For the past year, Founders Library was closed for reconstruction, temporarily halting its role as a central hub for Howard University students and faculty. What once was an iconic symbol of academia became a distant landmark, passed on the way to class, but never open to enter.
That changed on August 1, when the library reopened and reintroduced the campus to its storied history of Black scholarship. Visitors were able to take self-guided tours, browse a new graphic novel collection and be the first to explore the soft launch of a brand-new Innovation Hub, featuring 3D printing and AI tools.
What began as a simple bathroom renovation evolved into a full-scale pipe replacement throughout the entire building, as aging fixtures were increasingly uncovered. Major infrastructure repairs ultimately forced the library into a year-long closure.
“The scope of renovations expanded from renovating the bathrooms to replacing all the service pipes, water service pipes and sanitation pipes” said Errol Watkis, Manager of Facilities, Events and Multimedia services for University Libraries. The library’s sudden closure left a noticeable gap in campus life.
“Founders is your place of discovery,” said Del Hornbuckle, executive director of Howard University Libraries. “We want to make sure that we bring that back so that people know we’re open, and our resources are always readily available.”
The reopening also restores access to the library’s historic displays, University Archives and Museum and the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.
Karrington Wells, a sophomore political science major from Memphis, Tennessee said, “students struggled to find work spaces with the limitation.”
In Founders’ absence they turned to the other options on campus such as the Wayne A. I. Frederick Undergraduate Library (UGL), but the alternatives quickly became crowded, students said.
“It’s been frustrating having to watch Founders from the outside, and not get to enjoy the beauty of the inside,” said Summer Lopez, a sophomore accounting major from Brooklyn, New York.
Not only will the library host daily events during Class of 2029’s BisonWeek, it is also set to have an open house Sept. 8 and 9 for all classifications, staff and faculty to engage.
Danica White, Teaching, Learning and Engagement Librarian for Founders and UGL, hopes students take advantage of the space and its resources.
“There is so much the library offers for first-year students all the way to graduate students,” White said.
Some students see the opening as a chance to reconnect with a key piece of Howard’s culture.
“The opening will bring back a piece of Howard that has been missing,” Wells said.
As the Bison community reconnects with Founders Library, it also reunites in a space that holds a legacy of achievement.
“The library is the anchor of the campus” Hornbuckle stated.
Copy Edited by D’Nyah Jefferson – Philmore