Lilly Library at Bishop's House, Renovation Update

Hard Hats and High Hopes: Our Library Advisory Board Gets a First Look at Lilly’s Transformation

Looking around the Carpenter Reading Room. The ornamental plaster ceiling has been repainted, the windows restored, and most of the original woodwork removed. New finishes and lighting will be installed to preserve the charm and character of this inspiring quiet study space, and new millwork display bookshelves will be installed along the room’s perimeter.

Two weeks ago, members of the Duke Library Advisory Board got a hard hat tour of the Lilly Library renovation site. The Library Advisory Board meets on campus twice a year, and it includes some of our biggest library supporters and advocates. The board has been hearing about plans for the renovation for years, and they were instrumental in making those plans a reality. But this was the first time they got an up-close look at the site since the library closed to the public in the summer of 2024.

With the steel framing for the new addition completed, new floor decking erected and filled with concrete, and new portals cut through the masonry walls to connect the original historic structure with the modern steel-and-glass addition, it’s getting easier to imagine what the new-and-improved Lilly Library is going to look like.

The Library Advisory Board also heard about plans for the next phases of the project in the coming months. While the construction crew continues to frame out the walls and install the building’s plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems, several library working groups are meeting to advance other aspects of the project. These include finalizing furniture selections and fabrics based on feedback gathered during our furniture fairs earlier this year; identifying artwork to go throughout the building; designing signage and reservation processes for group study rooms and other high-demand spaces; working with our campus partners who will have dedicated space in Lilly (such as the Thompson Writing Program, OIT, Duke Dining Services, and the Duke Testing Center); and designing outreach programs and events so that we can hit the ground running when Lilly officially opens.

Since we can’t take everyone inside an active construction site, we wanted to share a few images from the board’s behind-the-scenes tour. (Special thanks to our board chair Erica Swenson Danowitz for sharing some of her pics!) We’re approximately one year out from the renovation’s planned completion date, and it’s exciting to see all the different elements finally coming together.

Remember, throughout the renovation, Lilly Library staff will operate out of Bishop’s House (located behind Bassett Residence Hall and next to the Academic Advising Building), where you can always get help with any library questions or services.

Standing just inside Lilly’s main front door. On one side of this entryway will be the new Booklover’s Room, while the other side will be occupied by the Writing Center, where students will be able to get help with their writing and course assignments.
A view of the main entrance atrium. Workers have erected a temporary wooden platform above while they install the library’s new sprinkler system. At upper left, you can see the new second-story balcony that will connect the building’s two wings.
Lilly Project Manager Eddie Hull indicates where the library’s stack core originally stood. This area will now be occupied on the main floor by the library service concourse, where Lilly’s service and checkout desk will be located.
On the Lower Level, the group stands where a new reading area and open collaboration space will be, surrounded by new group study rooms.
On the Lower Level, Eddie Hull points to where high-density compact shelving will be installed. After the renovation, most of Lilly’s collection materials will be stored on the Lower Level, in order to open up more user space on the floors above.
Inside the Thomas Reading Room on the second floor of the building. The charm and character of this beloved quiet study spot will be preserved, with new furnishings, fresh colors and curtains, and many more electrical outlets bringing it into the twenty-first century.
The Library Advisory Board poses for a group photo in the space that will eventually be Lilly’s new café/commons, where students and faculty will be able to meet up over coffee. In terms of square footage, the café will be slightly larger than the von der Heyden Pavilion at Perkins Library. Check back soon for more updates!