UW-Oshkosh’s Polk Library was approved for a $137.5 million renovation project by the State Building Commission as part of approximately $205.7 million worth of construction projects across Wisconsin Feb. 4.
“I’m proud the state continues to prioritize projects that ensure fundamental institutions have the foundation to support both current and future needs,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a press release. “Wisconsinites know the value these institutions bring to everyday quality of life, and supporting their success is essential to planning for the kind of future we want to see for our state.”
The Polk Library Redefined project is set to demolish and rebuild part of the facility constructed in 1962 and fully renovate the wing of the building established in 1969. It also aims to improve Polk’s footprint by 30% with a downsizing of the complex from 232,000 square feet to 163,000, beginning in May of 2027. Substantial completion is expected by November 2029.
The downsizing is a step towards modernizing the campus and moving away from the traditional idea of a library.
“The goal of this particular renovation is a complete reimagination of a library space,” UWO Chancellor Manohar Singh said. “From being a space where there’s books, to a space where you gather together, use technology to share information that is already created and then find each other as human beings in that space.”
According to uwosh.edu/polkredefined, the library will become a “modern haven” for student study, creativity, tutoring and writing center support, multimedia technology and wi-fi that’s lightyears ahead of what’s currently available in the space.
Polk is also projected to become a centralized hub on campus for student support services and organizations.
“The philosophy we have at UWO is that academic institutions aren’t just about education and academic learning, they’re about learning beyond the books, beyond the boundaries of a university and discovering oneself,” Singh said. “… So if you’re just studying accounting, that is okay you will get that degree, but what we are trying to say is that we want you to experience college life much bigger than being an accountant.”
State Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim announced in a press release on Feb. 4, she had been fighting for the project’s approval before she officially took office Jan. 6, 2025.
“I’ve toured Polk Library, and I can tell you that this project is absolutely necessary to support the research and the work that professors, staff and students are engaging in,” Dassler-Alfheim said. “Libraries are the beating heart of any university campus, but the new Polk Learning Commons is going to be so much more than that – not to mention that the improvements and overall reduction in square footage are going to lower utility costs and save money in the long-run.”
Polk is now 63 years old and according to uwosh.edu/polkredefined, over 50% of the building’s components were reported as in poor condition in a May 2024 report. Its pipes are disintegrating and entire sections of the building are at risk, making them unusable.
It will be a construction-filled next few years across campus as Polk Library joins the list of many projects happening, like the overground pipes set to be placed underground in the coming months, along with the demolition of Donner Hall, Radford Hall and Webster Hall. Students should expect a modernized, technologically-rich campus as a result.
