The renovation of the University of California, Santa Barbara library is no mere addition and remodeling project—it is, the University says, “the reinvention of what the library can and aspires to be.” To support this lofty goal, UCSB chose San Francisco-based Chen Design Associates (CDA) to create a foundational, high-level capital case statement to raise funds critical to the completion of the landmark project. CDA led exploratory meetings with UCSB faculty, staff and development leadership, conducted numerous follow-up interviews, proposed names and developed branding for the capital campaign. CDA was careful to make it clear that the funds being raised are not simply for buildings, but will allow the creation of flexible, fully wired spaces for scholars to work together, teach and learn. CDA curated library imagery and provided art direction and copywriting, explaining the value of the project in the words of students, alumni, faculty and parents. Librarians added descriptions of strategic library holdings in order to pique prospective donors’ interest, and CDA provided on-location portrait photography of the UCSB community to help the campaign vision come alive.