40,000 sq. ft. facility holding 2.5M items
A significant portion of the Libraries' collections will be moved off-campus to a dedicated facility. This book move will increase the availableĚýstudy and workspace for the ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą community through the
Related links
Sustainable Storage at ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą's Collections Centre- Ěý(Reporter, March 2023)Ěý
- (Reporter, Jan 2023)
- Movement of Archives, Rare & Special Collections, and Visual Arts Collections
Feedback & questions
- For inquiries about this project info.library [at] mcgill.ca (contact us).
- Or submit feedback here.
Books from McLennan-Redpath moving to the Collections Centre in Fall 2023
As of Fall 2023, access to the print collections (books, and other items such as journals, microfilm, microfiche, etc.) from the McLennan-Redpath Library Complex will gradually be restricted to allow materials to be systematically moved and inventoried in the ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Collections Centre (MUCC).ĚýEach floor/area will remain open until movers are working in that area. During the moving period, access to the floor will be closed. As shelving and books are moved, furniture will be added to open floors to maximize seating. Other library workspacesĚýon campus and in theĚýMcLennan-Redpath Library ComplexĚýare available during these intermittent closures.
Books moving to the MUCC will be unavailable until the MUCC opens. As a result, the "Request/ Hold" button for items on the move will not appear in the catalogue. The hold button to borrow from other Quebec libraries (Network Loans) and Interlibrary Loan will remain.
If the "Request/Hold" button does not appear, ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą users (i.e. ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą students, faculty & staff) can continue to borrow books in the following ways: Ěý
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Existing e-book option Ěý
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Network loan or Interlibrary Loan  from another university library through the Sofia Discovery ToolĚý(±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą catalogue)
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Purchased/acquired (specific cases) Ěý
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For ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą faculty only: Access to stacks during floor closure (by appointment)Ěý
*Book access will depend on the stage of the move at the time of the request.
±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą faculty members, students, and staff are strongly encouraged to borrow and keep all the books they anticipate needing from the McLennan-Redpath Library Complex as soon as possible – before the next academic year begins in fall 2023.Ěý
Book Move Timeline, Scope of Work, Status & Impact on Users*
| TIMELINE | AFFECTED AREAS | SCOPE OF WORK | STATUS | IMPACT TO USERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase one: September 2023 to FebruaryĚý2024Ěý | McLennan-Redpath Library Complex | Books to move from the downtown campus to Collections Centre . | Ěý | Users will have access to books on floors where book move has yet to take place. The retrieval of books will be infrequent & for special cases only on floors where move is in process.Ěý |
| September to OctoberĚý2023 |
Closed storage area for books and some materials in ±«ÓăÖ±˛ĄĚýArchives. |
Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books.Ěý | Work in progress. No hold button in the catalogue. | Readers planning to use archival materials during the moving period are asked to reserve items ahead of time so that they can be accessible during this phase. More information.Ěý |
| OctoberĚý2023 | Basements in McLennan and Redpath Library Complex (except Chinese/Japanese/Korean (CJK) Collection. | Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books. | Books have been packed and moved. | Books moved. Floor reopened. |
| November 2023 | McLennan 1st floor (except DVD and course reserves) | Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books. | Books have been packed and moved. | Books moved. Floor open. |
| November 2023 | McLennan 2nd floor (except microfilms) | Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books. | Books have been packed and moved. | Books moved. Floor open. |
| November 2023 | McLennan 6th floor | Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books. | Books have been packed and moved. | Books moved. Floor reopened. |
| December-February 2023 | McLennan 5th floor | Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books. | Books have been packed and moved. | Books moved. Floor reopened. |
| February 2024 | McLennan 3rd floor | Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books. | Books have been packed and moved. | Books moved. Floor reopened. |
| March 2024 | Redpath 3rd floor (Blackader-Lauterman) | Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books. | Books have been packed and moved. | Books moved. Floor reopened. |
| March-April 2024 | Chinese, Japanese, Korean (CJK) Collection | Clearing of stacks. Packing and moving of books. | Books have been packed and moved. | Books moved. Floor remains closed. |
| Fall 2023 to Winter 2024 | McLennan 4th floor (Rare Books and Special Collections, Canadian Architecture Collection, Visual Arts Collection, ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Archives). | Collection preparation & packing period.Ěý | Ěý |
Reference response times delayed.ĚýThe reading room accessibleĚýby appointment. Email rarebooks.library [at] mcgill.ca to book a time.ĚýAll material must be requested in advance.ĚýMore information.Ěý |
| Phase Two: MarchĚýto JuneĚý2024 | Ěý | Ěý | Ěý | Ěý |
| Spring/SummerĚý2024 |
McLennan 4th floor (Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC), Canadian Architecture Collection, Visual Arts Collection, ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Archives)Ěý |
Rare books move from the downtown campus to Collections Centre.Ěý | Ěý |
Readers planning to use RBSC materials during the moving period are asked to reserve items ahead of time so that they can be accessible during this phase. More information.Ěý |
| June 2024 | Collections Centre | Collections Centre is operational weekdays and serving all users.Ěý | Ěý | Books held in the Collections Centre are available for loan to all users (through ILL, network loan or by request in the Sofia Discovery Tool). Daily scanning service available.Ěý |
| Summer 2024 | Collections Centre | Book move complete.Ěý | Ěý |
Ěý |
*Subject to change. Watch this space for updated information.
