Swain Education Library update

To our library community:

We want to share an update about the Swain Education Library. As you may know, we have had reduced operations in Swain for the past few years and relocated our education collections to Waldo Library in 2021. This change has helped us serve you more effectively by bringing our services and general collections under one roof—just a short walk from Sangren Hall—making it easier to navigate, discover research and get expert support.

Since then, we have invited multiple partners to work with us at Swain, including Peer Academic Success Coaching, Global Learning Academy, Starting Gate and the Office of Information Technology. As these partnerships concluded, we reflected on our use of the space and decided it was time for a new evolution. 

We have concluded our library operations in Swain after 61 years of service. Work is now underway to transform the space into the Swain Student Success Center. This new purpose continues the facility’s long legacy of academic support while bringing new focus and leadership under the Office of the Provost. 

We are excited to see our Broncos flourish in the transformed space and partner with our academic support colleagues to support retention and student success for all Broncos.

Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the University Libraries. 

History of Swain Education Library

The former Swain Education Library, located in the new Sangren Hall, has a long history of evolving with the times. When it opened in 1964, the Educational Resources Center was considered a state-of-the-art facility that combined an extensive education library collection with equipment, tools and resources that prepared student teachers for the classroom. From carrels with typewriters to 35mm projectors and filmstrips, the Center had everything a student needed to excel as a teacher. 

As technology advanced, these tools became obsolete, and the Center become solely the Education Library, housing library resources that continued to grow and advance with computer access, online searching and digital collections. The Library moved to a new space in the new Sangren Hall when it opened in 2012 and was later renamed the Swain Education Library, with support from donors Gary and Rita Swain.

The University Libraries has continued to evolve services, collections and facilities to best serve students and carry out Western’s mission. Due to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the University Libraries reduced operations at Swain Library and relocated its collections to Waldo Library. In fall 2025, the Swain Library began its transition to the Swain Student Success Center, continuing the facility’s legacy of academic support with a new focus and leadership.