Stories

We are delighted to announce that Bart and Cathy Holaday have pledged $1 million towards the renovation of Exeter College Library.

The Annexe will be the most noticeable transformation to the Library. It’s here the architects had the most freedom to be creative.

The restoration plans include a number of non-intrusive measures that will result in a substantial reduction in the College’s carbon footprint and help to make the space a more comfortable and pleasant working environment for staff and students alike.

Making the Library fully accessible to everyone for the first time is one of the most important parts of the restoration project. This is vital for students like Amber, who struggles to use the Library in its current state.

In 2019 Exeter College received a legacy gift from lawyer, author and university professor Philip Pettit, who sadly died in November 2017. The first of three generations to study at Exeter College, it was Philip’s wish that Exeter should...

"The library, as it stands, is, I think, one of Scott’s most significant works. I think what’s striking about it is actually it still has much of the grandeur in its upper reading room, which is an incredible vaulted interior."

"I honestly feel that there has never been a better or more important time to make this sort of gesture. For me it has passed from being a hypothetical possibility to being an absolute obligation."