s wayfinding.

DESIGNED TO LEED SILVER CONTACT AMY HARRIS HOUK 336.334.5880

Through a series of visioning workshops, interviews, precedent tours, evaluation of current infrastructure, and systems and technology planning workshops, the study resulted in a dynamic vision for Jackson Library’s future, with project costs and a phased implementation plan that will be used to make a case for state legislative funding.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Berry Library + Student Success Center LOCATION

Black Hillls State University selected the RATIO team to develop a

SPEARFISH, SD

new vision for the Berry Library which would provide their students

CLIENT

with a diverse campus center supporting academic success.

BLACK HILLS STATE UNIV.

The first floor of the reimagined library is a comprehensive SIZE 68,000 SF COST $8M

marketplace of student success functions including a Writing Center, Math Lab, Tutoring Center, Career Center, Advising and Technology Help Desk. The lower level houses a new Center for University Archives and Special Collections, a Maker Lab, Production Studios, and the Dakota Digital Network Classroom.

COMPLETE 2022

The upper level houses traditional library functions with increased collaborative study spaces, expanded use of windows for

CONTACT

daylighting and mountain views, and a fireplace nook for casual

RANDY CULVER

study. An expanded café opens to a covered terrace with a variety

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of tables and seating.

RATIO AS LIBRARY PROGRAMMING + PL ANNING IN ASSOCIATION WITH WILLIAMS + ASSOCIATES.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Krannert Library Renovation LOCATION

The Krannert Memorial Library was originally built in 1977. In

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

2014, University and library leadership determined it was vital to

CLIENT UNIVERSIT Y OF INDIANAPOLIS

reenergize the building as the heart of academic life on campus, with active learning spaces, modernized study environments, and natural daylighting incorporated into the existing building.

SIZE 63,750 SF COST $3.8M

RATIO’s design team helped the library realize their vision to reinvent several traditional service models. A reimagined service desk removes the barrier between student and librarian and offers an obvious spot for specialized consultation. Carefully

COMPLETE 2015

selected furniture encourages group study and collaboration or alternatively promotes quiet individual study. The University’s

CONTACT

Writing Center moved to a more accessible space on the first floor,

ANDREA NEWSOM

and a new instruction/technology lab supports teamwork. Teaching

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instruction is also redesigned here, with a flexible lab for testing new pedagogies.

A modest budget and the desire to perform all construction activity during the summer break in order to maintain full library functionality presented unique challenges to the project schedule.

BEFORE RENOVATION

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Wilmeth Active Learning Center LOCATION

The Active Learning Center at Purdue University Libraries reimagines

WEST LAFAYET TE, IN

the academic library as a dynamic hub for teaching, learning, and

CLIENT PURDUE UNIVERSIT Y SIZE

collaboration. Responding to the growth of digital resources, Purdue consolidated multiple science and engineering libraries into a single, more efficient facility that integrates classrooms, study space, and library services.

163,091 SF

Designed to extend learning beyond the classroom, the building COST

features 27 active learning classrooms accommodating 30 to 300

$48.2M

students. Flexible, technology-rich spaces include movable furniture,

COMPLETE 2017 CONTACT

integrated audiovisual systems, dual video displays, assisted listening loops, and support for both in-person and distance learning. Team rooms, study spaces, librarian offices, and a multi-use auditorium further enhance the learning environment.

MICHAEL FOSMIRE 765 494 2859

By blending instructional and informal learning spaces, the Active Learning Center encourages collaboration before, during, and after class. This integrated approach creates greater flexibility for students and faculty while maximizing campus resources and supporting innovative, technology-enabled teaching and learning.

RATIO AS LIBRARY PROGRAMMING + PL ANNING IN ASSOCIATION WITH BSA LIFESTRUCTURES.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Walter E. Helmke Library Renovation LOCATION

To better accommodate its unique “triage” model of academic

FORT WAYNE, IN

service, PFW modernized its existing 1970 library with more efficient,

CLIENT PURDUE UNIVERSIT Y FORT WAYNE

functional and social spaces. A previous project created a “front door” to the second floor via a bridge from a new student center. While this improvement and the removal of obsolete stacks sparked the creation of an interim DIY learning commons, two main entrances also caused

SIZE

disorientation and confused the functions of two different student

88,650 SF

service desks.

