About the project

As McGill University commemorates its 200th anniversary in 2021, we have developed a bold vision to transform the Library into a cutting-edge nexus for teaching, learning and research in the digital age. The Fiat Lux Library Building Project is being realized through a combination of philanthropy and institutional support.

The words inscribed above the entrance to an early library building, Fiat Lux [Let There Be Light], reflect the goal of this ambitious undertaking: to create a new Library complex that will accommodate exciting advances in technology-based learning and pedagogy, proactively positioning it to meet the needs of current and future McGill students, faculty and researchers.

The new Library complex will embrace McGill University’s rich past and integrate programming to address current space and service issues. Incorporating a rebuilt 1950s Redpath and renovated 1960s McLennan buildings, the modernized and expanded Library will be reconfigured to suit the study requirements of 21st-century library users – nearly doubling the spaces for the McGill community.

The renovated space will feature a variety of light-filled workspaces, themed reading rooms, and a completely re-imagined Rare and Special Collections. Next-generation, flexible learning environments will be created alongside an enhanced service model that reflects the need for amplified information and research expertise in the digital age.

The McGill Library is the busiest spot on campus and a home away from home for thousands of scholars each year. We are now reaching out to the Library’s community to lend support to this bicentennial project.

Team

  • Dr. Guylaine Beaudry, Trenholme Dean of Libraries
  • Robert Hamilton, Executive Director
  • Ron Evans, Director, Planning and Development
  • Paul Guenther, Manager, Planning and Development
  • Karim Moussaly, Senior Finance Officer
  • Julie Prsa, Administrative Officer