This report is also available in PDF.
This past year has been a period of transformation and renewed purpose for the Library and Archives. We proudly launched our new strategic plan, setting a clear roadmap to advance the university’s priorities. We also expanded our capacity with the addition of new librarians, archivists, and staff. Above all, it is thanks to the exceptional work and dedication of our entire team that we continue to deliver outstanding services and resources to our community.
I invite you to explore this report to see how we are working together to shape the future of learning, research, and discovery at Laurentian University.
Danielle Dennie
University Librarian
Vision
We aspire to be a dynamic, inclusive, and transformative hub of knowledge that empowers discovery, creativity, and lifelong learning
Mission
We support student success and lifelong learning by providing accessible, equitable information services. through thoughtful collection curation, inclusive spaces, and responsive user support, we facilitate research, foster scholarly communication, and serve as trusted stewards of knowledge for students, faculty, researchers, and the broader community.
Values
- Equitable access: We strive to make information open, free, and accessible to all
- Human connection: We cultivate a culture of engagement and respect
- Lifelong learning: We foster professional curiosity and a passion for continuous learning
- Responsiveness: We are creative and adaptable in meeting the evolving needs of our community
- Stewardship: We are committed to curating and preserving our collections current and future generations
Experiential Learning
The Library and Archives provided 20 students with 5,146 hours of hands-on experience, building skills in frontline support, archival preservation, information systems, and collection maintenance.
Collections and their use
- Print journals: 7,083
- Ejournals: 46,587
- Materials checked out: 4,619
- Materials borrowed from other libraries: 1,734
- Materials sent to other libraries: 1,568
- Collections and their use
- Print books: 567,322
- Ebooks: 2,193,688
- Searches in online databases: 572,847
- Ebooks used at least once: 87,911
- Journal articles downloaded: 311,937
Teaching and Learning
- Library workshops: 31
- Workshop participants: 918
- Research Skills Tutorial registrations: 1,609
- Group and individual study room reservations: 10,207
- Reference questions and consultations
- Archives: 288
- Library: 545
- Ask the Library (chat): 205
Research
~ $150,000 saved in publishing costs
In 2025, "Read and Publish" agreements negotiated by the CRKN library consortium enabled Laurentian researchers to publish 32 articles with discounted or fully waived APCs.
Expenditures
- Total collection acquisitions budget: $2,072,407 (includes books, periodicals, and electronic resources)
Library and Archives Strategic Plan
The strategic planning process, initiated in January 2025, involved surveys and interviews with students, faculty, and members of the administration, as well as retreats with the Library and Archives team.
Our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan introduces a new vision rooted in equitable access, connection, and stewardship. Aligned with Laurentian’s strategic directions, we are focused on:
- Student experience: Modernizing spaces and expanding service awareness.
- Research and collections: Building research supports and curating bilingual and tricultural collections.
- Community and our team: Forging strategic partnerships and supporting our dedicated staff.
Engaging the Community
This year, the Library and Archives facilitated important campus conversations by hosting two online presentations:
- Copyright in Higher Education: co-hosted with the Office of Research and Innovation Services in both English and French, this informative presentation was delivered by Thomas Rouleau, Senior Manager of Copyright Services, University of Ottawa
- Academic Libraries & Decolonization: A focused presentation on responsibility, reflection, and actionable change provided by Simon Fraser University colleagues Ashley Edwards, Sandhya Ghai, and Mark Jordan.
New furniture and equipment
Thanks to funds from the Associate Vice-President, Students, the J.N. Desmarais Library was able to equip almost all group study rooms with new tables and screens for group collaboration, as well as new chairs in both group and individual study rooms.
Online Room Booking Software
The J.N. Desmarais Library launched a new room booking platform for group and individual study rooms. The convenient self-serve platform makes it easy to reserve rooms online up to 3 weeks in advance.
Research Data Management Support
To better support the research lifecycle, the Library launched a comprehensive Research Data Management (RDM) Guide alongside an interactive Research Data Storage Finder to help researchers easily navigate data planning and secure storage options.
Authentication and security upgrades
The Library successfully updated its login infrastructure, ensuring students and faculty can safely and reliably connect to all our digital resources.
The J.N. Desmarais Library officially opened its doors on June 2, 1990. The 120,300-square-foot building took just over a year to complete. Designers really focused on the details: tinted triple-pane windows with solar deflectors protected the nearly 900,000-item collection from UV damage, while rubber tiles replaced traditional carpet throughout most floors for superior sound absorption and durability. The interior palette, an earth-tone colour scheme of rust to dark brown brick, chamois buff walls, beige flooring, and cayenne-brown carpet, was considered very much of the moment in 1990.
The new library was celebrated as a technological leap forward: CD-ROM readers, an automated circulation system with bar-coded patron cards, and a bilingual online catalogue were among its headline innovations. For a university whose library had previously been scattered across four floors of the Parker Building plus two smaller satellite libraries, the consolidation was transformative. As one student put it at the time: "All circulating materials, from A to Z, are on the same floor."
