in Focus SUMMER 2008 LIBRARY EDITION INFORMATION I INNOVATION I SERVICE IN THIS ISSUE 2 Director’s Message 3 Building for the Future 4 M cGill Library Gains a Second Life 4 Renovation and Renewal 5 To morrow’s Library in the Making 6 Along the River Nile 7 W hat the Library Canada Post Corporation Publications Mail Agreement Means to Me 40613662 8 A Bag About Town Entering a New Era: The High-tech, High-touch Library McGILL LIBRARY Dear Alumni, Parents, Friends, NEWSLETTER Students and Colleagues: Summer 2008 oday’s “netgenners” are tech-savvy, deman- ding and sophisticated, but still require care Coordinator Tand guidance in finding, evaluating and Emma Buckley using information. The weather, bus timetables, Communications Officer Google Maps, financial markets, and social net- McGill Library working sites such as Facebook jostle for space on their computer screens. The thirst for knowledge Consulting Editor is met by many sources, and students quickly Mark Ordonselli search and grab for the information they need. Communications Officer Development and Changing information needs and preferences Alumni Relations require an active and committed response from academic libraries. Writer The Library is refurbishing its physical spaces in order to support and sustain Maria Turner positive learning outcomes. Our vibrant, student-centred Cyberthèque has replaced Graphics the poorly lit spaces and dated furnishings of the Redpath Library Building at street level. The Education Library and Curriculum Resources Centre and the Schulich Content and Library of Science and Engineering have also undergone recent facelifts. Student Collaboration response to the refurbishments has been extremely positive, but there is still so Solutions much more to do. Work will continue over the summer, with renovation of the Photographers Humanities and Social Sciences Library foyers already underway, and work slated for the Life Sciences Library and Howard Ross Library of Management. Claudio Calligaris Klaus Fiedler The changes in the Library’s physical environment are complemented by the growth of the virtual library. Our e-resource holdings have expanded to upward Office of the of a million e-books and almost 40 000 e-journals, and resources that guide the Director of Libraries use of and access to Library materials are increasingly moving online. The Library 3459 McTavish Street is embracing new technologies and catering to tech-savvy users by extending Montreal, Quebec services into emerging online environments such as Second Life. At the same time, H3A 1Y1 Canada we are ensuring that records for items in our treasured Rare Books and Special Collections are made available in our online catalogue. Telephone 514-398-4677 This edition of the Library’s In Focus highlights these efforts to enhance the resources, services and facilities the Library offers all its users – from fresh E-mail exhibitions showcasing diverse collections, to McGill Campaign priorities that [email protected] realize and build upon the Library’s significant potential. Website Please share any thoughts you may have regarding the developments outlined www.mcgill.ca/library in this newsletter. And finally, I would like to stress how grateful we are for the amazing support we receive from our friends and benefactors. Without your On the Cover generosity, advancing our mission would be a much more challenging task. Students at work in the Cyberthèque Your comments and Janine Schmidt inquiries are welcome. Trenholme Director of Libraries 2 LIBRARY Students collaborate on a project in the McGill Cyberthèque. Building for the Future rts student Jimmy Craig is there almost every day. Management student Nadia Sayed has been there a few times and plans to go back. And Romain Bontemps, a second-year A Communications student, looked so at home at his computer by the window that it was hard to believe he had never been there before. Jimmy, Nadia, and Romain are just three of the many students vending machine selling supplies like pens and USB memory studying, reading, researching or discussing assignments at the sticks – an idea that came directly from students. newly built Cyberthèque – a large-scale, multi-purpose Library The Cyberthèque is the latest step in the broad renewal of facility that opened its doors to students in January. McGill Library facilities. Following the renovations started at the The Cyberthèque does not look like a conventional library. Macdonald Campus Library two years ago, major refurbishments Located at street level in the Redpath Library Building in have also taken place at the Schulich Library of Science and Eng- the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, it boasts laptop ineering and the Education Library and Curriculum Resources workstations and 125 desktop computers in a comfortable, light- Centre. The renovations have all included re-fashioning existing