Glucksman Library - University of Limerick

The ambition was to create a highly innovative library that inspired new ways of learning, enabled knowledge creation and experimentation, facilitated data-intensive research and digital scholarship and represented a hub of social, cultural and community engagement. 

The major building project was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a radical and innovative library that had the power to transform teaching, learning and research for scholarship in the digital age.  The design principles were to:

• Foster a vibrant learning community with spaces for academic, cultural and interdisciplinary engagement.
• Build on scholarly library traditions with more quiet and silent study space.
• Enable project and group work with flexible co-working spaces and technology.
• Extend the library’s traditional role with facilities for digitally enabled scholarship.
• Make our unique and distinct collections more accessible for research and research led teaching and community enjoyment.
• Provide collection storage for current and future needs.

This vision led to the delivery of a 7,500 square metre library extension which increased the entire library complex to 16,600 square metres. The new library building opened in late 2018 with fitout of many spaces occurring after the pandemic, and contains: 

• 2,200 seats, of which 1,000 are collaborative, with 34 bookable rooms and event spaces.
• The Edge, a floor dedicated to digital scholarship that includes a makerspace, greenscreen room, media production labs, and a data visualisation lab.
• Sustainable, inclusive, community and wellness spaces.
  A Special Collections & Archives reading room with state-of-the-art storage, conservation lab and digitisation lab.
• The only Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) onsite in a European library. 

The inclusion of the ASRS in the library design was transformative – it allowed a much bigger footprint for user-dedicated space and facilitated innovative, creative, experimental and varied spaces.  The ASRS also enabled the library to develop a Space-as-a-Service model that provides a range of quiet, collaborative, bookable, technology-enhanced spaces to the university, which dramatically changed perceptions of the library and repositioned its role and value in the institution.

At the traditional end of library space provision, the new building has proven remarkably successful in providing truly quiet spaces through deliberate planning, architectural design, and acoustic management. At the innovative end of library space provision, The Edge offers a variety of digital scholarship spaces to support technology-enhanced learning.

These flexible spaces have allowed the library to adapt to changing strategic priorities through the addition of technology-enhanced creative spaces, a Makerspace, media production spaces, and student wellness areas. The new building adapted well to changing circumstances, including the COVID pandemic, and shifting occupancy patterns resulting from increasing numbers of commuter students.

In November 2025, University of Limerick Library received highly commended recognition for library spaces at the Sconul Library Design Awards where judges noted “a strong sense of service, continuously finding ways to improve stakeholders’ experiences. Elements such as the digital Makerspace floor are highly flexible and student-led, fostering experimentation with technology and making it a standout feature in the library’s design.”

University of Limerick won Best Library Team at the 2023 Irish National Education Awards. The judges commended the library team’s deep commitment to student-centric services and innovative library spaces.

The Glucksman Library extension was designed and successfully realised by RKD Architects led by their design principal, Denis Brereton.  RKD worked with the original library building which was designed by Hugh Murray (MOLA,1998,) based on a concept design prepared by Geoffrey Freedman (Shepley Bulfinch, 1995) and reimagined for an extension by Alexander Howe (Shepley Bullfinch, 2006) coupled with external elevations designed by Conor Pittman (RMJM) for which planning consent was granted, (2010).  Marrying these disparate parts and influences together to form a cohesive whole in a contemporary manner represented an interesting challenge which has been fully realised.

The Glucksman Library at University of Limerick is a groundbreaking example of a 21st century library, recognised as a flagship building on campus. The building stands as a vibrant academic hub, reflecting evolving pedagogical needs and the university’s commitment to innovation. 

More information on the Glucksman Library Building