Library holdings reached 1 million volumes in 1981. On May 4, 1983, N.C. State became a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Site preparation for the new library addition, which involved demolishing the large exterior concrete staircase leading to the library tower, began in August 1985 and ended in February 1986. Navarro Construction of Pittsburgh, PA, was selected as the general contractor in the summer of 1986, and they began construction that October. However, they abandoned the project due to financial troubles, necessitating the employment of new contractors, which delayed completion of the addition by two years. In 1986, the library system's online catalog, the Bibliographic Information System (BIS), became active. In addition to providing information on library holdings, BIS gave users access to information on holdings at the other TRLN libraries. The card catalogue fell out of use in 1987, and "The NCSU Libraries" became the official name of the library system. In August, Susan Nutter (1944–2019) became the first female director of the NCSU Libraries, succeeding I.T. Littleton; she became president of the ARL six years later. In 1989, the 100th anniversary year of the founding of NCSU Libraries, the system assumed administrative control over the University Archives.