The UAlberta Libraries are conducting an accessibility assessment of the library spaces, the library website, and the programs and services we offer.

We are looking for students (open studies, undergraduate, or graduate) to participate in one or more of the following assessment activities:

Students! Living up to it's reputation of being a great study hotspot, Rutherford Library has some new furniture that is sure to be a hit this coming fall term. Twenty new "study pods" were recently installed as finishing touches to the Rutherford main floor renovation completed in October of last year.The study pods are  one-person study carrels with:

• Laptop tables that revolve on swing-arms.
• A privacy shield to provide a private study environment. 
• Larger pods also have plugins for charging phones or laptops while you study.

The study pods can be found on the main floor of Rutherford North, four near the entry,  five near the newspapers area by the computers and 11 by the main staircase and elevators. Come and check out the new pods before the fall rush!

Students returning back from reading week will find that the University of Alberta Libraries has some new spaces available for group study!


As of February 21st, several newly bookable spaces are available for students to use. The rooms can be found on the 4th and 5th floors of the Rutherford North building.

There have been several exciting developments in the planning and building of the Research and Collections Resource Facility (RCRF) that is currently under construction. First and foremost, the Libraries’ RCRF Planning Team has added two new members; Kyle Ouellette is the new Project Coordinator and Meredith Bratland is our new Strategic Communications Manager.  And, check out some of the recent photos from the site.


Staff at our Book and Record Depository (BARD) have been working with a LEAN process consultant over the past year to review and improve workflows and processes in preparation for the move into the RCRF.  CJ de Jong, our Access Services Coordinator, reports that this has resulted in changes to our book returns process, a reorganized bin system for deliveries to our NEOS partner libraries, tackling maps storage, the elimination of unnecessary supplies and shelving, and updated workflows.  Moving forward, we’re fortunate to have Kyle Ouellette, our new Project Coordinator, as a resource trained in LEAN Six Sigma processes. One of his first tasks will be to assist with workflows related to digitization in the RCRF.

A Request for Proposal is open for the RCRF’s new cherry pickers and wire guidance systems.  These pickers are used to shelve and retrieve books from the storage facility, which will have 30 foot high shelving.  The deadline for proposals is November 22, 2016.

Our Materials Preservation Working Group is making progress on meeting the operational requirements to maintain our Movable Cultural Property (MCP) Program Category A designation.  They are diligently working to develop new work processes, procedures, and policies that fully satisfy MCP standards for housing, handling, and securing Canadian cultural property, archives, and library materials in the RCRF.  The team is currently exploring sensor options to collect data on the temperature and humidity of the facility for materials preservation. An Emergency Response Plan is also in the works, and the group will identify and set standards for relevant training for RCRF staff who will need to learn new work processes for improved collections preservation and security.

We are keeping apace with our planning for the new Research and Collections Resource Facility (RCRF).  In fact, one of our key updates is that we’re considering a new name for the facility which better captures its function and sense of place…Bookmark.  What do you think?  Please comment with your feedback below.

At the building site on South Campus, you’ll see that the RCRF is literally taking shape!  The images below capture highlights from construction in June.

In addition to the advances made on the physical site, over the past eight weeks our RCRF Planning Team has been engaged in a range of activities:

• We hosted a stakeholder focus group to solicit input regarding the RCRF’s public spaces - the reading room and multi-purpose room.  Feedback from this group crystallized recent decisions regarding carpets, paint colours and furniture.
• CJ de Jong, our Access Services Coordinator and a key member of our planning team, recently visited the University of British Columbia’s Library Preservation and Archives (PARC), a similar storage facility, to learn more about their workflows, shelving and software.  Gleanings from this trip, and others to date, will continue to inform our planning process going forward.
• Larry Laliberte, our Geographic Information Systems Librarian, has been reviewing our map collection at BARD to identify potential candidates for digitization and ready the collection for its relocation to the RCRF.  
• We are working with Spacesaver to finalize our shelving needs.  We’ve also been talking quite a bit about how and when best to manage the process of cleaning collections as they are moved from BARD to the RCRF.  This is much more complex than you think.  Stay tuned! 

Visit the RCRF web page for more information and updates.

Post any questions or feedback below and and we’ll get back to you!

Starting Tuesday, February 16th at 9pm, a valid University of Alberta ONECard will be required for after hours access to Cameron Library, when security guards are on duty.  Visitors without their ONECard will be denied entry.  Swipe card access will be available through the side door adjacent to Starbucks.

This change is just one of a number of security protocols recently put in place in Cameron Library with the specific aim of ensuring it provides the most secure and sustainable after hours study space possible.  The Libraries have worked closely with Protective Services and Facilities & Operations to implement this change, as well as the following range of new safety measures:

• Trained security guard on site daily after hours
• Installation of blue pull stations in all washrooms for use in the event of an emergency 

Trained security guards and blue pull stations have also been put into place at Rutherford Library on North Campus and at the Augustana Campus Library to support after hours study spaces. All of these changes reflect a broader strategy within the Libraries to provide more safe and secure spaces for our UAlberta community members.

To review all library hours and location, go to: https://hours.library.ualberta.ca/