Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Grove City College Library to See $9M Renovation

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/08/21

On the campus of Grove City College in Grove City, Pa., the Henry Buhl Library is in the middle of a $9-million renovation project. The library first opened in 1954 and has not seen any major improvements or construction work since then. About 75% of the building will undergo renovations like the addition of group study rooms, classrooms, a reading room, a lounge, a café, and a patio. It will also receive technology upgrades and additional power sources.

“The library is the major information center on campus, and we strive to support our students’ changing technology needs, study habits, and academic expectations in the 21st century,” said library director Barbra Munnell. “The renovation will enable the library to improve upon providing the academic support necessary to help students succeed while giving them ample space to work together, to study and to be a community of scholars.”

The new ground floor will play home to a large, flexible study space; a reference room; and the college’s writing center, registrar’s office and academic resource center. The first phase of the project—including installation of the second-floor library stacks—is scheduled to be complete by the end of the summer, before students return to campus. The second phase of construction is scheduled to begin in December and last through summer 2022.

About 1,500 shelves’ worth of books and almost 6,000 books and journals from the library were relocated for the duration of the construction project.

Grove City College received a grant of $2.5 million from the Pew Charitable Trust to help fund the renovations, while the majority of the expenses are being funded by donations.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.