Thanks in part to a transformational $1 million gift to Bata Library from longtime supporters of Trent University, David and Joan Moore, announced last fall, Trent unveiled today a new collaborative space with state-of-the-art technology at an official launch event.

The new space, which is located in room 201 on the main floor of the library, will offer students, faculty and staff a refreshed space ideal for collaborative projects, workshops and training. The collaborative space is the successful outcome of a partnership between the Library and Archives, the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and the Information Technology (IT) department at Trent University and was funded by both the Moore fund and all three partners.

“Thanks in large part to the generous gift of David and Joan Moore, elements of the library vision are now being incorporated into Trent’s overall planning for a renewed Bata Library,” said Robert Clarke, University Librarian. “The BL 201 collaborative space is a modest but successful proof-of-concept that provides a technologically enhanced, easily configurable, collaborative workspace for use by Trent’s students, faculty and staff.”

"The new space is a beautiful bright room with flexible furniture and natural light. We have set up two large screens for sharing our collaborative work during meetings,” added Dr. Cathy Bruce, director of the Trent Centre for Teaching and Learning. “Of course, students are welcome to use the space, as well as staff and faculty so it serves a wide range of collaborative efforts. This is the kind of room that supports creative and critical thinking- something that is highly valued at Trent and in the broader community."

The new space provides room for 20 people and offers video conferencing and numerous other technology advancements. As part of the partnership, the IT department at Trent also funded a laptop cart, with ten new laptops available for use from the IT desk in the library.

“The future of change in education is at the intersection of new pedagogical practices and technology. This new collaborative space is at this intersection and is a true reflection of the future,” said Tariq Al-Idrissi, associate vice-president of IT at Trent.

The idea for a collaborative space stemmed the library and archives’ current strategic plan which envisions many innovations, such as project rooms for collaborative work, small group study pods, a discovery centre for student research and innovation, a facility for the digital preservation of special collections and resources, an active learning classroom, and more.