A modern, glass and brick building with a southern wall curved like the pages of a book has opened for business at the center of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus.

The new 153,000 square foot Library and Student Resource Center (SRC) is a state-of-the-art, one-stop shop for students, faculty, staff and community members, as it features not only a public university library and archives but nearly all the academic support and financial services for students in one building.

"I'm most excited that our students have a new bright, vibrant place to be successful," said Gretel Stock, dean of University College. "Since we opened, the amount of energy brought in by students has been amazing."

On the first day it was open, more than 1,670 people walked through, likely due to the excitement for a new building that began its planning stage in 2009. Following more than a decade of advocacy and a review of its mechanical, structural and fire suppression systems of the former Albertson Hall, a replacement building was approved for state funding in 2021. Demolition began in 2023 and construction on the new $96 million building began in November of that year. Learn more about the full process and see timelapse videos here.

From the time it was realized that the project would be a full replacement rather than a remodeling of Albertson Hall, plans were made to make students at the heart of its design, said Stock.

"We had the opportunity to design the space with a purpose," said Stock. "There was careful consideration into how we could make campus services more accessible to students as a whole if we were able to start from scratch."

Student feedback on the new space has been overwhelmingly positive, said Stock, with many citing the additional study areas by the windows, study pod seating and furniture variety and additional power outlets.

Carrying the former building name forward, the first floor of the SRC has been named Albertson Commons. James Albertson was the eighth president of UWSP, then named Wisconsin State Teachers College, who died in a plane crash while on an academic trip to Vietnam. A wall plaque details the history of his tremendous impact on the university and his vision that a library was more than books.

The first floor includes a Student Services Suite on the north side, which includes Financial Aid and Veteran Services, Student Financial Services (bursar) and the Office of the Registrar. The Academic Success Suite on the south side includes the Academic and Career Advising Center, Disability Resource Center, Tutoring-Learning Center and Office of International Education.

The building also includes the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning, an Information Technology service desk and data center, along with the library and University Archives.

Flexibility was a focus in planning. The floors were created to meet the requirements of the 150 pounds of weight per square foot required by a library collection rather than the usual office requirement of 100 pounds per square foot, making future layout changes possible if needed. The student support suites on the first floor use a flexible office system that saves space and money and offers noise cancellation to allow for privacy.

In designing the building, architects looked for ways to personalize the design. One suggestion was to use some of the more than 50,000 extra tiles created for the Trainer Natural Resources mural within the building's décor. The tiles are now inlaid into every office entrance area, creating a link between the SRC and the mural visible from its northwest windows.

In addition, ash trees from campus, including those cut down for the building project, were used to create the main Library Desk, and natural finishes inside include wood, stone and concrete for a natural color palette.

Sustainable features include two green roofs visible from study areas, solar roof panels, energy efficient electricity and use of daylight for the majority of occupied spaces. The placement and angles of the library stacks was designed to avoid UV light to protect paper and other resource materials. In addition, all of the exterior glass is covered in a frit pattern to make it bird friendly.

Another aspect of the project was the redesign of Specht Memorial Forum outside of the SRC. The area, informally known as "The Sundial," now offers green space with new lighting and seating features.

"We knew that space was important to students as well as alumni," said Stock, an alum whose own graduation was held on the forum/sundial space. "The students love the new area and we've kept The Sundial design, with the rays reaching out into campus."

Nearly all the student service offices have moved into the SRC with the exception of the Office of the Registrar and the Office of International Education, which will both move in May. Library hours, floor plans and more information on the new building may be found here.

A grand opening of the SRC is planned for Thursday, Sept. 3, as part of Pointers Week as the university celebrates the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year.