Wilson Library sits at the center of UNC’s campus, as it has for nearly 100 years. But the facility needs several safety improvements – which university officials announced this week will require the library to close for an extended period of time.
Wilson Library, which is UNC’s oldest library on campus, has not been renovated since 1987 when it became the university’s dedicated spot for its special collections. While the historic building earned much attention around its facilities in 2022 due to the discovery of lead traces in its water, it is also not up to code for the best emergency safety protocols.
María Estorino, the university librarian, presented details of the upcoming renovation of Wilson Library to the UNC Employee Forum on Wednesday. She said the building’s sprinkler coverage needs to be extended and its fire alarm system requires significant upgrades – and those aren’t even the most expensive element.
“We are creating two additional egress staircases and routes within the building to reach those staircases,” said Estorino. “[We are going] to increase our capacity for the possibility of emergency egress, and those are going to be on the backside of the building.”
UNC says because of Wilson Library’s size and age, the entire facility will be emptied out during the bulk of those renovations. That is set to begin next August, as the special collections in Wilson will be moved off-site and will be unavailable for researchers or teachers to access. Library services won’t be available and only select spaces will be open to the public. Then, in 2025, staff will be relocated, and the building will close entirely until construction is finished – which is projected to be in 2027.
“Part of the reason why we have to close the building is it’s a complex project,” said Estorino, “and the construction is going to require a lot of equipment both outside the building and inside. We need to ensure that our materials and our people are out of the way and safe while these projects are going on.”
An anticipated timeline for the Wilson Library renovations as of November 2023, which were presented to the UNC Employee Forum over Zoom by María Estorino.
With that closure and the special collections unavailable, it means that several student jobs and about 200 seats of study space will be unavailable. But Estorino said the library’s digital collections and instructional services will still be accessible for the community to use. She also said the Music Library and Center for Faculty Excellence, which both call Wilson Library home, will be relocated and still available during the closure.
While the changes are largely meant to benefit patrons’ safety, Estorino said she believes the updates will also make the library easier for them to use.
“If you’ve ever tried to book something at Wilson, you know that we have really strict hours,” she said, “and that’s largely because of the regulations we have in place, conditions under which we can and cannot have the building open. So, it’s our hope that even without a more programmatic renovation, it will simply make the building more available.”
The goal, according to the university, will be to complete the renovations before a major milestone in Wilson Library’s history – as its centennial anniversary of opening approaches in 2029. Estorino said she thinks with those updates, the building will be “bursting” with opportunity to celebrate its achievements throughout the years at Carolina. And, she added, it can set an example for how UNC’s historic facilities can best support cutting-edge research and creativity.
“I think of this project,” Estorino said, “as the key that will unlock the future possibilities of Wilson Library.”
UNC Libraries established a webpage for the Wilson Library project, which will be updated as the closures get nearer. The university also has a dedicated email address for people to use if they have questions about the construction project (wilsonproject@office.unc.edu). Questions about accessing resources or the impact to teaching can be sent to wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
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