The John P. Robarts Research Library is poised for a landmark expansion, thanks to the generosity of our donors, led by Drs. Russell and Katherine Morrison.
An iconic feature on the main campus of U of T, Robarts Library is an essential destination for students, and a key access point to a wealth of resources for academic success and scholarship. A hub for students since it was opened in 1973, Robarts’ capacity has become stretched to its limits in the ensuing decades.
The Morrisons were leading donors to the first phase of revitalization in 2011, which added 1,379 seats to Robarts Library’s previous capacity, and have since extended their support to the second phase—The Robarts Common. A new five-storey structure on the Huron Street side of the Robarts block, the Common will be devoted to student study and collaboration space, completing the original vision for the building. The expansion adds 1,200 seats and increases the total capacity of Robarts to 6,000 seats. Construction begins in Summer 2017, and it is expected that the new facility will be opened in 2020. Once in use, on weekdays in the academic year it will be open around the clock.
“Katherine and I are thrilled to support this vital expansion of Robarts Library. We view the renewal of Robarts as an opportunity to strengthen the foundations of education, advance groundbreaking ideas, and dramatically improve the quality of student life,” Dr. Morrison said.
The support of the Morrisons for the Robarts revitalization has inspired over one thousand other donors to contribute, including alumni, staff and friends of the University of Toronto Libraries. As Chief Librarian Larry Alford observed, “This project is coming to fruition because of the tremendous philanthropic support of our donors, led by Russell and Katherine Morrison. They understand that having 24-hour access to study space ensures that U of T’s students can be as productive and connected as possible. The Robarts Common will significantly contribute to students’ academic success — by providing space to learn, to investigate new ideas and avenues of research, and to engage with each other in pursuit of knowledge.”
Donors to the Robarts Common
The University of Toronto Libraries are very grateful for the generosity of our donors.
Lead donors: Russell and Katherine Morrison
- Godfrey O. Aedy
- Sumaiya Ahmed
- Madrina M. Alexander
- Larry Alford
- Barbara Allen
- Derek Allen
- Neil H. Allen
- Cynthia Archer
- John H. and Janet W. Astington
- Ann H. Atkinson
- Thanawut Aung-Aphinant
- M. Elizabeth Avison
- Vincent M. Badame
- Grace Marie Badillo
- Louis and Donalda Badone
- Mary Jane Baillie
- Dalton Richard John Ballantine
- Salvatore Barbieri
- Judith A. Barclay
- Andrew Barker
- Winnifred F Barnett
- John Beckwith and Kathleen McMorrow
- Douglas Bell
- B. Allen Bentley
- William L. Birmingham
- Black Creek Investment Management Inc.
- Gertrude Boeschenstein-Knighton
- Harald and Jean Bohne
- Ilze Bregzis
- Helen Breslauer
- Paul N. Brown
- Maria Maddalena Buda
- Melanie Cynthia Burger
- Marlies L. Burkhard
- John Burtniak
- Charles M. Campbell
- Megan E. A. Campbell
- Dorothy Carson
- Deborah J. Casey
- Gray C. Cavanagh
- Wendy M. Cecil
- Josef R. C. Cermak
- Murray Chalmers
- Crystal B. Y. Chan
- Diana Chan
- Christine Charlebois
- Veronica P. Chase
- Phyllis R. Chisvin
- Kirby Chown
- William N. Christensen
- Joyce E. Chyrski
- Brenda Lee Coleman
- William E Conklin
- Sheila Connell
- Laurent Constantin
- Richard A. Conte
- Judi Cooper
- Brian and Linda Corman
- Robert Croxall
- Alain Dagher
- Edward G. Davies
- Mavis Davison
- Ilka I De Diego
- Linwood DeLong
- Moinul Delwar
- Ursula Deschamps
- Thomas B. Deutscher
- Simon Devereaux
- Shehan M. Doss
- L. Diane Dyer
- William Peter Dykshoorn
- D. Louise Edwards
- William Edwards
- Raymond E England
- Bob Ewen
- Lee Mary Fairclough
- Valerie Olimpia Falcone
- Shannon E. Fisher
- Maurizio Flaugnatti
- Alexandra Florentina Fokine
- Marisa Franchuk
- Gabrielle Frenkel
- Ida Fridman
- Adriana Frisenna
- Natsuko Furuya
- Lu Gan
- Richard Gee
- Tamara George
- Constance Gilbert
- Greta Golick
- Donna L. Gorbold
- James F. Graham
- M. Elaine Granatstein
- Hope L. R. N. Grau
- Gaye Greaves
- Deborah Anne Green
- Peter I. and Edna A. Hajnal
- Beverly A. Hargraft
- Diana O. Harney
- Vickie E. Hartog
- Toni and Robin Healey
- Grace Heggie
- Scott Hilborn
- Michael J. Hill
- Aldora Ho
- Michael J. Hoare
- Hu Hong
- Bonnie Horne
- Gloria G. Houser
- Joy Hughes
- Wayne J. Hughes
- Reg Hunter
- Michael and Linda Hutcheon
- Kathleen J. Imrie
- Iter Inc.
