Construction is complete for an 80,000 square foot addition to the UNCW Library. Last expanded in 1986, the UNCW Library is the intellectual heart of the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a favored destination for students to study, collaborate, and discover and use technology.  Construction began in late May 2022 and was preceded by a 4-year process to envision a library that will serve the next generations of UNCW students, faculty, and staff as well as the Wilmington community. 

The new building features many of the hallmarks of a 21st century academic library. Visitors may enter the building through the new west entryway and find a large event and programming space; an area for physical and digital exhibits; and a unique data visualization lab. Our new tech hub offers students expanded computing; a large and reimagined digital makerspace; an enhanced multimedia studio that supports video editing, podcast recording, and more. 

An abundance of the natural light fills the “Link” that connects the expansion to our existing building. The Link has additional food options and it opens to a garden to the south and an outdoor patio to the north, extending the library experience beyond our four walls and connecting with nature in a way Randall never has before.  

Learning, Service, Access, Integrity, and Inclusivity. These are UNCW Library’s values, and they have been our guiding principles for the expansion. The two-building complex (Discovery Hall and Randall Hall) focuses on the continued pursuit of our mission to provide information resources and learner-centered services while cultivating a rich physical and virtual environment dedicated to the open exchange of ideas and an information-literate community.  Discovery Hall, the new expansion, is a technology-enabled space that fosters collaboration, and it is true to our primary vision of expanding into a more modern version of what the former Randall Library has always been: a warm and welcoming “third space” for UNCW and the community we serve, with learning on display, highlighting our unique materials, and continuing our commitment to support research at UNCW and in the southeast NC region.