The building was made possible through a $12.5 million provincial contribution and a major fundraising campaign, with lead gifts from the Desmarais family and Power Corporation. Falconbridge and Inco were among the corporate sponsors who helped bring this landmark building to life.
Significant Work Anniversaries
The following individuals have celebrated a combined 80 years at Laurentian University. Thank you for your dedicated service!
- Marlène Bonin, Library technician, 25 years
- Ginette Gervais, Library operations manager, 35 years
- Daniel Scott, Full librarian, 20 years
New colleagues since July 2025
Kat Hicks, Liaison Librarian Faculty of Arts (English) and School of Architecture
In my role as a liaison librarian, I serve the Faculty of Arts and McEwen School of Architecture. I also coordinate the Architecture Library and general information literacy sessions. I aim to curate a collection and build programming that inspires the research interests and lifelong learning of students and faculty members.
My research explores information behaviour and practices, embodiment, and information literacy. My creative work explores material culture, mainly through the use of found media, found objects, and printmaking.
Asha Chiraghdin, Institutional Archivist
As Institutional Archivist I work to curate, preserve, and provide access to the permanent records created by Laurentian University. The institutional archives are drawn from all corners of the University and together represent decades of academic, administrative, and cultural history which continues to shape Laurentian today. As archivist, my role is to provide the organizational and informational structure necessary to understand and make use of these records, and to ensure that they are well maintained for future generations.
From day to day, I create finding aids to support the searchability of the collection, digitize materials to make them more accessible, and provide essential reference services to researchers, both within and outside of the University. I liaise with institutional record holders to appraise and transfer incoming material to the Archives, and work to evaluate new tools and technology with the aim of improving archival workflows.
Librarians, archivists, and staff regularly produce and contribute to research and scholarship. Here is the important work accomplished by the team in 2025-2026.
Publications
Mossey, S., Montgomery, P., Dowdall-Smith, S., Mangaoil, R., Montgomery, K., & McArthur, M. (2026). Clinical post conferences in undergraduate nursing education: An integrative review. Diversity of Research in Health Journal, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.28984/drhj.v7i1.538
Presentations
Gerolami, N. (2025, October 3). Strengthening deliberative, participatory decision making. In D. Silvio (Moderator), Collegial Governance [Panel presentation]. CAUT Librarians’ and Archivists’ Conference, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Hicks, K. (2026, May 29). Library virtual tour: “The donation problem” [Asynchronous
presentation and live Q&A panel]. 48th Annual Association of Architecture Librarians and Archivists Conference. https://www.architecturelibrarians.org/2026-conference_program
McArthur, M., & Panchal, M. (2026, January 29). From one finder to deux: Making Cornell’s Data Storage Finder bilingual at Laurentian [Poster]. OLA Super Conference.
Other Publications
Tufford, L., McArthur, M., Scott, D. B., & Dylan, A. (2025). Social work field instructor competencies: A scoping review protocol. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/EK8GB
The generosity of our donors strengthens the Library and Archives’ ability to empower discovery, creativity, and lifelong learning at Laurentian University. We gratefully acknowledge all the individuals and organizations whose contributions create a lasting impact.
In-Kind Contributions: Expanding our Collections
Prior to the Library temporarily halting book donations in order to focus on processing a large volume of recent gifts, the Architecture Library received substantial donations, including:
- Shannon Bassett: Very large collection exploring subjects related to architecture, including landscape architecture, urban design, Indigenous land issues, environmental sustainability, architectural theory, and more.
- Pierre du Prey: Complete runs of Canadian and British architecture journals.
The Archives continues to accept donations of enduring value from faculty members and community organizations in order to make them available to researchers.
List of archival donations received in 2025-2026:
- Linda Ambrose collection: A collection of recordings and transcripts of interviews with older Canadian women, many from Northern Ontario with a focus on the daily life of women.
- R. Matthew Bray fonds: Records related to Bray’s research in mining.
- 5-Penny New Music Concerts: Material includes concert programs and administrative records.
- Auxiliary of the Sudbury General Hospital fonds: The fonds includes administrative records of the volunteer organization and interviews with women from the auxiliary.
If you would like to consider donating records, please contact archives@laurentian.ca.
Investing in our Future: Philanthropic support
We thank the many individuals and organizations who generously donated a combined total of $28,425 to the Library and Archives this year. Their generosity helps grow our collections and enhance our services. If you are interested in making a donation, please contact universityadvancement@laurentian.ca.
Creation of the Archival Services Enhancement Fund
A special thank you to Dr. Joseph Shorthouse, Professor Emeritus, formerly with the Department of Biology, whose generous donation led to the creation of the The Archival Services Enhancement Fund. The goal of this fund is to equip the Archives to meet current and future needs while fostering academic collaboration and research.
