The Evolution of a Library

Today's students, researchers, and faculty expect information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever they may be. In every university, the library is the heart of the campus. The library is a place of knowledge and resources and with the help of donors and friends, SFU Library continues to improve our resources, pilot new services, and enhance physical spaces in support of learning and research.

Donor support is critical in helping us renew the library for 21st century services to engage more learners and researchers, encourage collaboration, grow the collection, create a comfortable atmosphere, and use new technologies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bennett Renewal Project

WAC Bennett Library was built more than 45 years ago and can no longer support the complexity of services we now provide. 

Immediate plans are in place to revitalize the second and third floors to create vibrant and collaborative learning spaces for students, faculty and the community. The library is a vital part of interdisciplinary learning for Simon Fraser University. The renewal project will allow WAC Bennett to continue providing information and resources for world class research and studies.

Student Learning Commons

The Student Learning Commons is a unique service that integrates the expertise of librarians, learning specialists, peer educators, and student technicians.

Your support allows us to add more peer educators, provide different types of space for different types of learning, and increase the number and variety of workshops and consultations for students.

An expansion of the Student Learning Commons is planned in conjunction with the Bennett Renewal Project allowing more space for private consultations.

Research Collections

SFU Library currently offers more than 4 million books and 978,000 electronic journals. As the university expands its programs, we must also broaden the scope of our collections.

Your gift allows us to grow our print and online collections to support the quality and breadth of students and researchers that SFU attracts. Donors can support the collection in general or for a minimum donation have a named endowment fund that will provide annual resources in the subject area of your choosing. Naming of the Research Collections fund is also available.

Digitization

Digitizing collections ensures long-term preservation and accessibility of important cultural and historical materials. Digitization enables multiple users to simulataneously consult a single resource, protects rare materials from damage, and allows for remote access. For example, the Multicultural Canada project digitizes a wealth of unique and fragile cultural materials representing minority groups and makes them available online at no cost to users.

Special Collections and Rare Books

Special Collections and Rare Books is an important resource for the research community with its in-depth holdings in twentieth century avant-garde literature, a major William Wordsworth collection, significant and expanding collections of BC publishing materials, British Columbia literary, social, and political materials, and editorial cartoons.

A reconfiguration and expansion of this area is needed to provide additional space for the growing collection of rare books, pamphlets, tapes, archival and personal papers, and other materials, as well as to create a more comfortable and technology-friendly space for those who use the collection.

Gifts-in-Kind
Many people choose to leave their personal libraries to SFU Library to ensure that the collections are properly maintained and accessible for future generations of scholars and collectors. Gifts-in-kind are eligible for the same kinds of tax benefits as other gifts. Gifts-in-kind undergo an assessment procedure and a tax receipt is issued for the current fair market value.

If you would like to donate books or materials to the SFU Library, please contact:

Eric Swanick
Head of Special Collections
Tel: 778.782.4626
email: eswanick@sfu.ca

Make a Gift Today!

There are many different ways to make a gift to SFU Library. To learn more about what option is best for you please visit the Ways to Give page.

If you are interested in more information about donating to the Library, please contact:

Virginia Hong, Associate Director, Advancement at:
virginia_hong@sfu.ca
778.782.9341