[3][6] The preliminary studies for the mural are currently held by the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art on the Kansas State University Manhattan Campus.

[1][4] Growth of collections and services, combined with a severe reduction in quality study space, led to outside consultants recommending that the library be expanded at a cost of $28 million.

Students continue to support the library through funding initiatives that include computer stations for the InfoCommons, SFX software, and the Google Search Appliance.

The design team of Brent Bowman & Associates (now BBN Architects Inc) of Manhattan, Kansas, in association with Hammond Beeby Babka (now HBRA) of Chicago, Illinois, were commissioned to design a comprehensive expansion and renovation project that would double the size of the existing campus library while integrating additions dating from 1951 and 1970.

[8] With that in mind, the construction encased and expanded the west, south, and east sides of the previous library, while leaving the original 1927 building exposed to preserve its historic beauty and significance.

In 1999, Hale Library received the Merit Award for Excellence from the American Institute of Architects for the central states region.

The Great Room and the David Overmyer murals, which suffered water and smoke damage in the fire, were restored in this renovation.