The Alexander Mack Memorial Library was constructed in 1962 and 1963 as the first dedicated library building on the Bridgewater College campus. The previous library space, in the basement of Cole Hall from 1929 – 1963, had grown very overcrowded and insufficient for the College’s needs. Ground was broken for the new library on Founder’s Day, April 11, 1962. The new library was named for the founder of the Church of the Brethren, Alexander Mack Sr., whose personal bible it housed. It was built by the Nielsen Construction Company at a cost of approximately $555,564.

On September 18, 1963, students, faculty and staff carried books across campus from Cole Hall and other storage locations in a great Book Lift to their new library. The library was open for student use on the following day. It was officially dedicated on Founder’s Day, April 3, 1964.

Groundbreaking for a major update of the Alexander Mack Memorial Library was celebrated on May 4, 2018. From May 2018 to February 2020, the building underwent a full renovation and expansion to become the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons, a multimillion-dollar state of the art learning center.

Most of these photographs were made for the Ripples yearbook and other Bridgewater College publications.

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