After first serving as a physical activities building, then for decades as a university library, an iconic WKU structure was dedicated Wednesday as The Commons at Helm Library. First announced during WKU President Timothy C. Caboni’s investiture address in April 2018, The Commons enables the university to move away from utilizing its library as only a place to house books and periodicals and instead provides a space where students, faculty, and staff can gather at the top of The Hill to share a meal, continue instruction beyond classroom walls, and develop ideas for collaboration. The Commons is a partnership between WKU Libraries and Aramark, WKU’s food service provider. (More: View more photos)
The building has a storied history on WKU’s campus, dating back to 1931 when it served as the Health and Physical Education Building. It hosted concerts, dances, and course registration in addition to serving as the home of WKU’s basketball team for over three decades. When the basketball program moved to E.A. Diddle Arena in 1963, the structure was transformed into the Helm Library, and it served in this capacity until 2019.
President Caboni acknowledged the building’s history before cutting the ribbon on The Commons. “The innovative design of The Commons presents us with a modern venue that offers the technology our campus community needs to be successful while also preserving the history of a building that has meant so much to many of our faculty, staff, and students since 1931,” he said.
