Rutherford Library is the first free-standing

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...

library, opened May 15, 1951, and named after the founder of the university, and long-time chancellor,

Alexander Cameron Rutherford Alexander Cameron Rutherford (February 2, 1857 – June 11, 1941) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the first premier of Alberta from 1905 to 1910. Born in Ormond, Canada West, he studied and practiced law in Ottawa before h ...

Overview

Rutherford Library was officially opened in a ceremony on May 15, 1951, in which former university president R.C. Wallace paid tribute to his former friend and colleague. The initial library inventory included most of

's personal book collection, of over 8000 volumes, with some select books having been gifted to Queen's University.

History

The plans for Rutherford Library were drawn up from 1948 to 1951, and included features that would make the new library one of the best in Canada. Durable building materials were specified, including all oak trim and doors, combined with marble floors and staircases with brass railings. As there was no previous free-standing library on campus, for over 5000 students, other than a reading room arrangement, the addition was welcomed by students and staff alike, heralding a new era for the university.

Rutherford North

A new wing of the library was officially opened on September 27, 1974, by Mrs. Hazel McCuaig (Hazel Elizabeth Rutherford) and designated "Rutherford North". The distinctive brickwork of Rutherford North was designed by the architectural firm of Minsos, Vaitkunas and Jamieson in conformance with the structure of the original Rutherford Library. The Rutherford North design encapsulates and encloses the north face of the original building in a large open space. The new brick motif of Rutherford North was named "Rutherford Autumn Leaf" and registered in the building industry.

Partnerships and collaboration

The University of Alberta Libraries (Rutherford Library) is a member of the

Association of Research Libraries The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 127 research libraries at comprehensive, research institutions in Canada and the United States. ARL member libraries make up a large portion of the academic and resea ...

Canadian Association of Research Libraries The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) was established in 1976 and brings together thirty-one research libraries. Twenty-nine members are university libraries, plus Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and the National Research Council ...

, and is a contributor to the

Open Content Alliance The Open Content Alliance (OCA) was a consortium of organizations contributing to a permanent, publicly accessible archive of digitized texts. Its creation was announced in October 2005 by Yahoo!, the Internet Archive, the University of California ...

References

* "A Gentleman of Strathcona –

", Douglas R. Babcock, 1989, The

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...

Press, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,

External links

Rutherford Library Location
{{Authority control Libraries in Edmonton Research libraries in Canada Academic libraries in Canada University of Alberta buildings Library buildings completed in 1951 University and college buildings completed in 1951 1951 establishments in Alberta