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Students to help hack the library

By Michael Chen

First-year radio and television arts student Liz Corbo knows how the 40-year-old Ryerson library compares to other buildings on campus.

“I find myself walking the path from the Rogers Communications Centre, a beautiful building that feels new and fresh, to the library building, a place where sometimes, I dread.” Corbo will be attending an “Idea Hack” event next Wednesday to find out how she can improve the building’s interior look.

According to Strategic Projects Liaison Carrie-Ann Bissonnette, the office of the provost has allocated $75,000 as a one-time pilot project to help revitalize and infuse the current library with student pride and spirit. The money is managed by the Project Funds Allocations Committee for Students.

“As students, we spend a ton of time in the library. Sometimes, a paint job can make a huge difference,” Corbo said.

The student-led creative firm behind the event, Bodhi Collective, is looking for more ideas on how to revitalize the library.

One example from the collective is “Stairways to Stimulation.” The project plans to encourage more people to use the stairs in the library. The physical changes include installing kinetic energy floor tiles leading to the stairs, and adding air pollution-absorbing moss walls and charging stations in the stairwells.

Students can submit their ideas to fix any existing space or issue in the library as part of the unofficially named “LIB Invigorate” initiative, said Linh Nguyen, a fourth-year economics student behind the collective.

“We know that there will be some students who have a well developed idea or design proposal. And there might be other students who might have a very basic and bare concept,” Nguyen said. “So in this process, we want to make the connections they need to form a more solid idea.”

After the students submit their ideas, the collective and Ryerson academic stakeholders, including the offices of the president and library management, will review and approve them.

Then, students will present their ideas to the funds committee, which will determine how much it will cost.

If the idea receives funding, the campus facilities and sustainability department will carry out the project.

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