COST

With RATIO on board, the programming phase surfaced a need

$8.3M COMPLETE 2016

to connect the first and second floors as a redefined active and open learning commons. RATIO’s design strategy introduced a new monumental stair, improving pedestrian flow and visual connection between the first floor circulation desk and a second floor help

CONTACT

“concierge” desk, where students connect with trained peer tutors for

GREG JUSTICE

help in a variety of subjects. The rest of the space includes furniture to

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suit a variety of studying and postural preferences; new group study/ presentation practice rooms will provide needed acoustical privacy.

Lastly, new HVAC and lighting systems create a more comfortable, welcoming environment.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Beltine Campus Learning Resource Center LOCATION

The new three-story library and classroom building at Midlands

COLUMBIA, SC

Technical College serves as a multifunctional hub for teaching,

CLIENT MIDLANDS TECHNICAL COLLEGE

learning, and student success. Positioned along Rosewood Drive, the Learning Commons has become the focal point of the Beltline Campus, with its main entrance opening to a courtyard and campus

SIZE 43,205 SF COST $11.4M

green that provides a gathering space for students and faculty.

The ground floor features technology-rich classrooms, computer labs, and teleconference-enabled learning spaces that support flexible instruction. The main level includes the library, a cyber café,

COMPLETE 2017 SUSTAINABILIT Y

coffee commons, more than 100 computer stations, group study rooms, faculty offices, and traditional quiet study areas, creating a convenient one-stop destination for academic resources.

LEED SILVER CERTIFIED

The upper level houses additional library collections, study rooms CONTACT MICHAEL PROCTOR 803 822 3217

in a variety of sizes, the Academic Success Center with onsite tutoring, and the Life Skills Center. Designed to foster collaboration while supporting individual study, the facility also achieved LEED Silver certification—the first building on the Beltline Campus to earn this distinction.

RATIO AS LIBRARY PROGRAMMING + PL ANNING IN ASSOCIATION WITH QUACKENBUSH ARCHITECTS + PL ANNERS.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Archives and Special Collections Library LOCATION

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library is the

CHAMPAIGN, IL

second largest academic library in the country and a notable ARL

CLIENT

Member Institution. Partnering with Shepley Bulfinch, RATIO is

UNIVERSIT Y OF ILLINOIS

continuing a long history of work on the UIUC campus. Currently in

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

construction, the Undergraduate Library Redevelopment Project

SIZE 146,000 SF

is the first of several phased projects that will reimagine and modernize the University’s two central library facilities.

COST

Phase 1 redevelops the Undergraduate Library into a Center for

$47M

Archives, Rare Books and Special Collections. For the first time,

COMPLETE 2027 (ESTIMATED)

the University’s vast and often irreplaceable collections will be brought together into a specialized center for preservation storage, outreach, and research. The main level will support exhibits,

CONTACT

classrooms, research spaces, staff offices, and processing areas.

THOMAS TEPER

The lower level will provide high capacity storage in environmentally

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control vaults intended to protect the collection for decades to come. The $47M Phase 1 project is scheduled to begin construction in Spring 2025.

RATIO AS EXECUTIVE ARCHITECT IN ASSOCIATION WITH SHEPLEY BULFINCH.

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SELECTED PROJECTS

Andrew G. Truxal Library Renovation + Addition LOCATION

The Andrew G. Truxal Library, constructed in 1967, is one of the original

ARNOLD, MD

buildings on AACC’s eastern campus. The project began with the

CLIENT ANNE ARUNDEL COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE

completion of a state-required programming process (Part I & II) and an Educational Specifications document. Successfully funded, bids for the construction of an addition to and renovation of the existing building were received and well under budget.

SIZE 75,010 SF

The complex houses an expanded Student Success Center—an integrated one-stop environment including the Technology Learning

COST $14.9M COMPLETE 2012

Center; the Department of Reading Instruction; Honors Program; a Tutoring Center; Supplemental Instruction; Labs for Math, Computation, Reading, Writing; and the SASP program (a support program for first-generation college students). It also provides 20 collaboration rooms, a learning commons, two information literacy

SUSTAINABILIT Y

instruction labs, and a specially designated ‘quiet’ reading room. All

LEED GOLD CERTIFIED

spaces are tied together with the library by the Commuter Commons, a space for informal collaboration and socializing modeled on an urban

CONTACT CYNTHIA STEINHOFF

hotel lobby.

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RATIO AS LIBRARY PROGRAMMING, PL ANNING + FURNISHINGS IN ASSOCIATION WITH EWINGCOLE.

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