Bishop’s University inaugurates its new Library Learning Commons
 

Bishop’s University inaugurates its new Library Learning Commons

The $17 million transformation project welcomes students for Fall semester

Today Bishop’s University inaugurated its new Library Learning Commons, a $17 million project to better serve its growing student population.

“The new Library Learning Commons is a tangible demonstration of Bishop’s commitment to academic excellence. It is an outstanding resource for learning, teaching and research, through which our students can unleash their curiosity, creativity and innovation,” said Bishop’s University Principal Michael Goldbloom, C.M.

The Library Learning Commons project was realized at a cost of $17 million, with students providing $1 million through the Leading the Way capital campaign. Other donors such as the McConnell Foundation, the Webster Family, the R. Howard Webster Foundation, the Eric T. Webster Foundation, the RBC Foundation and RBC Capital Markets contributed another $ 2.5 million. Provincial and Federal grants under the Major Infrastructure Component and Building Canada Fund completed the main sources of funding.

The former John Bassett Memorial Library, built in 1959 with a capacity of 1,500 students, becomes the new Library Learning Commons which can now accommodate over 3,500 students from Bishop’s University and Champlain Regional College who use the facility.

The Library Learning Commons emphasizes active and collaborative engagement, and encourages students to search and transmit knowledge. It will help students better understand critical issues, learn new skills, enjoy collaboration with others, and make new connections, between facts and ideas as well as between students, instructors and researchers. It was designed by Éric Pelletier and associates at Lemay Architecture, and developed through direct consultation with employees and user groups.

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MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Olivier Bouffard
Director of Communications
819-822-9600 ext. 2840
olivier.bouffard@ubishops.ca