The Unquiet Library: Fifty years of Robarts Library

Inside U of T’s Downsview Preservation Facility: High-Density Storage, Shared Stewardship, and Sustainability

Kyla Everall, coordinator of the University of Toronto Libraries’ Downsview high-density preservation facility in North Toronto, explains that it stores over four million books in dark, climate-controlled conditions (60°F, 40% humidity) on 35-foot-high shelves, organized by size and arrival order, with staff using lift trucks to retrieve items; users can request physical delivery to U of T campuses or scans, and expansions increased capacity from 2005 to five million in 2015, with a planned expansion next spring to reach eight million. Downsview receives materials from 40+ libraries and is part of the Keep@Downsview partnership with several Canadian universities, allowing shared stewardship without duplication (one copy per item). The episode also recounts how Robarts’ overcrowding prompted Downsview’s creation, addresses early faculty concerns about off-site access, argues it improved access and preservation, and notes sustainability efforts including 1,000 solar panels generating about 80% of annual energy and rainwater collection

.

More information about the Keep@Downsview partnership: Home | Keep@Downsview

For more on Robarts’ history, visit uoft.me/robarts50 and follow @unquietlibrary on Instagram, Blue Sky, and TikTok.

00:00 Episode Opener with Kyla Everall

06:49 Episode Introduction

08:06 The Crisis at Robarts

10:10 Resistance to Downsview

11:15 Why Downsview Actually Improved Access

12:09 Benefits of Downsview

13:01 Downsview becomes the new normal

13:40 Conclusion

14:20 But is Robarts sinking??? The final word on this urban legend.

Theme music:

Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

Sound credits:

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How Robarts Reached Beyond Its Walls: U of T Libraries and the Internet Archive

In this bonus episode of “The Unquiet Library: 50 Years of Robarts Library,” host Jesse Carliner introduces how the University of Toronto Libraries began extending access beyond Robarts through early digitization and a partnership with Brewster Kahle’s Internet Archive. Former chief librarian Carol Moore recounts a 1994 proposal to Canada’s “Group of 10” research universities for mass-digitization funding, early 1990s experiments including print-on-demand for out-of-print books for Japanese universities, and lessons from monitoring public-domain use. She describes evaluating Amazon, then launching a 2004 digitization trial with Internet Archive scanning machines, overcoming logistics challenges, and securing about $10 million via a Microsoft-linked project with multiple libraries, enabling roughly 300,000 U of T texts to be digitized. The effort found space on Robarts’ seventh floor and helped keep the library connected to rapid technological change.

For more on Robarts’ history, visit uoft.me/robarts50 and follow @unquietlibrary on Instagram, Blue Sky, and TikTok.

00:00 Moving the collections online

01:06 Early Digital Vision

03:01 Early Experiments and Lessons Learned

04:58 The Surprise Hit

05:42 Enter Brewster Kahle

06:26 The Pilot Project and Growth

07:56 Why the 7th floor of Robarts?

08:36 Reflection

09:42 Conclusion

Theme music:

Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

Sound credits:

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In this bonus episode of The Unquiet Library: 50 Years of Robarts Library, host Jesse Carliner shares an oral history excerpt in which librarian Sian Meikle recalls the arrival of Wi‑Fi at the John P. Robarts Research Library in the early 2000s. Meikle describes staff concerns about the safety of radio frequency waves, the practical difficulty of providing wireless service in a massive concrete building packed with dense book stacks, and the ongoing, iterative nature of network upgrades managed in partnership with the university’s central IT team. She also notes a pandemic-era lobby bottleneck where hundreds of people using multiple devices required a WiFi hardware swap to handle demand. The episode emphasizes that maintaining access is continuous, often invisible work as devices and expectations evolve.

For more on Robarts’ history, visit uoft.me/robarts50 and follow @unquietlibrary on Instagram, Blue Sky, and TikTok.

00:00 Introduction

00:25 Why WiFi Matters

01:16 Early Safety Concerns

01:41 Concrete and Books Block Signals

01:58 Central IT Partnership

02:14 Pandemic Lobby Upgrade

02:52 Rising Demand and Devices

03:19 Conclusion

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The Future of Robarts In the final episode of The Unquiet Library: 50 Years of Robarts Library, host Jesse Carliner looks ahead to what the future holds for the John P. Robarts Research Library at the University of Toronto amid digital access, changing cities, and evolving user needs.