filled environment. Students sprawl across brightly coloured library space to maximize natural light and the addition of new pouffes or seat themselves at stylish banquettes that would not look computers and comfortable study areas, with the aim of providing out of place at a hip urban café. And in the centre of the room are more welcoming spaces and easier access to information. four glassed-in study pods, each housing a 52-inch screen that can Though it is just a few months old, it is clear that the Cyber- be hooked up to a laptop for group study and presentations. thèque is meeting students’ needs. “It’s packed,” says librarian The facility’s look and feel owe much to local architect Kendall Wallis, BA’69, MLS’71, as he surveys the room from his François Émond, BScArch’86, BArch’88, and his team at ékm post at the information desk – also dubbed the “genius bar.” “It architecture, who created the design with Toronto’s Bregman + was a guaranteed success.” Hamann Architects. The teams drew their inspiration from a And what do the students think? “I find a place to read concept brief that was carefully crafted by library staff. “We were by the window and then hunker down for eight hours,” says responding to student feedback about our facilities,” explains Jimmy Craig, who’s working with five other students on a project Janine Schmidt, Trenholme Director of Libraries. “Today, libraries explaining the commercialization of Valentine’s Day. need to support a variety of experiences. Some students come “I like the space a lot,” says Nadia Sayed. “It’s well-lit, and to do research, others to work on assignments with colleagues. there are lots of laptop plugs.” They are accessing e-resources as well as borrowing books. With She pauses, looking for the right the Cyberthèque, we set out to create an inspirational space that words. “It’s modern–looking, addresses students’ evolving needs.” new. New things are always nice.” The facility also includes an e-classroom with computer Romain Bontemps agrees. screens, flexible seating and a sound system, as well as a production “Oui, c’est cool,” he says as he area with printers and photocopiers. Future plans include a turns back to his computer. Student Nadia Sayed LIBRARY 3 McGill Library Gains a Second Life ola Mertel was showing a visitor around the McGill Library. Once they reached the second floor, a slightly tricky process due to the absence of S stairs, she pointed out a conference area where a recent staff meeting was held, and the new space that would soon house digital exhibitions. “It’s best when everyone is sitting in his its 13.6-million digital “residents.” with fellow students. The Library plans to or her chair,” she said. “You can float, McGill’s virtual presence is further recreate the new Cyberthèque (see page 3) but it’s distracting.” The tour completed, evidence of the shifting technological in Second Life, linking the physical library Sola jumped off the roof and flew to the landscape that today’s libraries must with the virtual one. ground. contend with, and of the efforts required There are still a few kinks to work out Sola Mertel is an avatar – a lifelike to remain relevant and valuable to their and new opportunities to discover. “It will computer-generated personality and virtual users. This particular one is still in the be very interesting to explore what we can tour guide. Her real-life counterpart is development stage. “On a basic level, we do in Second Life that we can’t do in real Louise O’Neill, BA’78, MLS’80, Associate are just trying to replicate library services life,” says O’Neill. “We can try things that Director of Library Technology Services, in Second Life,” explains O’Neill. Once don’t need an investment in bricks and who controls Sola’s actions – right down to the project is completed, visitors will be mortar. Replicating services is important, the acrobatic leap off the building. O’Neill able to access the Library catalogue, digital but I think we need to take it further. It’s a is sitting – not floating – in her chair in an exhibitions and other electronic resources, whole other world, a whole other universe office on McGill’s main campus, while Sola ask librarians for help or just hang out to explore.” is flying around McGill’s virtual library in “Cybrary City,” a neighbourhood in the Second Life users can visit McGill’s virtual library at 3D online virtual world of Second Life. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cybrary%20City/214/122/24. Creating a McGill library in Second Life is part of a concerted effort to meet the changing needs of students in the face of new technology. “Today’s students spend a lot of time on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. We need to Renovation and renewal take advantage of that and find new ways of bringing the library into their world,” says Trenholme Director of Libraries Janine Schmidt.