The Learning Commons @ Hoover Library

This fall semester, students were welcomed back to the Hill with a new home for student success, academic excellence, and innovation: The Learning Commons @ Hoover Library. The renovations to the library began at the end of the fall 2024 semester with the goal of creating a one-stop shop for all student support needs.

“This innovative hub brings traditional library services together with IT, Student Success and Support, the Writing Center, STEM Center, and Student Accessibility and Support Services in a centralized location,” says Christine Moran, associate vice president of student success. “The convergence of these services provides a thriving ecosystem, streamlining support mechanisms for students, providing a holistic and convenient approach to fostering academic and personal growth, and ultimately equipping students for success.”

These upgraded facilities not only enhance the current student experience but also provide a tangible and compelling representation of the quality of a McDaniel education to prospective students and families who will carry the college’s reputation for academic excellence and innovation into the future.

“The Learning Commons @ Hoover Library represents McDaniel’s commitment to integrated student support and academic excellence,” says Provost Flavius Lilly. “By uniting our key resources and services in one space, we create a collaborative environment that enhances learning and empowers every student to succeed.”

The $3.6 million renovation was supported by donors including current McDaniel trustees Charles A. Boehlke Jr. ’78; Marjorie Rankin Kimble M.Ed. ’86 and Jeffrey Kimble M.Ed. ’84; Millard Mazer ’83; and Robert Pick ’92, P’25; along with James Francis ’84 and the late Jean Andrews Richards ’45 and Donald Richards.