Friends, UBC Alumni, donors and students participated in week-long celebrations in recognition of Woodward Library’s 50th anniversary in November. Woodward Library officially opened on November 12, 1964 with the help of a generous gift from the Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Woodward Foundation.
In recognition of Woodward Library’s past and future, a number of open houses were held during the week of November 17 for faculty and students. These events included workshops, a games day, an Engineering Maker Faire Open Robotics event, and a concluding formal anniversary reception hosted by Ingrid Parent, University Librarian and featuring guest speakers Dr. Kendall Ho, Director for the eHealth Strategy Office and Dr. Douw Steyn, a professor from the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences.
“Woodward Library was my ‘go to’ library as an undergraduate,” Dr. Ho reminisced. “Even though libraries are undergoing huge changes with digital knowledge, they make our craft and science contemporary and they will take us to the cutting edge in supporting health and science research and education.”
Dr. Steyn, an Earth and Ocean Sciences professor, made light of his “forecast” for the future of libraries. “Libraries have moved into our homes, our offices, our airport lounges. There is a greater dependency on them, not less,” he remarked, adding that he has enjoyed a long, diverse, and rewarding relationship with UBC libraries as a graduate and researcher.
Perhaps most noteworthy throughout Woodward Library’s celebrations was the intent to capture the branch’s illustrious history—as detailed through a digital timeline on the Library website—and to shine a light on how the needs of tomorrow’s faculty and students must continue to be reflected in Woodward’s collections, spaces, and people.
Woodward Library is situated in the midst of UBC’s broad research activities in the health disciplines, the life sciences and the applied sciences. Building UBC’s research capacity inherently depends on strong resources and support from the University library, noted Aleteia Greenwood, Head of Woodward Library. “A redesigned Woodward Library will include centrally located, technology-enabled spaces as well as specialized research support. By transforming our spaces, Woodward will be equipped to serve the needs of 21st century students and library users.”
Explore Woodward Library’s history with our digital timeline.
This story appeared in the Friends 2014 Winter issue.
Images (clockwise from left) courtesy of Andy Fang:
- Dr. Kendall Ho of UBC’s Faculty of Medicine reminisces about his student days at Woodward Library.
- (L-R) Dr. Douw Steyn, Dr. Ingrid Parent, Ms. Aleteia Greenwood and Dr. Kendall Ho make the first cut into Woodward Library’s birthday cake.
- Guests and Library staff learn about 3D printing from students at the Engineering Maker Faire Open Robotics table.