It’s been a year since the grand opening of UVA’s largest Library building, Shannon Library, and the day-to-day operations continue smoothly; including the visible and invisible sustainability choices made during its construction. If you’ve ever noticed the paper compost receptacles or ample natural light, you’ve experienced them for yourself!
Certifiably sustainable
This spring, Shannon Library was awarded LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental design) is the most widely used green building certification system in the world:
“To achieve LEED certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. Projects go through a verification and review process by Green Business Certification, Inc. and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification.” – from usgbc.org
Gold certification is the next-to-highest rating offered by the LEED system, and reflects the many environmental considerations that went into the renovation and new construction in Shannon Library.
The certification doesn’t mean the work is done — in March 2025, the UVA Library became a member of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, which “provides library leaders with a proven path forward to co-create libraries and communities that will thrive.”
See it for yourself! Join us for a Sustainability Tour: Thursday, April 17 at 10 a.m.
If you’re in the area and curious to see the new Shannon Library, join us on Thursday, April 17, at 10 a.m. in Memorial Hall (the main fourth-floor entrance) for a tour! We’ll highlight the sustainability features as we show you around the beautiful recently renovated building.
Self-guided green tour available all year round
All Library buildings (there are six!) are open to the public during hours of operation, and self-guided tours are welcomed and encouraged.
If you find yourself near Shannon Library, you can explore sustainability features on the second and fourth floors using the self-guided Green Building Tour (PDF). The map identifies places to observe and learn more about features built into the building, like high-efficiency design, low-impact materials, and reuse of materials.
Shannon Library: Green construction, renovation, and operations
Planners factored sustainability into every phase of Shannon (formerly “Alderman”) Library’s recent renovation, and those choices remain in place today, one year after its public opening. Catch up on some of the coverage:
“Building a sustainable future”
“Goals include reducing energy consumption in Library spaces, reducing potable water consumption, performing a waste audit to decrease use of paper products and minimize waste, converting Library vehicles away from fossil fuel, working with vendors who have sustainable practices, strengthening support for sustainability research, and advocating for sustainability across Grounds by supporting initiatives like open access and open educational resources.” – from UVA Library, March 2023
“Sustainability Is Incorporated Into Alderman Library”
“‘The first library for the University was the Rotunda, with its huge, double-height drum and vaulted ceiling topped with an oculus shining in from the top,’ Meyer said. ‘In the main library, there is a clerestory on the roof, which pops the ceiling up in the middle of the fifth floor. It is sided with huge windows that let in lots of light; then there is a hole in the floor between the fifth and the fourth floor, so that natural light comes down all the way into the center of the stacks.’” – from UVA Today, June 2023