Artist Jess Thalmann imagines Robarts as a “glorious futurist ruin,” while urbanist Shawn Micallef argues the building will endure and that libraries are increasingly vital as shared study spaces in a denser Toronto. Professor Siobhan Stevenson highlights the magic of finding books in the stacks and questions how digitization and automation may reshape academic librarianship. Digital humanities pioneer Ian Lancashire warns about long-term digital fragility and advocates keeping print for archival and reading purposes. Librarian Sian Meikle stresses libraries’ role in cultural heritage, digital preservation, and community, while architect Michael McClelland and architectural historian Mary Louise Lobsinger consider Robarts Library as a growing civic hub amid land scarcity. Former chief librarian Carol Moore emphasizes adaptation, preserving artifacts and collections, and challenges around new formats, costs, and intellectual property.

For more on Robarts’ history, visit uoft.me/robarts50 and follow @unquietlibrary on Instagram, Blue Sky, and TikTok.

00:00 Opening with Jessica Thalman

00:51 Episode Introduction and welcome

03:05 Shawn Micallef

07:13 Siobhan Stevenson

08:38 Ian Lancashire

13:22 Sian Meikle

16:07 Siobhan Stevenson

18:25 Michael McClelland

21:21 Mary Louise Lobsinger

23:23 Carole Moore

29:54 Conclusion

Theme music:

Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

Sound credits:

2 08 Br Lib amb 5.wav by ERH -- https://freesound.org/s/51632/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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First Impressions: What Students Really Think of Robarts Library  

In this back-to-school bonus episode of The Unquiet Library, host Jesse Carliner revisits the long-running debate over Robarts Library’s brutalist design—variously described for decades as a fortress, prison, masterpiece, peacock, or turkey—by interviewing incoming University of Toronto students during orientation week about their first impressions. Students comment on the building’s imposing concrete exterior, unusual geometry, and massive scale, often finding it intimidating from the outside but more welcoming, “human,” and full of varied study and social spaces once inside. Several mention campus stories and TikTok lore about what the building is “supposed” to resemble, while others focus on amenities and the role Robarts will play in their academic lives.  

To learn more about the architectural history of Robarts Library, including archival photos, visit uoft.me/robarts50  

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Bringing the University Online: Robarts Library and the expansion of computing access

Host Jesse Carliner explores how Robarts Library helped move the University of Toronto into a digital space as computing, the internet, and digital resources reshaped research and access. In the episode opener digital scholarship librarian Leslie Barnes defines digital humanities and describes AI as lowering barriers to coding while increasing the need for AI literacy and technology education in libraries. Then the episode traces early humanities computing through Ian Lancashire, founder of the Centre for Computing in the Humanities in Robarts, and his efforts to introduce word processing and computational methods to humanities graduate students. Former chief librarian Carole Moore recounts the uneven early distribution of email and computers and the push for broader access. Lari Langford describes building the Information Commons, dial-up starter kits, tokens, and campus-wide support. Retired reference librarian Patricia Bellamy and retired information technology service librarian and director Sian Meikle detail the web’s arrival, early UTL site design, local hosting of Elsevier journals, and Representative Poetry Online’s wide impact.  

00:00 Unquiet Library Ep. 9 Opener- Leslie Barnes 

02:45 Introduction  

03:51 Ian Lancashire-Early Digital Humanities Computing  

09:31 Carole Moore-- The library provides email and internet access to U of T  

13:33 Lari Langford-- Bringing the university online  

19:58 Patricia Bellamy-- Reference Department and the birth of the online library  

23:05 Sian Meikle- Early university and library websites  

26:59 Ian Lancashire- Representative Poetry Online 

32:34 Conclusion 

Robarts Library 50th anniversary exhibit: http://uoft.me/robarts50 

Key figures and concepts mentioned in this episode:  

Adel Sedra - Wikipedia 

Amrhein, Carl G. - Discover Archives 

In Memoriam: Professor Emeritus Ian Lancashire | Department of English 

What is Gopher in Computer? - GeeksforGeeks 

Graphical user interface - Wikipedia 

Representative Poetry Online

Theme music:  

Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a 

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication 

Sound credits: 

2 08 Br Lib amb 5.wav by ERH -- https://freesound.org/s/51632/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

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Discovery Systems librarian Susan Bond explains that the University of Toronto Libraries’ LibrarySearch blends results from Alma (the catalogue for items like books and journals) with a large database that can include chapter- and article-level content, and suggests AI’s most likely near-term impact is enabling natural-language queries instead of Boolean searching, rather than replacing the catalogue.  

