GAMBIER, Ohio — Kenyon College formally dedicates the new Gordon Keith Chalmers Library at a ceremony scheduled for Friday, Oct. 29, at 6:30 p.m.
The library, designed by the nationally recognized Cambridge, Massachusetts, architectural and planning firm Gund Partnership and opened at the beginning of this year’s fall semester, is a hub for undergraduate research and experiential learning. In addition to housing Kenyon’s library materials, including the special collections and archives, the building centralizes student resources including Academic Advising, Student Accessibility and Support Services, the Writing Center and the Office of the Registrar. A new Career Development suite helps connect students to future careers and includes several interview rooms, where students can practice answering questions and find a quiet space for interviews held via phone or videoconference.
Compared to the building it replaces — the combined Olin-Chalmers Library, constructed in 1962 and expanded in 1986 — the new Chalmers Library is considerably more energy efficient. It is the first large-scale building on Kenyon’s campus to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The light-filled central atrium is awash in rainbows of color from a glass roof art installation by artist David Wilson. The atrium also includes the chrome-plated stainless steel sculpture “Artificial Rock #85,” a piece based on traditional Chinese scholar’s rocks, by artist Zhan Wang.
The dedication and recognition ceremony, open to all Kenyon students and employees, will include remarks from President Sean Decatur, members of the Board of Trustees and others, including students, staff and faculty who will benefit from the new library. Following the remarks, attendees will be invited to tour the building, which includes several large reading rooms, a variety of classrooms and small group study areas, with many spaces named to recognize generous donors.
The library recognizes Kenyon’s transformational 13th president, Gordon Keith Chalmers, who served from 1937 until his death in 1956, as well as his wife Roberta Teale Swartz Chalmers H’60, a poet, teacher and co-founder of the Kenyon Review.
Gund Partnership was founded in 1971 by Graham Gund ’63 H’81, an acclaimed architect and dedicated supporter of his alma mater. The firm’s work on Kenyon’s campus includes the Gund Gallery, Lowry Center for athletics, Science Quad, a renovation and expansion of Peirce Dining Hall, and many other buildings. Construction of Chalmers Library was performed by Smoot Construction, based in Columbus.
The library and additional projects comprising the College’s new West Quad were made possible in part by an anonymous $75 million gift, part of Kenyon’s Our Path Forward campaign. After surpassing its original $300 million goal early, in January 2021, the campaign has been extended with a new $500 million goal until the College’s 200th anniversary in 2024, as Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial.
The dedication is not open to the public, but members of the media who wish to attend may RSVP to hoytd@kenyon.edu. In accordance with Kenyon policy, masks will be required while inside campus buildings.