Originally installed in 2009, the McConnell Chao Archives includes a permanent gallery in with exhibits, films and interactive displays about U.S. government, history and politics. This new expansion significantly enhances both the capacity and functionality of the facility with a newly constructed archive storage room to house the collections of McConnell and Chao, which includes 3,768 individual items.

The contemporary space also includes high-density shelving and meets archival standards to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility. Additionally, the project features a newly dedicated digital processing room, the creation of a new research carrel and the installation of a dedicated exhibit showcasing memorabilia related to McConnell.

“Senator McConnell and Secretary Chao have long held a special place in the life of our university, and the expansion of this archive marks yet another milestone in a shared history rooted in service, scholarship and civic leadership,” said UofL President Gerry Bradley. “It’s not just a record of political history — it’s a living resource for students, scholars and citizens who seek to understand and engage with the democratic process.”

“I want to sincerely thank the University of Louisville and the McConnell Center for their hard work, dedication and continued support in preserving and sharing the McConnell Chao Archives. This collection represents decades of public service and provides a front-row view of how our government and institutions operate,” said Senator McConnell. “By preserving these materials, we’re helping foster a deeper understanding of our nation’s political process and the importance of civic engagement. The expansion of the archives marks a continued investment in passing on the lessons of government, leadership and media engagement with the hope of igniting the next generation to take part in shaping the future of our democracy.”

“What a memorable day this is to celebrate the expansion of the McConnell Chao Archives at the University of Louisville,”Ìęsaid Secretary Chao.Ìę“In chronicling my life journey of coming as an immigrant to America, working in leadership positions in the public, private and nonprofits sectors, this collection will hopefully serve as an inspiration to current and future generations of the opportunities in this country and the myriad ways to contribute to the betterment of our beloved Commonwealth, nation and world.”

McConnell is Kentucky’s longest-serving senator and earlier this year completed his tenure as the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history. Chao, the first Asian American woman to serve in a cabinet-level position, has served as secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Transportation.

The senator graduated from UofL in 1964 and served as a student body president. In 1991, he established the McConnell Center, a nonpartisan academic program that prepares students and educators to become top-level leaders.Ìę

Throughout his tenure in the Senate, McConnell has secured over $1.26 billion in federal funding for research and infrastructure at Kentucky universities, including $413 million for the University of Louisville. The expansion of the McConnell Chao Archives was funded in part through private donor philanthropy.

View photos from the Aug. 12 event on .ÌęWatch the celebration event on .

Located on the third floor of the Ekstrom Library, the space showcases UofL’s Jewish Studies collection and houses the Deborah and Rabbi Robert Slosberg Collection along with other materials from the existing library collections. The Slosberg Collection consists of the personal library the couple amassed over decades of serving and leading Jewish congregations.

The room dedication began with ribbon-cutting ceremony and featured remarks from Interim President Lori Gonzalez, William and Susan Yarmuth, Rabbi Slosberg and Dean of University Libraries Robert Fox before closing with a mezuzah dedication. A mezuzah is a small scrollÌęinscribed with prayers and verses from the Torah and attached in a case near the opening of a home or building as a sign of faith asÌęa constant reminder of God’s presence. As instructed in the Torah, Jews will often touch the mezuzah as they go through the door. In the Yarmuth Reading Room, it is located on the wall to the right upon entry.Ìę

The space features floor-to-ceiling windows and offers one of the most scenic views on campus. Along with the Deborah and Rabbi Robert Slosberg Collection, the space features a drop-down screen, a built-in projection and sound system and Wi-Fi. It also includes a glass wall, which will include display cases that UofL’s , part of the Department of Comparative Humanities, can use to highlight its collections.

“We are excited to open the new Jewish Studies Reading Room and are grateful for the generous donations that allowed us to fully complete the room and open it to the public,” said University Libraries Dean Robert Fox. “We hope that the room will serve to inspire future generations of scholars to greater success.”

