Rachel Rubin, Mount Allison University’s dean of libraries and archives, says the major upgrades to the campus’s Ralph Pickard Bell Library can’t come soon enough.
“The library is sort of held together with duct tape quite literally,” she said in an interview on Tuesday.
“The librarians and the staff have done an amazing job doing what they can in that space, so I’m really excited to see what we can do in the space.”
The university received $10 million from the province and $26 million from the federal government for a major renovation that will allow the library to offer new services, like media labs and resources for Indigenous learning.
Beauséjour MP Dominic LeBlanc said there would be collaborative spaces for businesses to work with students.
“Local businesses, New Brunswick businesses will have access and be encouraged to come to some of the collaborative spaces the laboratories, the very high-tech digital learning spaces to work with student entrepreneurs,” he said in an interview.
The remaining $29 million required to renovate will come from the university’s operating budget and a philanthropic campaign.
Mount Allison president and vice-chancellor Jean-Paul Boudreau said this will take at least a few years.
“It’s not going to happen overnight, it’s really important work. But (the government contribution) is a really critical step,” he said.
All of the changes will happen in the existing library space.
Rubin said there would be no disruption in library services when the work starts in a few years.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the students engage in the space in new ways and to really feel like they have everything they need,” she said.