Charlottesville, VA 22904
About
Shannon Library is home to UVA’s social sciences and humanities collection, housed in the stacks and on the first floor of Clemons Library — an internal passage connects Shannon to Clemons, and users can move freely with materials between the buildings. There are also materials outside of the central stacks, including the Flowerdew Hundred archaeological and records collection; Government Documents (the UVA Library is a U.S. federal regional depository); the Library’s renowned Tibetan Collection; the Stanley and Lucie Weinstein Buddhist and Asian Studies Library of nearly 11,000 volumes; and the collections shelved in the Reference, Periodicals, & Oversize Room.
In addition to collections there are spaces to take care of them. The building houses workrooms for evaluating materials and performing routine maintenance, as well as spaces and specialized equipment for digitization of materials, AV reformatting, AV and digital preservation, and collections and Special Collections conservation. The two conservation labs are fronted by windows through which viewers can see conservators at work. There’s also a remediation lab where materials can be treated for pests and/or mold.
Other specialized spaces include the Digital Humanities Center, which consists of the Scholars’ Lab and the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities. Other spaces include a large seminar/event room, conference rooms, and classrooms. The building is also equipped with three elevators, accessible restrooms, and a lactation room.
Shannon Library has a wide variety of reader seating. Spaces include Memorial Hall, the Reference, Periodicals, & Oversize Room, and the McGregor Room. There are also two large Study Courts, several reading rooms, study carrels, reservable group study rooms, and seating in and around the stacks.
The building houses more than 100 UVA Library staff, the Center for Digital Editing, the Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia, the Papers of George Washington, the Papers of James Madison, and Rare Book School — the preeminent institution for students of all disciplines and skill levels to study the history of written, printed, and digital materials.
Reservable study spaces
There are 8 study rooms in this building, each with a table and wall-mounted monitor. See availability and make a reservation.
Tech spaces
The Scholars' Lab and makerspace is open to all members of the UVA population.
Other spaces
The seminar room can be used for classes and special events. Read more about reservable spaces at the Library.
The Graduate Student Lounge is located on the 3rd floor of Shannon Library and is open to graduate students in any program at UVA. In addition to study space and a small kitchen, the Lounge offers shelves that are reservable on a yearly basis.