>>Updated information on this exciting project now available; visit the Library Revitalization Project website for more.

Originally posted: January 13, 2017

Trent University’s iconic Bata Library is set to undergo an amazing revitalization and transformation, starting this spring.

Fueled by a recent $8.1 million funding injection from the federal and provincial governments, as well as University contributions, including donor gifts, the Bata Library will undergo an $18 million transformation into a library of the future – and home to the new Bata Research and Innovation Cluster.

Recognizing our library’s place as the academic heart of the University, the revitalization of the library will ensure Trent’s digital and physical collections are preserved, while at the same time, improving access to the world’s knowledge, and ensuring our library services respond to the rapidly changing needs of students and faculty.

Access to Library Resources and Services during Renovations

To repurpose, refresh and modernize all public areas of the Bata Library, including a complete overhaul of environmental, heating and electrical systems, and to meet the federal government’s timelines for funding the project, the building will be closed from May 1, 2017 to May 1, 2018. Although news of the building’s closure for renovations has caused some concerns, a dedicated team at the University is working hard to ensure all students, faculty and staff will continue to have access to collections, as well as information and research support services. Full information on the following plans will be shared as soon as they are available:

• PRINT COLLECTION: Ripples from recent announcements may have left the impression that the entire print collection in Bata Library will be removed and digitized. The reality is that key portions of the newly renovated space will feature a carefully curated print collection representing approximately 50% of the Bata Library’s current print holdings. Priority will be given to materials that: respond to current and identified future needs for teaching, learning and research; historically important and unique collections; materials where dependable alternate formats (e.g. digital or microform) are not available; items which are only available at Trent; and more.
• ACCESS TO THE STACKS: For the duration of the renovations, the library’s specialized collections, such as archives and rare books, maps, and microforms, along with the equipment and space needed to consult them, will be temporarily moved to an off-campus, downtown location, fully accessible by all members of the Trent community by public transportation.The circulating collections on floors 3 and 4 will be placed in a second off-campus location. Clients will be able to request books needed through TOPCAT, the library catalogue, and the requested items will be delivered to an on-campus service point for pick-up.
• OTHER LIBRARY SERVICES: On the Symons Campus, an on-campus service point will be open seven days a week, supporting the needs of students and faculty who frequent the main campus on a daily basis. Library materials ordered from the off-campus locations during the reconstruction will be transported to and from this service point. All current library services (e.g. book loans, interlibrary loans, research and instructional support, data and GIS support) will continue to be available. Access to all digital resources and collections, which accounts for over 90% of library resources regularly used by students, will NOT be affected by the temporary relocation of library services. All digital online resources will be available, as will the collections and services of the Archives and the Maps, Data and Government Information Centre (MaDGIC).
• STUDY AND COLLABORATIVE SPACE: Also easing the transition during reconstruction, the new Student Centre, slated for opening in fall 2017, will be able to accommodate members of the Trent community looking for places to meet, study and collaborate on campus.  Other spaces for contemplative study and interactive work are being identified at various locations around campus.

It’s an exciting time to be at Trent University. We invite you to stay tuned for further updates and developments on our library of the future.

>>More information on the Bata Research and Innovation Cluster