Step into a new Hillman Library this fall

When Kornelia Tancheva first stepped into the University of Pittsburgh's Hillman Library in 2017, she saw more than aging infrastructure and outdated reading rooms. She saw potential - a space not yet built, a vision not yet realized.

"There was a project to upgrade, but the construction hadn't begun," Tancheva recalled. "The design had started, and a group was already rethinking what the library could be."

What she inherited was a mid-20th-century structure, a classic research library designed for books, not people. It was more warehouse than community hub, packed with stacks and low on light. The infrastructure was faltering: the HVAC was unreliable, outlets were scarce and the space hadn't kept pace with the digital demands of modern research and teaching.

But rather than simply renovate the building, Tancheva and her team set out to reimagine the very idea of what a university library could offer in the 21st century.

"We had to ask: What are we doing in this space? What's the purpose of a library now?" she said. "It's not enough to make a more comfortable building. We had to make a more relevant one."

Over eight years - spanning a pandemic, shifting technologies and evolving learning styles - Hillman Library underwent a meticulous, floor-by-floor transformation. The renovation was never just cosmetic; it was philosophical, asking: What should a research library do in a world where information is everywhere?

Five core principles guided the redesign: Envisioning the library as a gathering space, focusing on experiential learning, designing for diverse learning styles, emphasizing unique collections and supporting digital scholarship.

"We aren't just accommodating what students and researchers need today," Tancheva said. "We're anticipating what they'll need tomorrow."

Key to Hillman's rebirth was embracing campus-wide and community partnerships. From Pitt Digital to the Center for Creativity and the Center for Teaching and Learning, each floor contains shared resources and reflects shared goals.

For example, the Technology Lab - built with Pitt Digital - offers software support, poster printing and peer tech ambassadors. Student art rotates through the building, while community events draw visitors from across Pittsburgh.

That openness is intentional. "The library should be a bridge," Tancheva said. "Not just between departments, and between students and faculty, but also between the University and the public."