Stories
Celebrating the Growth of Concordia’s Library: A Century of Success
by Adrian Parth
The Concordia University of Edmonton Library has grown significantly over the last century. Near the beginning, Concordia’s library was small in size. However, Concordia’s library gradually grew, allowing more students to gain access to a variety of books. In 1936, the library’s books were “reclassified,” expanding the availability of the books provided. In addition to the increase of students, Concordia adjusted its hours by leaving it open to individuals “at all times.” Allowing the students to use the library when they please helped boost the academic level for each student. In 1959, Concordia was granted $250,000 towards the new “science-library building” to be named Guild Hall, in honour of “the Concordia Women’s Guild which celebrated its 25th anniversary [the year prior].” Since that time the library has been relocated and then almost doubled in size to “21,000 square feet” in the 1994 expansion. This expansion allowed students to gain even more access to books and more room to study in a quiet environment. The library now saw a higher number of students entering, hitting a “circulation [near] 8,000,” doubling the previous year’s number.
The growth of the library has been fantastic. From personal experience, Concordia’s library is one of the best, with respectful staff, great places to study, and an experience that does not occur at other schools. The library has driven me to be better each day, knowing that I have so much material surrounding me. Without the library, I strongly believe that I would not be where I am today. I know that Concordia’s library has improved my academics immensely. Regardless of personal experience, the history of Concordia’s library is something to be cherished. The 100-year anniversary is a big milestone and there will be many more moving forward.
About Adrian
Adrian Parth is currently a full-time student at Concordia, completing his fourth year. He was originally taking a Psychology major, but changed to an English major in Fall 2019. Once he graduates with a Bachelor of Arts degree, he plans to enroll in Concordia’s Education program. He has always had a passion for teaching younger children, and he is fortunate that he will be able to learn from the best.
CUE Students and Alum to Make Their Own History
Concordia’s CUE 100 committee is very excited to feature the written work of several students and alumni as part of its centenary celebrations. As these celebrations continue, you can look forward to reading short articles by these writers on interesting aspects of Concordia’s history over the past century. Writers were given access to archival documents on particular topics which they were asked to summarize and personally respond to. You’ll be able to discover much about Concordia’s history and how it still resonates among us today. We hope you find these articles both informative and entertaining. Happy 100, Concordians!