The Susan and William Yarmuth Jewish Studies Reading Room will be used for reflection, study space, public events and guest speakers.ÌęThe newly designed room can seat approximately 50 and will soon be open during library hours.

Third floor renovations are now complete following months of construction. Visitors will find modern study spaces, a large wall of windows, a reading room and a dedicated graduate student area. The entire floor will remain a quiet spot for study.

While most of the project is complete, workers are still putting the final touches on some areas. Furniture delivery will continue throughout the year and into the spring semester.

The goal of the project was to provide upgraded study space throughout the year and particularly during peak periods.

To make way for the renovation, some of Ekstrom’s collection housed on the third floor was relocated or removed. Many books are now on the fourth floor, and some are in high-density storage, or the Robotic Retrieval System (RRS). Patrons who are unable to find books or other materials in the library’s collection may use ourÌęÌęČőČâČőłÙ±đłŸ.

The third-floor renovation was the next step in the recent transformation of Ekstrom Library into an academic success center for all Belknap campus students. The 1st floor was renovated in 2016 with many student success programs clustered together, including REACH, the Digital Media Suite, Research and Technology Support, Writing Center and help desk. Group and individual learning spaces were added and improved there as well.

All renovations were inspired by .Ìę

The Libraries will continue to raise funds to complete a proposed Jewish Studies Reading Room in space formerly occupied by the Writing Center. Libraries Development Director Matt Wyatt is working with the and the to fund an inspiring venue for local and national lectures, presentations and other events.

Libraries is also in the process of creating a gender-neutral/family changing station bathroom on the second floor of the west side.

The editors found themselves with dozens of boxes of bound BloodHorse magazines dating back to 1940 and no place to put them. They were a duplicate set, and some of them were even bound in a green cloth valuable to collectors.

“These magazines contain a wealth of historical information, and the last thing we wanted to do was throw them into a dumpster,” said Eric Mitchell, bloodstock editor at BloodHorse. “One of our first calls was to Sean (Beirne) at the UofL Equine Industry Program, which BloodHorse has supported for years by offering internships to students, providing guest lecturers, and hiring graduates of the program.”

That’s why, one cold day in March, Beirne and equine administrative assistant Liz Young found themselves driving to Lexington in a rented truck. What they came back with is unique to UofL.

BloodHorse Magazine’s donation to the University of Louisville Equine Industry Program marks the first time the program has been the recipient of a book collection. While the equine program is a part of the College of Business, the donated volumes will be kept in Ekstrom Library on Belknap Campus.

The collection consists of a continuous run of BloodHorse Magazine from 1940 to 2018 bound in 332 volumes. It contains more than 4,100 issues, many bound in green cloth. Also donated were a selection of Goodwin’s Turf Guides that date back to the mid- to late-1800s.

“This donation gives researchers an enormous amount of thoroughbred racing history and breeding in one place,” said Beirne, director of the Equine Industry Program. “On behalf of our students, faculty members and researchers, I thank BloodHorse for trusting UofL with this invaluable collection.”

UofL’s Equine Industry Program offers an accredited business degree with an equine focus. Graduates can be found in all aspects of the industry, from training to broadcasting.Ìę

BloodHorse offers comprehensive and broad-ranging coverage of thoroughbred racing and breeding. The company’s website, , offers daily news, analysis, race entries and results.

“We were thrilled that UofL wanted the books and recognized their value,” Mitchell said. Ìę“It really does offer peace of mind that they have a home where they are appreciated and used.”

Providing upgraded study space throughout the year and particularly during peak periods is a main objective of University Libraries Dean Bob Fox, who plans to renovate Ekstrom’s third floor in the coming year, adding new seating and modernized study areas. It is a project recently awarded a $500,000 grant by University Administration, and heartily endorsed by the Student Government Association.

“UofL is on track to grow from 22,000 to 30,000 students,” said Fox. “We need to be able to support a larger university population with a high-quality library experience.

