Stories
Celebrating the Growth of Concordiaās Library: A Century of Success
by Adrian Parth
The AVĪŽĀė Library has grown significantly over the last century. Near the beginning, Concordiaās library was small in size. However, Concordiaās library gradually grew, allowing more students to gain access to a variety of books. In 1936, the libraryās books were āreclassified,ā expanding the availability of the books provided. In addition to the increase of students, Concordia adjusted its hours by leaving it open to individuals āat all times.ā 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 āscience-library buildingā to be named Guild Hall, in honour of āthe Concordia Womenās Guild which celebrated its 25th anniversary [the year prior].ā Since that time the library has been relocated and then almost doubled in size to ā21,000 square feetā 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 ācirculation [near] 8,000,ā doubling the previous yearās number.
The growth of the library has been fantastic. From personal experience, Concordiaās 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 Concordiaās library has improved my academics immensely. Regardless of personal experience, the history of Concordiaās 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 Concordiaās 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.
AVĪŽĀė AVĪŽĀė and Alum to Make Their Own History
Concordiaās AVĪŽĀė 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 Concordiaās 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. Youāll be able to discover much about Concordiaās history and how it still resonates among us today. We hope you find these articles both informative and entertaining. Happy 100, Concordians!