Frequently Asked Questions | Foire aux questions
What is the ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Collections Centre? | Qu’est-ce que le Centre des collections de l’UniversitĂ© ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą?
Books will always play a vital role in the life of the Libraries, but it no longer makes sense to devote a large footprint downtown to keeping print media that is not in high demand. At the same time, ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą needs to fulfill its mandate to preserve and make available deep, unusual collections for humanity. To this end, the ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Libraries created a Collections Centre at Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, just off-island. By moving a large portion of the University’s print collection to this new facility—which will be carefully climate-controlled, therefore better preserving the materials—the Libraries will be able to repurpose valuable in-library space to better serve the needs of today’s students, faculty, and researchers. 
Les livres resteront toujours au cĹ“ur de la mission de la Bibliothèque de ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą. Toutefois, il n’est pas raisonnable aujourd’hui de consacrer une grande superficie sur le campus du centre-ville Ă des ouvrages peu consultĂ©s. Parallèlement, ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą doit remplir son mandat de prĂ©server des collections riches et rares et de les mettre Ă la disposition du public. Ă€ cette fin, la Bibliothèque a fait construire le Centre des collections Ă Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, tout près de l’île de MontrĂ©al. Une grande partie des documents imprimĂ©s seront conservĂ©s dans cette nouvelle installation, dont l’atmosphère est contrĂ´lĂ©e pour bien les prĂ©server. Les espaces ainsi libĂ©rĂ©s seront rĂ©affectĂ©s pour mieux servir la clientèle. Ěý
What kind of technology will be used to store and retrieve items? | Comment les livres seront-ils entreposés et récupérés?
An intelligent, will be used for efficiency and reduction of long-term energy costs. | Un système assurera l’entreposage de haute densité et la récupération des livres tout en réduisant les coûts de l’énergie à long terme.
How many books will fit into the Collections Centre? | Combien de livres le Centre des collections pourra-t-il contenir?
The automated equipment in the Collections Centre has room for 2.5 million books.  In addition, there will be shelving for other types of material in the Libraries' collection. | Grâce Ă son Ă©quipement ˛ąłÜłŮ´Çłľ˛ąłŮľ±˛őĂ©, le Centre des collections pourra accueillir 2,5 millions de livres. Il y aura aussi de la place pour d’autres types de documents des collections de la Bibliothèque.
When will you be moving books from the McLennan-Redpath Library Complex to the Collections Centre? | Quand aura lieu le déménagement des livres du complexe McLennan-Redpath vers le Centre des collections?
The Collections Centre has been built. The book move will begin in fall of 2023. Library systems will keep track of items during the move and will manage loans thereafter.ĚýAs of Fall 2023, access to the print collections from the McLennan- Redpath Library Complex will gradually be restricted to allow materials to be systematically moved and inventoried in the Collection Centre.
