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Ryerson settles $70K library deal

By Michael Duncan

Successful negotiations between Ryerson and the University of Toronto have resulted in a three-year agreement allowing Ryerson Graduate students full access to U of T’s Robarts library.

The negotiations, which were completed in late August, took place throughout the summer between both Ryerson’s chief librarian Madeleine Lefebvre and U of T’s chief librarian Carole Moore.

“The deal will be based on actual usage as opposed to last year the provost paid a blanket fee based on the year before,” said Lefebvre.

Last year’s deal cost Ryerson $70,000 and was a interim fee, whereas the new agreement charges Ryerson on a per student basis and can be pro-rated for students accessing Robarts later in the year.

“It is a more favourable deal than the one we had last year because we had time to think it through and negotiate it,” said Ryerson Provost and Vice President Academic, Alan Shepard.

While the deal allows Robarts access for all Ryerson Graduate students, staff and faculty, under U of T policy, this access is not extended to undergraduate students who can only access Robarts through interlibrary loans.

“It’s a major research library so they have a lot of hard copy books and our collection is very small in comparison,” said Lefebvre about U of T’s Robarts library.

But even though Ryerson’s library space may be small, and undergraduates may be limited in access to Robarts, Ryerson’s online research databases are also great tools for research.

“Ryerson’s electronic database has been sharply increasing, and we have a really superb database and have put a lot of money into it,” said Shepard.

Photo: Chelsea Pottage

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