Dignitaries attending the Main Library renovation official opening gather for a photo. The event was held Feb. 10, 2012.

Students, faculty and staff celebrated the newly renovated space at Thompson Rivers University’s Main Library today.

Alan Shaver, TRU President and Vice-Chancellor and Kathy Gaynor, Interim Director Library Service were joined by Donovon Cavers, City of Kamloops Councillor and Al Raine, Mayor Sun Peaks  to cut the ribbon.

Originally opened in May 1976 and expanded to double its size in 1991, the reconfiguration of TRU’s Main Library is a result of the recently opened Brown Family House of Learning.

“So much of what we have done here improves the space for students and encourages collaborative learning,” said Alan Shaver. “There are more computers, more study spaces and 3 kilometers of compact shelving that can hold nearly 44 metric tons of books and periodicals—that can be moved by a finger!”

“Since this institution’s beginnings, this university has adopted a “can do” attitude.  With that ambitious mind-set, no goal seems unattainable.  And this afternoon you are surrounded by what once seemed to be an unattainable goal: creating a new library branch and renovating an existing library at the same time,” said Kathy Gaynor. “The entire library staff played a part in the planning, organizing and the physically moving and rearranging of a quarter of a million items. There were days when the task seemed insurmountable especially as our bodies groaned and ached after days and days of heavy and hard work. But day in and day out the staff persevered… always keeping in mind the end goal: improved facilities, improved access to materials, and improved library services for our students and faculty.”

The redesign includes:

• Dedicated, secure space for 90 graduate students and their supervisors who are able to access the space any time, day or night, complete with kitchen.
• Self-serve checkout
• Enhanced access to library collections and technology
• Art from TRU’s permanent collection
• 5 group study rooms, bookable online and mobile friendly
• Library Instructional space for librarians to teach research skills that support and enhance life long learning skills