UW-Stevens Point's 54-year-old library closes for the last time to make way for $96 million replacement
STEVENS POINT – University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's library closed its doors for the last time this week, making way for a new library.
Students, staff and community members gathered in the lobby of UW-Stevens Point's half-century old library, Albertson Hall, to commemorate its last week open to the public. After Friday, the library will close as university staff relocate services and clear out the building.
For two hours on Thursday, students and university staff shared historic photos, trivia and memories of the building.
The building won't be there next year. UW-Stevens Point will raze Albertson Hall in winter 2023 to make way for a $96 million replacement. Construction of the new library will start in summer 2023 and will take two years to complete.
Last year, former interim UW System President Tommy Thompson secured funding from the state Legislature to replace the building after architectural stability studies showed it was nearing structural instability and had water, heating and cooling systems that were near failing. The replacement of Albertson Hall was at the top of Thompson's building request as part of the university system's capital budget.
Throughout the summer, services and resources for University College, library, archives, student support services and information technology will move out of the building.
Albertson's replacement will be about 174,000 square feet and three stories. The new building would be 33,000 square feet smaller than the current one. The plan for Albertson also includes refurbishing the university's landmark sundial — Specht Forum.
Specht Forum will turn into a park-like setting but still incorporate the sundial design in the new design.
Thursday's celebration of the building capped off sendoff activities for the Museum of Natural History at the library. The museum closed May 15 and will permanently relocate to the first floor of the university's science building. Some displays and programming at the museum will resume at the end of the year.
Student services will relocate to the Collins Classroom Center off of Fourth Avenue.
Meanwhile, the library's resources and archives will remain available to the community at large. The library collection will be temporarily stored at a facility in Plover. People can still request items through the university's website. Access to university archives will be available in room 110 of the Daniel O. Trainer Natural Resources Building on campus.
RELATED: UW-Stevens Point library on verge of being ‘untrustworthy’; officials call for $96M replacement
Contact reporter Alan Hovorka at 715-345-2252 or ahovorka@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ajhovorka.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: UW-Stevens Point library closes ahead of $96 million replacement