Host Jesse Carliner traces Robarts Library’s technological history from card catalogs to computer output microform (COM) catalogues and the Felix online public catalogue (launched 1987), highlighting early collaborations with Calvin “Kelly” Gottlieb, Ritvars Bregzis, and the IBM Toronto Data Center that helped shape the MARC record and produced the University of Toronto Library Automation System (UTLAS) in the early 1970s. Interviews with Carol Moore, Debbie Green, Patricia Bellamy, and Sian Meikle describe costs, resistance, database challenges, email and office automation, CD-ROM and dial-up searching, and the shift to user self-service.  

More: uoft.me/robarts50; follow @unquietlibrary on Instagram, Blue Sky, and TikTok.  

00:00 Opener- Susan Bond discusses AI and library searching 

03:02 Introduction 

05:30 Carol Moore- The early days of library automation 

08:10 Carole Moore- The closing of the card catalogue 

18:02 Debbie Green--The impact of technology on daily library work 

21:35 Patricia Bellamy-- Early days of digital research tools 

25:06 Sian Meikle- The early days of computing in the library 

29:57 Conclusion 

Robarts Library 50th anniversary exhibit: http://uoft.me/robarts50 

Learn more about the history of automation and computing at the University of Toronto Libraries: Access & Discovery · University of Toronto Libraries at 125 · Exhibits 

Bregzis, Ritvars, Calvin Gotlieb, and Carole Moore. "The beginning of automation in the University of Toronto Library, 1963-1972." IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 24, no. 2 (2002): 50-70.

What is a card catalogue? Library catalog - Wikipedia 

What is a microfiche/microfilm catalogue? https://lis.academy/organising-and-managing-information/microform-catalogues-space-saving-library-solutions/   

What is the DIALOG search system? Milestones:DIALOG Online Search System, 1966 - Engineering and Technology History Wiki 

What is a CD-ROM? CD-ROM - Wikipedia 

Theme music:  

Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a 

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication 

Sound credits: 

2 08 Br Lib amb 5.wav by ERH -- https://freesound.org/s/51632/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Unquiet Library: 50 Years of Robarts Library, host Jesse Carliner explores Robarts’ pre-digital era through oral history interviews with current and former librarians. Margaret Wall describes processing 340 legacy CD-ROMs (plus cassettes and floppy disks) and determining whether their contents evolved into print or online databases, noting the convenience of today’s searchable platforms compared with swapping annual discs. Former chief librarian Carole Moore recalls card catalogues wired for phone reference, heavy photocopy demand, and the chaos of shared print journals and interlibrary delivery. Sian Meikle details intensely manual circulation work with charge files, typed loan cards, pneumatic tubes, book elevators, and noisy conveyor belts. Susanne Tabur explains serials “Kardex” tracking of roughly 30,000 journal titles and daily mail processing, while Debbie Green recounts research via print indexes, microfilm/microfiche catalogs, and early staff-mediated online, CD-ROM, and DIALOG searches.  

00:00 Opener with Margaret Wall 

02:07 Episode Introduction 

03:14 Carole Moore- Phone reference and the card catalogue; sharing print journals 

07:55 Sian Meikle—Library circulation during the analogue era 

14:12 Susanne Tabur—Tracking print journal subscriptions with the Kardex 

23:31 Debbie Green—The pre-digital research process 

28:55 Conclusion 

Robarts Library 50th anniversary exhibit: http://uoft.me/robarts50 

Learn more about the pre-digital library

What is a card catalogue? Library catalog - Wikipedia 

What is the Kardex system for managing serials? https://lis.academy/management-of-library-and-information-centre/library-serials-management-periodicals-journals/#kardex-system  