La construction du Centre des collections est maintenant achevée, et le transfert des documents imprimés debutera à l’automne 2023. Sofia, le catalogue de la Bibliothèque, sera mis à jour et gérera les prêts par la suite. À partir de l’automne 2023, les collections de livres du complexe McLennan-Redpath seront progressivement et systématiquement déménagées et répertoriées dans le Centre des collections.
When will the Collections Centre be fully operational? | Quand le Centre des collections sera-t-il complètement opérationnel?
The Collections Centre is expected to be operational in spring 2024. At that time, ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą faculty, students, and staff members will be able to borrow all the print books that were transferred by making a request in the Sofia Discovery Tool (library catalogue). | Le Centre des collections devrait ĂŞtre opĂ©rationnel au printemps 2024. Il sera alors possible d’y emprunter des documents imprimĂ©s en faisant la demande dans le catalogue de la Bibliothèque (Sofia). Ěý
How can I get books once the Collections Centre is operational? | Comment pourrai-je emprunter des livres du Centre des collections?
Once in operation, library users will be able to request stored materials through the Sofia Discovery Tool, and the materials will be delivered to the library of your choice for pick up on a daily basis. The Faculty Office Delivery option will be available. The Collections Centre itself will not be open to users. | Lorsque le Centre des collections sera opĂ©rationnel, il sera possible d’y emprunter des documents Ă l’aide du catalogue Sofia, en prĂ©cisant la bibliothèque oĂą ceux-ci doivent ĂŞtre dĂ©posĂ©s. Le Centre effectuera des livraisons quotidiennes. Les professeur.e.s pourront se prĂ©valoir du service de livraison Ă leur bureau. Le Centre des collections sera fermĂ© au public. Ěý
I am a scholar from another university who uses the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and network loans systems. Can I access a book from ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą's collection during the book move period? | Je suis d’une autre universitĂ© et j’utilise les services de prĂŞt entre bibliothèques (PEB) et de prĂŞt rĂ©seau. Pourrai-je emprunter des livres de la collection de ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą durant la pĂ©riode de transfert?
Books are available for loan if the “Request/Hold or Scan” button is an access option in the catalogue. If the “Request/Hold or Scan” button no longer appears as an access option, then the book is in transit and cannot be loaned out. Books are scheduled to become fully available through ILL and network loans systems in spring 2024. | Les livres disponibles pour le prĂŞt seront signalĂ©s dans le catalogue par un bouton de « demande/rĂ©servation ou numĂ©risation ». Si ce bouton n’apparaĂ®t pas dans les options, c’est que le livre est en transfert, donc indisponible pour le prĂŞt. Tous les livres devraient redevenir disponibles pour le PEB et le prĂŞt rĂ©seau au printemps 2024. Ěý
What initiatives related to sustainability is the Collections Centre undertaking? | Quelles initiatives d’écoresponsabilité ont été entreprises pour le Centre des collections?
1) LEED Certified Facility: The building is energy efficient; its exterior grounds are low maintenance. It has two charging stations for electric vehicles. 2) High density storage reduces the carbon footprint of the warehouse building by 75%. 3) Energy efficient robots: Running robots for a 24 hour shift uses less energy than running a vaccum for thirty minutes. 4) A sustainable move: Moving contract awarded to supplier who could provide a maximum in fuel efficiency and a minimum waste of packaging to move 2.5M volumes. 5) Efficient book delivery: Digital versions of requested materials will be offered to users. Delivery physical materials will be electric. Ěý
1) La certification LEED : le bâtiment est écoénergétique et situé sur un terrain demandant peu d’entretien. Il compte deux bornes de recharge pour véhicules électriques. 2) Le système d’entreposage de haute densité : celui-ci réduit de 75 % le bilan carbone du bâtiment. 3) Des robots écoénergétiques : l’utilisation de robots pendant 24 heures consomme moins d’énergie qu’un aspirateur qui fonctionne pendant une demi-heure. 4) Un déménagement écoresponsable : le contrat de services de déménagement a été attribué au fournisseur qui pouvait offrir la plus grande économie d’énergie tout en produisant un minimum de déchets d’emballage pour transporter 2,5 millions de volumes. 5) Des livraisons efficaces : des versions numériques des documents seront mises à la disposition des usagères et usagers. Les livraisons quotidiennes de documents se feront par véhicule électrique.
