Inside U of T’s Downsview Preservation Facility: High-Density Storage, Shared Stewardship, and Sustainability
Kyla Everall, coordinator of the University of Toronto Libraries’ Downsview high-density preservation facility in North Toronto, explains that it stores over four million books in dark, climate-controlled conditions (60°F, 40% humidity) on 35-foot-high shelves, organized by size and arrival order, with staff using lift trucks to retrieve items; users can request physical delivery to U of T campuses or scans, and expansions increased capacity from 2005 to five million in 2015, with a planned expansion next spring to reach eight million. Downsview receives materials from 40+ libraries and is part of the Keep@Downsview partnership with several Canadian universities, allowing shared stewardship without duplication (one copy per item). The episode also recounts how Robarts’ overcrowding prompted Downsview’s creation, addresses early faculty concerns about off-site access, argues it improved access and preservation, and notes sustainability efforts including 1,000 solar panels generating about 80% of annual energy and rainwater collection
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More information about the Keep@Downsview partnership: Home | Keep@Downsview
For more on Robarts’ history, visit uoft.me/robarts50 and follow @unquietlibrary on Instagram, Blue Sky, and TikTok.
00:00 Episode Opener with Kyla Everall
06:49 Episode Introduction
08:06 The Crisis at Robarts
10:10 Resistance to Downsview
11:15 Why Downsview Actually Improved Access
12:09 Benefits of Downsview
13:01 Downsview becomes the new normal
13:40 Conclusion
14:20 But is Robarts sinking??? The final word on this urban legend.
Theme music:
Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
Sound credits:
2 08 Br Lib amb 5.wav by ERH -- https://freesound.org/s/51632/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
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