Cabell Library to receive fourth floor special collections expansion
Rendering of the proposed Cabell Library fourth floor renovation. Photo courtesy of VCU.
Sal Orlando, Staff Writer
The VCU Board of Visitors voted on Sept. 11 to begin work on a fourth-floor expansion of James Branch Cabell Library that will revitalize the Special Collections and Archives section.
The project outlines plans to renovate the fourth floor of the library and add 18,000 square feet of space to Special Collections and Archives — which houses thousands of university records, art pieces, rare books and medical artifacts dating back decades to centuries.
The project will make way for a new Book Arts Lab, an exhibit area, three to five offices and a shared workspace. 24,000 square feet of existing book storage space is also being renovated.
The renovations will allow the Health Sciences Library Special Collections and Archive materials to be relocated from the University Medical Center Campus to Cabell Library, which will make room for the proposed VCU Health Inpatient Tower.
The project, including the transport of materials between libraries, will be funded mostly by VCU Health, according to chief financial officer Meredith Weiss. It is estimated to cost $14 million, with $12.1 million provided by VCU Health if the system’s Board of Directors approves.
While the project’s main goal is to make room for the new hospital tower, the other fourth-floor additions will serve the broader VCU community, multiple students and faculty said.
“The Book Arts Lab will expand the ability of others to create and be inspired by our Artist Book collection,” stated Irene Herold, dean of libraries and university librarian. VCU’s Artist Book collection is one of the largest on the East Coast, containing over 4,000 items.
A Book Art Residency was launched at VCU in 2024, which sparked the concept of transitioning VCU’s Book Art Collection — established in 1979 — into a functional Book Arts Lab, according to VCU News. The university defines “Book Art” as “works of art that reference or use the form of the book to convey meaning.”
Herold worked with the Facilities Management Division and architects last summer to help construct designs and estimate costs for the renovation.
“This expansion was first discussed over a decade ago,” Herold stated. “I have been fortunate that I have been able to add some newer vision to the proposal in keeping with our mission and purpose of having a used collection.”
Virginia Totaro, a focused inquiry associate professor, previously taught in the library and would consider teaching classes there again given the addition of new office spaces, she stated.
“My students are required to utilize library search tools for my course,” Totaro stated. “As I tell them, your tuition and fees pay for access to a wide range of resources, so use them!”
Mika Moxley, a first-year social work student, said she often works on the fourth floor and would be interested in taking a class in the added sections.
Robert Carter, a second-year communication arts major, said there is not a lack of workspace at the library but is looking forward to the coming renovations.
“I think there should just be more stuff in the library to attract people,” Carter said.
The library will be raising money from donors on Sept. 18 as part of an upcoming university-wide fundraising campaign, according to VCU Libraries spokesperson Sue Robinson.
Recent renovations to the library include the addition of the Reflection Room, the Sensory Room, furniture refreshes and the nearly completed Data Viz (Visualization) Wall.
