The college has announced that Maya Lin and the architectural firm Shepley Bulfinch have been selected to lead the redesign of Neilson Library.

Maya Lin (whose mother was Class of 1951) is best known for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. Shepley Bulfinch has extensive experience with college and university campus architectural projects.

A Library Program Committee, led by the Provost Katherine Rowe, is identifying and prioritizing building elements such as user spaces, collections and services for the renovated library. Community input is being sought from students, faculty and alumnae. This work will continue into next fall.

Neilson Library has undergone three major expansions since it was built in 1910, each focused primarily on creating space for its ever-expanding collections. Today, the library holds over one million volumes on six floors. The next iteration of the building will not just address space constraints but will in particular address changing patterns of use and the need for different kinds of space. “Libraries are more than boxes of books now,” President McCartney has said. “In the past libraries have consisted of study space and books, but there is more to the modern-day library.”

Director of Libraries Chris Loring served on the Architect Selection Committee, and he recently spent an afternoon with Lin touring one of her current building projects. “I was incredibly impressed with her,” he said, “The way she thinks about a project from the smallest detail to the overall design is amazing... she is creative, imaginative, thoughtful and innovative. Smith is extraordinarily fortunate that she and Shepley Bulfinch have teamed up for what will be one of the campus's most important projects for decades to come.”

More Information

Read the Smith College news release for information about designer Maya Lin and national design firm Shepley Bulfinch chosen for the project.

Visit New Neilson Library Building Project to learn more about the project.

Read an interview with Provost Katherine Rowe about the project.