Construction begins on Glenbow Western Research Centre in the Taylor Family Digital Library

Construction of Glenbow Western Research Centre on the 2nd floor of the Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) kicked off this week. The facility will be the new access point for Glenbow Library and Archives. The historic relocation of the collection was announced last November.

Work began on Monday, May 27 and will continue through the summer. “Every effort will be made to minimize impact from the construction to building occupants,” says Natasha Yee, project co-ordinator. “Some noise will be noticeable as construction progresses, but as no closures or major detours are expected, the campus community will still have full access to the Taylor Family Digital Library, as well as the plus-15 connection to the MacKimmie Complex.”

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit any concerns related to the construction online through ARCHIBUS or to contact the Customer Care Centre at 403.220.7555.

Glenbow Western Research Centre is expected to open in fall 2019 and will provide the widest possible access to this remarkable collection for the campus community and the public.

The physical move of materials in Glenbow Library and Archives began on March 11. Weekly deliveries are going to the High Density Library (HDL) at Spy Hill Campus, an environmentally controlled facility where the bulk of Glenbow materials will be stored. To date, nearly 29,000 books and pamphlets have been moved, processed by metadata and HDL staff and are now findable in the UCalgary library system. Additionally, the archival team has barcoded and inventoried 8,000 boxes to prepare them for moving.

Now stewarded by experts in UCalgary’s Libraries and Cultural Resources, the collection includes historic documents from many of the major energy companies in Western Canada. It is also an unparalleled resource for researchers and students exploring local, regional and provincial history, political science, social studies, ranching, immigration, cultural studies, business, environmental studies, women’s studies, military history and the Northwest/Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The relocation of Glenbow Library and Archives and the creation of the Glenbow Western Research Centre have been made possible because of generous donations made by the Siebens Family and the Taylor Family. Special thanks to the Government of Alberta for their integral support of this endeavor. Both the Siebens and Taylor Family’s contributions to this significant initiative are part of the university’s ongoing fundraising campaign, Energize: The Campaign for Eyes High.

To learn more about this exciting initiative, visit ucalgary.ca/glenbow.