Stepping inside the Ingram Library today, visitors and patrons are greeted with natural light cascading into open spaces where students are studying in small groups, tucked away in favorite hideaway spots, or sprawled on comfortable seats.

Floors above and below offer unexpected and unique spaces for research, studying and group work — all of which have been thoughtfully designed to accommodate the needs of today’s scholars.

The transformational renovations re-imagined the Ingram Library from a quiet place to study into the campus hub for learning outside the classroom. The project reshaped the academic building to support modern library services and contemporary approaches to scholarship, while also providing inspiring, flexible space to study, research, and collaborate.

Infrequently used books were archived and moved to compact shelving. Bookshelves were replaced with moveable tables and chairs, a coffee shop, more intuitive access to library services, and open circulation that sparks spontaneous encounters between students, faculty, and librarians.

One clear measure of success is the increased use of the academic destination. After the renovations, Ingram Library experienced — and has sustained — a nearly 300 percent growth in the gate counts of people coming through its doors.