Libraries: an Essential Support

A library to support the departments’ research was included in plans for Ryerson. Initially, department collections were divided into two locations, a Physics library on the second floor and one for Mathematics and Astronomy on the third, later relocated to the fourth floor. But the ever-increasing collections as well as the need for study seats for growing departments meant space needs remained pressing. When Eckhart Hall opened, it included a large library with the capacity for all department collections with two floors of shelving on either side. An open area with skylights accommodated a large reading room with ample seating.

As the inhabitants of Eckhart and Ryerson changed over time so did its collections. When the Statistics department was founded in the 1950s, materials were added to support it. When the Physics Department moved out of Ryerson in 1985, their collections, along with Astronomy’s, were relocated to the recently opened Crerar Library; Eckhart added titles to support the new Computer Science department. A renovation in 2013 reduced shelving space, and computer science and statistics collections were sent to Crerar, leaving Eckhart exclusively a mathematics library.