Revolutionary university library opens its doors

Libraries have a reputation for silence, but in recent years these oases of calm have been the unlikely venues for political and technological revolution. In the UK, government proposals to slash their funding met ferocious public opposition, whilst in the US technological developments have produced the first bookless libraries. The future of the library is anything but quiet.

Macquarie University in Sydney opened its new, state-of-the-art library on 1 August 2011. With cutting-edge technological and architectural features, it is the most advanced library in Australia.

The design was inspired by the native parklands of the Macquarie campus and the building aims to set some impressive sustainability standards.

“We’ve built a library for the future,” says University Librarian Maxine Brodie. “The architects incorporated sustainability into every aspect of the design, from the blinds on the windows to the drainage system on the roof. But the most exciting thing is the service we can offer to students.”

At its heart, the library’s Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) revolutionises the way it works. Students will be able to browse the shelves as they have always done, but less popular books will be stored in a vast underground warehouse and retrieved by cranes within minutes when requested.

The two-storey ASRS is the first of its kind in an Australian library, and frees up the rest of the building for study space. The new library is only 3 square metres larger than its predecessor, but will provide three times as much study space and house the entire library collection – previously split between sites – for the first time.

“This building will last for the next fifty years,” says Brodie. “I’m thrilled to be a part of it. It’s a real investment in the future of the University and our students.”

AU$97 million was spent on the new facility, which is among a raft of significant investments being made at the University to support learning, teaching and research. They reflect the ambitious goals of a university on the rise, with Macquarie aiming to be among the top 200 universities in the world by 2014 – the University’s 50^th anniversary.

Read more about Macquarie’s new library building or email iso@mq.edu.au for more information about studying at Macquarie University.