“Our footprint and square footage will not grow, so we need to make use of the space we have. We want to provide students with upgraded study areas and seating so they are supported during times when they really need space in the library. Raising the seat-to-student ratio in our central library helps UofL’s competitive edge in recruiting new students and retaining current ones.”

Reaching that goal will require relocation of some lesser-used collections to a new storage bay, which was just opened in Ekstrom Library’s (RRS) to free up space for seating. The expansive metal shelves will be filled with a variety of materials from Ekstrom’s third floor, along with items from Archives/Special Collections, Music and Art libraries.

For cost and efficiency reasons, the new storage bay was built adjacent to, but not part of, the RRS, which will continue to operate as before. Many visitors are aware of the RRS, with its tall steel shelving separated by glass behind Ekstrom’s west service desk, where anyone requesting an item can watch as a large mechanical arm lifts a long shelf from a long row, pivots and steadily delivers the bin to a waiting Libraries staff member. The RRS is identical to retrieval systems in auto parts retailers, warehouses or distribution centers; however, while the technology was state-of-the-art when it was first installed in 2005, it has now become somewhat dated and hence prohibitively expensive to expand. The new storage bay was completed with a much lower budget and will hold just as much as another RRS bay.

Currently, the Libraries are working with a strong donor base to raise funds for the third floor renovation. JRA Architects, hired for the recent renovation of Ekstrom’s First Floor East, has been chosen to design the project, which is currently estimated to total $3.5 to 4 million. Renderings of potential uses of the space reveal expansive study areas with open floor plans, ample natural light and a potential reading room in the Writing Center’s old offices. The Libraries will share future renderings as programming further defines the final design.

One hundred years later, Archives and Special Collections recognizes their work with “‘All In!’ Louisville and the Great War,” an exhibition of vintage photographs, war posters, documents and artifacts from its collections.

April marked the 100-year anniversary of the U.S. entering WWI and Archives and Special Collection joins many organizations around the world in marking the momentous date.

“The exhibit offers a broad range of materials that cover differing perspectives and experiences, from the home front to overseas,” said Carrie Daniels, Archives and Special Collections director. “Our panoramic photos from Camp Zachary Taylor, which feature hundreds of soldiers, are particularly dramatic. We haveÌęletters from soldiers as well, and some of them are very sweet.”

The exhibition will also include records from the Camp Taylor Library and propaganda posters collected at the time by a Louisville boy scout.

The exhibition will run July 13 through Sept. 29 in the Photographic Archives and Kain Rare Books Galleries in the Lower Level of Ekstrom Library on Belknap Campus. for gallery hours, directions and other information.

With a fully renovated third floor as the ultimate goal, space is currently being cleared for construction of the Delphi Center’s new Teaching Innovative Learning Lab (TILL), which is set to open by the fall semester.Ìę

Currently in the final design phases, the TILL will provide space and equipment for faculty to learn and experiment with innovative teaching methods. The new laboratory, which is part of the University’s 21^st Century Initiatives and supported by Interim University Provost Neville Pinto, will provide a large learning lab, collaborative spaces, conference rooms and offices for Delphi Center staff. Construction will proceed throughout the rest of the summer to prevent major disruption for students.

Some logistical changes will confront visitors in the near-term: several large study tables frequented by large groups have been moved to the second floor, where recently upgraded lighting will better serve group study.

Reference materials formerly shelved in the northeast have either been relocated to the Robotic Retrieval System (RRS), or replaced by expanded online databases available via the Libraries website. For example, databases such as , a digital repository of academic journals, books, and primary sources, has been expanded to offer access to new materials.

For the relocated physical reference books and other materials, Ekstrom plans to build a new arm within the RRS. Libraries Dean Bob Fox worked closely with the Provost and the Delphi Center to move this key library priority forward.

Remaining renovations to the third floor, including new study areas, furniture and other enhancements, are part of later phases of the project.