AUC Library Completes Seven-Year Renovation with New Learning Commons

The American University in Cairo (AUC) has reopened its library for the Fall 2026 semester following the completion of a renovation project on the plaza and garden levels. The project concludes the university’s seven-year Learning Spaces Strategic Plan, which began in 2019 to update campus infrastructure.

Modernizing Academic Infrastructure

The updated Learning Commons now includes upgraded technology, new furniture, and redesigned lighting and flooring. Officials designed the area to prioritize collaborative and active learning environments, moving away from the library’s original focus on individual study.

Lamia Eid, Dean of Libraries and Learning Technologies, said the shift reflects global trends in academic library design. While the library previously focused on desktop computer stations arranged around circular tables, modern students increasingly require space for group work and personal devices.

Academic libraries around the world have responded to this shift by moving from the traditional Information Commons Model towards Learning Commons that support collaboration, interaction and active learning, Eid said.

New Features and Accessibility

The renovation introduces two primary additions to the campus facility:

• Accessibility Hub: A new resource center equipped with technology to support students with diverse learning needs and promote independent study.
• Exhibition Space: A dedicated area for the Rare Books and Special Collections Library (RBSCL) on the plaza level, designed to increase student engagement with archives documenting Egyptian social and political history.

The university has retained traditional, quieter study environments on the first and second floors, as well as 24-hour study rooms, to accommodate students who require focused individual space. Eid noted that the library now offers a mix of collaborative and quiet zones to provide students with more choice.