The majority of the fifth floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center is currently closed for construction. Learn more about this renovation to the Zilberman Family Center for Global Collections, including how to request materials.

Fisher restoration: The Fisher Fine Arts Library will be closed on Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24 for restoration work. Find more details about this project.

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Zilberman Family Center for Global Collections: Building a Hub for Interdisciplinary Engagement

A major renovation, set to transform the fifth floor of Van Pelt, will begin in Summer 2026.

Architectural rendering of an event space with classroom-style seating

A major, year-long renovation project at the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center will create a dedicated, state-of-the-art space for the Zilberman Family Center for Global Collections.

The facility will include a gallery to showcase global acquisitions and collections, a forum to host lively discussion and debate, and a variety of spaces for quiet and small group study. The renovated space will include six seminar rooms for teaching, research, and reference collections, each focused on a different geographic region, as well as offices for the Zilberman Center’s dedicated specialist librarians in African, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Russian and East European, and South Asian studies.

By strengthening learning experiences and opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration, the new facility will enhance Penn’s strengths as an interwoven and globally engaged university, sparking dialogue and forging connections across differences and divides.

While construction is in progress, the majority of the fifth floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center will be closed to visitors, including all Penn students, faculty, and staff. Circulating and reference collections will still be available. See below for more details on the different stages of this project and their impact on library patrons, including information on how to find and request books. 

Architectural rendering of the entrance to the Zilberman Family Center for Global Collections, showing the center's name on the left and a hallway in the center with seating and views of book stacks and a glass-enclosed event space
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Rendering of the renovated Zilberman Center
Architectural rendering of gallery space in the Zilberman Center, with artwork mounted on the walls and display cases and benches in the center of the hallway
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Rendering of the Reiter-Rosenbaum Family Gallery
Architectural rendering of the Zilberman Center, with seating on the right and book stacks on the left
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Rendering of the renovated Zilberman Center
Architectural rendering of an open area with seating on either side of the space
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Rendering of study space in the renovated Zilberman Center
Architectural rendering with seating in the foreground and gallery space and book stacks in the background
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Rendering of the renovated Zilberman Center
Architectural rendering of a seminar room with book stacks lining the walls and a conference table with seating in the middle
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Rendering of a seminar room in the renovated Zilberman Center
Architectural rendering showing an open area with seating in the foreground and glass walls enclosing an event space
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Rendering of a view into the Gershwind-Bennett Family Forum, also pictured above

What to Expect During the Renovation

The Zilberman Center renovation will involve a complete overhaul of the fifth floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center from summer 2026 to early fall 2027. While construction is in progress, the majority of the fifth floor will be closed to visitors, including all Penn students, faculty, and staff. Read on for details about each phase of the project and its impacts on library patrons.

Please note that all dates are approximate and subject to change. This site will be continually updated with the latest information.  

Phase 1: Circulating Collections (Stacks) Move

Completed
  • Materials in the fifth-floor stacks of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center have been temporarily moved to LIBRA, our off-site storage facility.

Phase 2: Seminar Room Collections Move

Completed
  • The non-circulating collections in the East Asia, Middle East, and South Asia Seminar Rooms have been temporarily moved to the fourth floor of Van Pelt for the duration of the renovation. These collections must be used in the library.
  • Zilberman Center circulating collections remain at LIBRA and can be requested through the library catalog.

What we recommend:  

  • Check the Van Pelt fourth floor plan to see the temporary location of the Seminar Room Collections and use them while onsite. Their temporary location will also be listed in the library catalog.
  • Browse the catalog to find books in the Zilberman Center circulating collections and request delivery to any Penn Libraries location.

Phase 3: Construction

Summer 2026 – Spring 2027

What to expect:

  • Construction is scheduled to begin during summer 2026.
  • While construction is in progress, the majority of the fifth floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center will be completely closed. Stacks and seminar rooms will be inaccessible.
  • Two study areas on the fifth floor will remain open: the Reading Room for Graduate Students and the Kislak Study Hallway.

What we recommend:

Phase 4: Reopening

Fall 2027
  • Construction is scheduled to be completed and the new Zilberman Center space is expected to open.

Contact

As with any project of this size and scope, we anticipate that you may have additional questions. Please feel free to contact the Zilberman Center at zilbermancenter@library.upenn.edu for more information.

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