The Campbell Library is currently undergoing phase two of renovation, aiming to modernize the 30-year-old building. The library originally opened in 1995 and the renovations look to be completed by Spring 2026.

The first floor of the library will be technology-based. The second and third floors will be devoted to the library. The fourth floor will be opened to the virtual reality center, Dreamscape. 

Alexis Breining is the Director of Planning & Design Services for the Campbell Library renovation project. 

“Students can expect a different format to the library than they’re used to,” said Breining. 

With the building being 30 years old, Director of the Campbell Library Elliot Brandow says the renovation is much needed for future Rowan students. 

“I will tell you as I walk through that library, as we’ve now cleared it of our workers, we’ve cleared it of our collections, we’ve cleared it of our technology, we’ve cleared it of our furniture, it needs a renovation,” said Brandow. “I can reassure you of that. The bare minimum of replacing and renovating the physical building that’s, you know, over 30 years old now is pretty dire.” 

He also understands that the renovation of the library is affecting students. 

“So the reality is we are renovating an existing building,” said Brandow. “It is a certain amount of inconvenience and frustration for our community and particularly for students.”

The Campbell Library is a multi-use building that Brandow says students can use for a variety of reasons. For this reason, he and the rest of the library staff have been trying to be transparent about the progression of its renovation.

“We’ve tried to break down the Campbell Libraries, as more than just a physical quiet study space. It is all of these different things. It’s borrowing books, getting research help, and getting access to our electronic collections,” said Brandow. “It’s our course reserves. It’s a quiet study. It’s a group study. It’s computers and printers. So, we’ve tried to kind of delineate all of these things and help our current students understand what’s the status.”

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