Academic Commons: 2016 and Beyond
Plans for the new building began in the early 1990s after scrapping ideas for another Blackwell Library renovation. Reflecting current nationwide trends to redefine the role of university libraries, Salisbury University decided that the library would become the heart of what is known as an academic commons—an epicenter of intellectual life for the campus.
In addition to the library, including the Nabb Center for Delmarva History and Culture, the academic commons would come to include departments such as the Writing Center, the Center for Student Achievement, Instructional Design and Delivery, and the Math Emporium, as well as new spaces for campus scholars in the Faculty Center and Graduate Commons. Altogether, the building has 405 desk and laptop computers, over 290 monitors with larger ones for group work and teaching, 15 study rooms, and 12 classrooms including two seminar rooms.