- Liane Victoria James
- Elisabeth A. Jocz
- Susan Johnston
- Carol B. Jones
- L. Joyce Jones
- Sandra Kagoma
- Ryan R. Kalladeen
- David Zvi Kalman
- Sophia C. Kaszuba
- Matthew H Kaye
- Julia A. Keeler
- Joanna Lynn Kennedy
- Diane M. King
- Maria O. Koel
- Michael and Sonja Koerner
- Lea May Koiv
- Vivian Y. Kong
- Barbara Kozera-Szurmak
- Robert Krembil
- Eugene Krivyan
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt
- Susan T. Laidlaw
- Courtney Laliberte
- Margaret Yiu-ki Kong Lam
- Anne and Ian Lancashire
- R. Brian Land
- John E. Lang
- Lari Langford
- Karen Langstaff Meslin
- David Graham Laughton
- Sheila L. Lawson
- B. Maureen Lee
- Craig A. Lewis
- Weiman Wendy Li
- Ping Lin
- Mary Lui
- Larry Lundy and Elizabeth (Langford) Julian
- Tin Yick Lung
- Gloria S. Lylyk
- Ronald G. MacDonald
- Karen M. MacKay
- Lambrini Marcopoulos
- Andy Mark
- Mario Marrello
- Kiran Ram Mathur
- Nancy Matthews
- Dorothy J. McAnally
- G. David McCartney
- Sara McEwen
- Harold J. McGonigal
- Duncan McLaren
- Donald McLeod
- Harry S. McMaster
- Kathleen McMorrow
- Lachlan M. McNair
- John D. McNeil
- Sian M. Meikle
- Jennifer and David Mendelsohn
- Sandeep Menon
- Judith Mills
- Cheryl Misak
- Carl W. Mollins
- Carole R. Moore
- Lynn A. Morgan
- Gillian Morrison
- Denise D. Mossey
- Tahira Munir
- Guy Murnaghan
- Glen S. Murphy
- Michael J. Needham
- Claudette E. Neita
- Sharon Nofech-Mozes
- Derek Nogiec
- Kevin O'Neil
- Mariel O'Neill-Karch and Pierre Karch
- Irene Orechous
- Andrea Wilcox-Nicol
- Paul G. Ostic
- Victoria Owen
- Patricia Page
- Amy J. Paget
- Thomas Pam
- Alexander C. Pathy
- Mark L. Pathy
- Flora E. Patterson
- Linda Patterson
- Barbara Payton
- Eugenie Icilda Pearson
- Lubomyra C. Pendzey
- John and Mitzi Pepall
- J. Russell Perkin
- Catherine Peterson
- Alvin Pettle
- Craig Pho
- Janet E. Plaxton
- M. Lois Pollard
- Laura Manes
- Shirley Poon
- M. Lynn E. Poth
- Rosemary M. Powers
- Marian Press
- Louise Margaret Procter Maio
- Stephen Qiao
- Deenah Rahman
- Ruth Redelmeier
- N. Jack Reid
- Anne M. Remmel
- Philip Resnick
- Fabiano T. Rocha
- Margaret Rodrigues
- Carol Rolheiser
- Anna Maria Romano
- Richard Rooney
- Helen Rose
- Mary Ruscillo
- Anna Santeramo
- Maria Savu
- The Schad Foundation
- Stephen Cletus Schmidt
- Robert N. Sebastian
- Johanna Sedlmayer-Katz
- Shereen A. Seoudi
- Runjan Seth
- Norman P. Seurukas
- Meher Shaik
- Margaret A. Sherwood
- Ann M. Simard
- Meriel V. Simpson
- Katherine Ann Sirluck
- Arthur Smith
- Christopher J. Smith
- Douglas Smith
- Wiebke Smythe
- Judith Snow
- Svetlana Soglasnova
- Audrey Speck
- Eva Spevak
- Jeff Stone
- William A. Sturgess
- Chun-Lan Sun
- Tjahjono Sutandar
- Glenn R. Swanick
- Tibor A. B. Szandtner
- Karen Shirley
- Jahangir Khan Tareen
- Ronald S. Taylor
- Brian G. Terry
- Sharon D. Thurston
- Levant Tinaz
- William Edgar Toyne
- Ann B. Tracy
- Susan Tremblay
- Leanne Hindmarch
- Daniel King-Leung Tung
- Johannes vanderLeest
- Gary J. Waddington
- Barry Walfish
- Peter L. Walker
- Germaine Warkentin
- Steven W. Weary
- Jenaya Webb
- Alice Eleanor Wees
- Jennifer M. Wentworth
- W. G. Wheatley
- Marilyn Y. White
- Owen White
- Patricia A. White
- Robert G. and Jacqueline White
- Donald R. Wilson
- Nora C. Wilson
- Thomas G. S. Wilson
- Joan Winearls
- Elston Lap-Boon Wong
- Cara Worthington
- Jiangbin Yang
- Malcolm Yasny
- Lorna Young
- 107 anonymous donors
Deceased are indicated with italics