Columbia College to Relocate Library by Spring 2028

The institution plans to move its library to 33 E. Ida B. Wells Dr. as part of a campus-wide restructuring.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Higher Education

Bold vector editorial illustration of a stack of books on a table, representing the library relocation at Columbia College. — Columbia College plans to relocate its primary library to 33 E. Ida B. Wells Dr. by Spring 2028 as part of a campus-wide restructuring to manage a $38 million budget deficit. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Columbia College will move its library from 624 S. Michigan Ave. to a new facility at 33 E. Ida B. Wells Dr. by Spring 2028. This transition is part of a broader effort to address a $38 million college budget deficit.

Why it matters

The relocation aims to consolidate student services while adjusting to modern academic needs as the college restructures its operations. The move also reflects a strategy to manage financial challenges after the college reported a significant budget shortfall.

The library currently houses over 200,000 books across five floors of its 14-story building at 624 S. Michigan Ave. A $5 million grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education will fund construction at the new location.

The players

Columbia College

This Chicago-based private non-profit higher education institution is currently undergoing a restructuring process.

Illinois Board of Higher Education

This state agency coordinates public and private colleges and universities in Illinois and provided the construction grant.

The details

Library staff are currently reviewing the collection to remove books and media to accommodate a smaller footprint at the new address. While the primary library will move, the College Archives and Special Collections will remain at their current site at 619 S. Wabash Ave.

The library has occupied 624 S. Michigan Ave. since 1995.
The college president sold a residence in the Gold Coast neighborhood for $2.3 million in Summer 2025.
The library move is expected by Spring 2028 at the earliest.

Culture Shift

Academic institutions are increasingly downsizing their physical footprint as digital resources become the primary medium for student research. This move follows the broader national trend toward prioritizing digital circulation over maintaining large, centralized on-campus book collections.

Students and faculty should anticipate a reduced physical collection size once the library transitions to its new building. The move requires navigating different campus locations for those who utilize the College Archives, which will remain at 619 S. Wabash Ave.

The takeaway

The consolidation of physical assets reflects a necessary adjustment to modern educational delivery in a challenging fiscal climate. Residents and students should monitor official college announcements as the 2028 deadline approaches to prepare for changes in resource access.