GALLOWAY, N.J. — After two years of renovations, Stockton University has reopened the Richard E. Bjork Library following a $24 million project that expanded the facility to 100,000 square feet.

The number of study rooms has tripled to 33, with several rooms equipped with podcasting equipment for students.
An important aspect of the renovation was the decision to centralize several student and faculty services within the library. This included relocating the Writing, Chemistry, Math and Tutoring Centers, while creating a dedicated space for the Learning Access Program, which supports students with learning differences, as well as the Center for Teaching and Learning Design, which serves as a resource for faculty.

President Joe Bertolino believes the reopening marks a pivotal moment in Stockton’s history.

“This is a project that we’ve been working on for years, and it’s nice to see it come to fruition,” Bertolino said, “I think this is a game changer for the university and I’m thrilled!”

The renovation also brought new opportunities for students and visitors to engage with the library’s resources. Special Collections now has a more prominent role in showcasing its historical materials, while a newly added television studio that gives Communication Studies students a dedicated space to develop practical skills in media production.

Kay Polus, president of the Library Student Advisory Board, said many factors went into planning the renovation. She emphasized that the advisory board prioritized accessibility by supporting 24-hour access for students with varying schedules, including commuters. Polus also emphasized the prioritization of high-quality technology, especially for low-income students.

“One of the things we were prioritizing was technology. As someone who comes from a lower income background, technology was never always accessible so being able to provide that for students who might come from a similar background was really important, especially to me,” Polus said.

The renovated library will remain home to both the Constantelos Hellenic Collection and Reading Room and the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center. However, the Holocaust Resource Center will remain in its temporary location in L-wing through January as renovations to its permanent library space are completed.

Stockton alumna Valerie Hairrell (class of ’74) attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony not only to see the updated library, but also to see the impact of her generous donation to one of the library’s book stacks.

“I started in the Mayflower Hotel and we moved the books from the Mayflower to the campus, and I helped unbox and sort them,” Hairrell said, “working under the direction of Marjorie Wallace, she was the most gracious, lovely, kind, and warmhearted director that we were so lucky to have. I was inspired by those warm memories of her to donate towards one of the book stacks here. And so with her in mind, was my reason for wanting to keep that memory alive of Marjorie Wallace.”

To learn more about the Bjork Library’s resources, visit the Bjork Library page on the Stockton University website. Students are encouraged to utilize the new library resources and reserve study spaces online ahead of time.