What is a microfiche/microfilm catalogue? https://lis.academy/organising-and-managing-information/microform-catalogues-space-saving-library-solutions/  

What is a periodical (journal) index? What is a periodical index? - LibAnswers 

What is the DIALOG search system? Milestones:DIALOG Online Search System, 1966 - Engineering and Technology History Wiki 

What is a CD-ROM? CD-ROM - Wikipedia 

Theme music:  

Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a 

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication 

Sound credits: 

2 08 Br Lib amb 5.wav by ERH -- https://freesound.org/s/51632/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

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This episode of The Unquiet Library examines how decades of public funding cuts, neoliberal policy shifts, wage restraints, attrition, buyouts, and rapid technological change reshaped Robarts Library and culminated in major strikes in 1975 and 1991. Former Chief Librarian Carol Moore and retired Chief Administrative Officer Alfred Cheng describe repeated annual budget reductions, prioritization and fundraising, migration to digital services, consolidation of desks, and avoiding layoffs through attrition while protecting the acquisition budget. Union and management perspectives recount resentments over capped pay, anxieties about the threat of technology and inadequate training, grievances, picket-line tensions, damaged relationships, and a sense that “nobody won,” even as Robarts ultimately transformed into a modern digital library. 

00:00 Opening with Alison Lang 

02:02 Introduction  

05:09 Carole Moore  

10:46 Alfred Cheng  

16:04 Dana Kuszelewski  

20:18 Gabriela Bravo  

25:19 Terrence Correia  

31:04 John Iacono  

33:36 Conclusion 

Robarts Library 50th anniversary exhibit: http://uoft.me/robarts50 

Learn more about CUPE 1230 and the 1991 strike 

About CUPE 1230: Welcome to CUPE 1230 - CUPE 1230 

CUPE 1230 1991 Strike Archival Materials: Flyers and brochures re CUPE strike, 1991 - Discover Archives 

The University of Toronto Varsity newspaper coverage of the start of the strike, see March 4, 1991 issue: The Varsity, June 1990 - April 16, 1991 : University of Toronto : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive 

doc-slotnick-cupe-local1230-strike-pamphlet-toronto-1975-OCR.pdf  

Theme music:  

Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a 

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication 

Sound credits: 

2 08 Br Lib amb 5.wav by ERH -- https://freesound.org/s/51632/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gendered history of Robarts Library.

This episode of The Unquiet Library: 50 Years of Robarts Library explores the gendered history of the John P. Robarts Research Library through 2021 oral-history interviews, framing librarianship as a “pink collar” profession dominated by women yet often led by men and undervalued in pay and influence. Kathleen Scheaffer explains that a 2019 gender salary-gap settlement for U of T librarians resulted from a University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) grievance and created a joint working group to continually audit salaries and address systemic barriers across career stages. Retired librarians recount key struggles: Carole Moore describes the 1974 “reference revolution” sparked by Anne Woodsworth’s dismissal after seeking pay equity, leading to committees and more consultative management; Susan Johnston highlights safety and late-night working conditions; Debbie Green discusses undervalued service work, sexism, and pay differentials; and Evelyn Houtman describes the “glass escalator,” including interview dynamics and men advancing quickly in administration. 

Index

00:00 Unquiet Library Episode 5: The Pink Collar

01:34 Introduction 

04:49 Interview with Carole Moore 

15:44 Interview with Susan Johnston 

18:17 Interview with Debbie Green 

25:09 Interview with Eveline Houtman

28:34 Conclusion 

To learn more about the history of Robarts Library, visit uoft.me/robarts50. Follow us @unquietlibrarypodcast on Instagram, Blue Sky or TikTok for additional content and updates.   

Additional Information about the 2019 gender-based salary gap settlement at U of T: 

UTFA Instrumental in Securing 3.9% Salary Increase to Remedy Gender-Based Salary Gap for Female Librarians | University of Toronto Faculty Association 

Gender-Based Salary Equity – Division of the Vice-President & Provost 

Equitable compensation | CAUT  

Pay Equity Act  

Theme music:  

Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a 

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication 

Sound credits: 

2 08 Br Lib amb 5.wav by ERH -- https://freesound.org/s/51632/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

R120120_walking_through_building.wav by reinsamba -- https://freesound.org/s/142929/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

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