UBC Asian Library has benefited from two substantial renovation projects on both the upper and main floors of the branch, completed earlier this year. The reimagined space includes extensive improvements to seating and study spaces, much needed repairs, and an overhaul of the book collection stacks and displays.
The upper floor renovations began in 2018 and concluded in March 2020, but due to the pandemic and the temporary closure of library spaces across campus, the Asian Library was not accessible to the public until September 2021. The main floor renovation took place in January 2024 and reopened a month later in February.
Renovated ceiling and skylight area
The renovations consisted of upgrades to the physical space such as ceiling repairs and carpet replacements. Book collections and seating spaces have also been rearranged and display cases have been redesigned to feature collections and special exhibits.
Upper floor display cases
“It’s essential for us to make our space vibrant and dynamic in order to serve the many, many needs of our users that go beyond having collections at our fingertips.” says Shirin Eshghi Furuzawa, Head of Asian Library. “Our spaces are used for studying, group work, as well as programming such as instruction, events and displays. Our goal has been to make sure our physical collections are well cared for and findable while making all the rest possible.”
Originally, the upper floor consisted predominantly of book stacks with sparse seating at the centre and carrels along the perimeter. The shelves on all floors of the library were overflowing, sometimes causing preservation concerns where books were wedged into overcrowded spaces, so a major part of the upper floor renovation involved reducing the stacks’ footprint and rearranging the branch’s entire book collection so that material could be easily discovered and retrieved.
Upper floor book collections
Seating areas on both floors have also been reimagined to encourage collaboration between library users. The upper floor now includes soft seating that is perfect for group conversations and library-led programs such as reading circles. Both the upper and main floor spaces have study areas that can be shifted around by the library to accommodate different types of programming.
Left: Main floor seating area, Right: Upper floor soft seating area
“We definitely see a lot of students using the space, and we are so happy to see how much they enjoy it. We see a lot of collaborative study as well as individual study. Further, we have seen a lot of use by community members as well as UBC colleagues who are using our collections and spaces for recreational purposes, especially our reading corner,” says Eshghi Furuzawa.
There has been a positive shift for librarians, staff and library users within the redesigned space, which is especially apparent in the new area allocated to librarian offices. These offices, which were previously located on the main floor and quite hidden away, have been made more visible on the upper floor to better facilitate interactions and engagement between library users and librarians.
Upper floor librarian offices and study area
“I personally am looking forward to more events and collaborations with faculty, students and community where we can engage in topics that are of importance to those studying Asia and Asian language as well as issues that are relevant to Asian Canadian communities and the UBC community more broadly.” says Eshghi Furuzawa.
Visit the website to see Asian Library’s hours of operation.
This project is part of UBC Library’s strategic direction to inspire with innovative spaces and services.
Learn more about our Strategic Framework.
