University of Toronto Libraries
Encyclopedia
The University of Toronto Libraries is the library
system of the University of Toronto
, comprising about 30 individual libraries that hold more than 10 million bound volumes and 5 million microform volumes. It is the fourth-largest academic library
in North America
following Harvard University Library
, Yale University Library
and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Library.
The most prominent library in the system is Robarts Library
, which contains the university's main collection for humanities and social sciences, as well as the central library administrative offices. The adjacent Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
houses Canada's largest public repository of antiquarian books and manuscripts. The Gerstein Science Information Centre
is the main library for health sciences.
Like the university itself, the libraries operate under a relatively decentralized system of governance. The central libraries, including Robarts, Fisher and Gerstein, account for the bulk of the collections with about 7.7 million bound volumes, and are headed by the chief librarian who reports to the university provost. The Library Council, composed of senior staff and library committee chairs, advises the chief librarian on library policy. With more than 1 million volumes, many specialty libraries are operated by the academic faculties, departments and research centres. As the University of Toronto is a collegiate university
, its colleges also maintain their own libraries that together comprise 1.3 million bound volumes.
Following the example of other research universities, in 2007 the university opened an off-campus, high-density storage and preservation facility in Downsview, designed to store infrequently-accessed books that may be transported to campus as they are requested.
Since 2005, the university has been a major contributor to the Open Content Alliance
, an initiative by the Internet Archive
to create a permanent public archive of digitized texts. The library is a member of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries
.
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
system of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, comprising about 30 individual libraries that hold more than 10 million bound volumes and 5 million microform volumes. It is the fourth-largest academic library
Academic library
An academic library is a library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
following Harvard University Library
Harvard University Library
The Harvard University Library system comprises about 90 libraries, with more than 16 million volumes. It is the oldest library system in the United States, the largest academic and the largest private library system in the world...
, Yale University Library
Yale University Library
Yale University Library is the library system of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. It is the second-largest academic library in the North America, with approximately 12.5 million volumes housed in 20 buildings on campus...
and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Library.
The most prominent library in the system is Robarts Library
Robarts Library
The John P. Robarts Research Library, commonly referred to as Robarts Library, is the main humanities and social sciences library of the University of Toronto Libraries and the largest individual library in the university...
, which contains the university's main collection for humanities and social sciences, as well as the central library administrative offices. The adjacent Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is a library in the University of Toronto, constituting the largest repository of publicly accessible rare books and manuscripts in Canada. The library is also home to the university archives which, in addition to institutional records, also contains the papers...
houses Canada's largest public repository of antiquarian books and manuscripts. The Gerstein Science Information Centre
Gerstein Science Information Centre
The Gerstein Science Information Centre is the University of Toronto's flagship library supporting the sciences and health sciences. The largest science and health science academic library in Canada, Gerstein has a collection of over 945,000 print volumes of journals and books, and also provides...
is the main library for health sciences.
Like the university itself, the libraries operate under a relatively decentralized system of governance. The central libraries, including Robarts, Fisher and Gerstein, account for the bulk of the collections with about 7.7 million bound volumes, and are headed by the chief librarian who reports to the university provost. The Library Council, composed of senior staff and library committee chairs, advises the chief librarian on library policy. With more than 1 million volumes, many specialty libraries are operated by the academic faculties, departments and research centres. As the University of Toronto is a collegiate university
Collegiate university
A collegiate university is a university in which governing authority and functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges...
, its colleges also maintain their own libraries that together comprise 1.3 million bound volumes.
Following the example of other research universities, in 2007 the university opened an off-campus, high-density storage and preservation facility in Downsview, designed to store infrequently-accessed books that may be transported to campus as they are requested.
Since 2005, the university has been a major contributor to the Open Content Alliance
Open Content Alliance
The Open Content Alliance is a consortium of organizations contributing to a permanent, publicly accessible archive of digitized texts. Its creation was announced in October 2005 by Yahoo!, the Internet Archive, the University of California, the University of Toronto and others...
, an initiative by the Internet Archive
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
to create a permanent public archive of digitized texts. The library is a member of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries
Canadian Association of Research Libraries
The Canadian Association of Research Libraries is an organization of research libraries in Canada.It was established in 1976 and consists of 27 university libraries plus Library and Archives Canada , Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information , and the Library of Parliament.CARL's...
.
Libraries
The following are the University of Toronto's centrally administrated libraries, and libraries of various faculties, departments, centres and colleges.- Central libraries:
- Robarts LibraryRobarts LibraryThe John P. Robarts Research Library, commonly referred to as Robarts Library, is the main humanities and social sciences library of the University of Toronto Libraries and the largest individual library in the university...
- Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library
- Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong-Kong Library
- Petro Jacyk Central and Eastern European Resource Centre
- Thomas Fisher Rare Book LibraryThomas Fisher Rare Book LibraryThe Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is a library in the University of Toronto, constituting the largest repository of publicly accessible rare books and manuscripts in Canada. The library is also home to the university archives which, in addition to institutional records, also contains the papers...
- University of Toronto Archives & Records Management
- OISE Library
- Gerstein Science Information CentreGerstein Science Information CentreThe Gerstein Science Information Centre is the University of Toronto's flagship library supporting the sciences and health sciences. The largest science and health science academic library in Canada, Gerstein has a collection of over 945,000 print volumes of journals and books, and also provides...
- Noranda Earth Sciences Library
- Engineering and Computer Science Library
- Mathematical Sciences Library
- Vincent W. Bladen Library (University of Toronto ScarboroughUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughThe University of Toronto Scarborough is a satellite campus of the University of Toronto. Based in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the campus is set upon suburban parkland in the residential neighbourhood of Highland Creek...
) - University of Toronto Mississauga LibraryUniversity of Toronto Mississauga LibraryThe University of Toronto Mississauga Library is the humanities, sciences and social sciences library of the University of Toronto Mississauga, one of three campuses of the University of Toronto located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada....
- Robarts Library
- Faculty, departmental and constituent college libraries (local libraries):
- Architecture Landscape and Design Library
- Astronomy and Astrophysics Library
- Rotman Business Information Centre
- A.D. Allen Chemistry Library
- Criminology Information Service and Library
- Harry R. Abbott Dentistry Library
- Family and Community Medicine Library
- Art Library
- Newman Industrial Relations Library
- Faculty of Information Inforum
- Innis College Library
- Bora Laskin Law Library
- Robertson Davies Library, Massey College
- Music Library
- Ivey Library, New College
- Physics Library
- Laidlaw Library, University College
- Federated college libraries:
- Knox College Library (Caven Library)
- Regis College Library
- St. Michael's College Library
- Trinity College Library (John W. Graham Library)
- E. J. Pratt Library, Victoria University