Departmental subject libraries include literature, foreign language by region, linguistics, philosophy, religion, theater, anthropology, history, sociology, and political science.

Later that year, the architects submitted a formal proposal, which was accepted by OSU's Board of Trustees, and then a call for bids was put out for construction.

[7] A 10-story tower was constructed for the library stacks, and single-story extensions were built north and south of the east facade.

[6] The most recent renovation to the Thompson Library was a $108.7 million project that began on January 10, 2007, and was completed in the summer of 2009.

[8] The library's original east facade and Grand Reading Room were restored, while the 1977 west wing addition and 1951 north and south extensions were demolished.

Features added in the renovation include a new West Atrium and Buckeye Reading Room, glass walls for the lower floors of the 1951 book tower, exhibition space for the library's special collections, a café, and a ground-floor east–west passageway that extends the Oval's "Long Walk" through the building.

The written-word piece VERSE was installed on the floor of the Buckeye Reading Room,[10] and 49 metal plates called "Foundation Stones" were set throughout the library, featuring engravings in a wide range of writing and graphic notation systems.