This month, Lyons New Media Centre is celebrating an important milestone – 15 years of serving the McMaster community in Mills Memorial Library.
The centre opened on September 13, 2010, with the vision of being a hub for all things digital media related. The space provides McMaster students and staff access to unique resources and equipment including 3D printers, computers with photo, video and audio editing software, a media production room, DSLR cameras and a variety of workshops.
Located on the fourth floor of Mills library, the space has evolved to meet the many needs of its visitors over the years.
“We call ourselves a hidden gem, being up on the fourth floor,” said Rhonda Moore, manager of Lyons New Media Centre. “I think once people realize where we are, what we do and what we have, they’re excited to use the space. We’re here for everyone.”
The most recent additions to the space include a VR room, a podcast studio and two audio recording booths. Moore says the demand for audio recording space has grown in recent years, making the audio spaces the most popular at Lyons.
“We created our podcast studio because more questions were coming in about whether or not we have a space dedicated to recording audio,” she said. "It’s extremely popular right now because more and more courses are incorporating creativity into their assignments.”
Lynne Serviss, associate university librarian, User Services and Community Engagement, says the space helps to fill the gap for students who would otherwise not have access to specialized media resources.
“The space is one of a kind, providing access to media materials to all McMaster students, regardless of their faculty,” said Serviss. “This is especially helpful for when students have assignments that would benefit from the use of media equipment, or for students who want to develop skills outside of their studies.”
Lyons New Media Centre was named after Margaret and Ed Lyons, who, in addition to support from the Office of the Provost, McMaster University Libraries, and the Faculty of Humanities, were instrumental in helping to expand the Edward & Margaret Lyons Instructional Media Centre.
Celebrate with Lyons
Join us in celebrating 15 years of Lyons New Media Centre. A drop-in open house with cupcakes and displays will be held on Sept. 15, 2025, from 11.a.m-2 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Follow @maclibraries on Instagram to stay up to date on the space.
About Margaret Lyons
Learn more about the late Margaret Lyons, McMaster alumna ‘49.
