Student wearing a white dress shirt, navy vest and khaki pants with shoulder-length brown hair reads a book by a book stack in Mills Memorial Library.
A student browses the stacks at Mills Memorial Library.
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Patrons visiting Mills Memorial Library may notice employees in the stacks sorting books and journals. 

The work is part of an initiative called Keep@Downsview. This partnership between McMaster, Ottawa, Western, Toronto, Queen’s and Memorial university libraries preserves and ensures access to low demand print materials. 

Ruth-Ellen with short brown hair wearing a blue shirt pulls a tiny book off a shelf in the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections.
Ruth-Ellen St. Onge, distinctive collections cataloguing librarian, came across the book while working on an upcoming exhibit. Photo by Brad Leenstra/McMaster University Libraries
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McMaster University Libraries’ William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections is home to thousands of rare materials, and among them is a rare religious text that’s been hiding in the department's shelves since the 1960s. 

Ruth-Ellen St. Onge’s job as McMaster University Libraries’ distinctive collections cataloguing librarian is to delve into the intricate histories of rare books in the collection and to catalogue these findings for the benefit of researchers and the public. 

Mills elevators 1 and 2 have limited service. Please use elevators 3 and 4


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Cameron Wheaton with short brown hair holding a tablet stands next to Wei Zhang with long black hair holding a laptop in Mills Memorial Library.
Cameron Wheaton, left, collection strategy librarian, and Wei Zhang, e-resources and collection analysis librarian, have been working to launch LibKey at McMaster.

McMaster University Libraries is making it easier for researchers to access materials offered in its collection with LibKey, a suite of tools now available to the McMaster community. 

The LibKey collection includes libkey.io, LibKey Discovery, LibKey Link, LibKey Nomad and BrowZine.

Wei Zhang, e-resources and collection analysis librarian at McMaster University Libraries, says the new tools will help to improve the overall research process for users. 

The Cedid Atlas Tercümesi lays open with two colourfully engraved circular maps.
The Cedid Atlas Tercümesi will be at the heart of the exhibition and features lavish hand-coloured engravings of maps encompassing the whole world and is captioned in Ottoman Turkish calligraphy.
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McMaster University Libraries is partnering with the McMaster Museum of Art to host an exhibition that will feature rare books, maps, and antiquities related to the history of the Mediterranean. 

The Great Sea: Mediterranean Imaginaries from Antiquity to Modernity, open at the McMaster Museum of Art from April 1 to August 1, 2025, will feature materials from the university libraries’ William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, its Lloyd Reeds Map Collection, and the museum’s own collection of related antiquities. 

Dharav with short black hair wearing glasses and a grey hooded sweather and Esther, with shoulder-length brown hair wearing long-sleeve grey sweater both stand smiling in front of a map inside the Lloyd Reeds Map Collection.
Student assistants Dharav Shah, left, and Esther Kok in the Lloyd Reeds Map Collection at Mills Memorial Library.
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McMaster University Libraries are hiring students to fill a variety of roles from April through August. 

The job opportunities, ranging from library ambassador to user services, are posted on Mosaic. Students must qualify for McMaster’s student work program to apply. 

Library assistant student positions are open in the areas of:

Illustration for the OER grant program showing an open book with yellow pages inside a maroon circle with maroon text. Text reads: McMaster OER Open Educational Resources.
The deadline to apply for the 2025 OER Grant Program is Friday, May 30.
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Applications are now open for a popular grant program that makes it easier for McMaster University instructors to adopt, adapt, or create high-quality open textbooks and course materials to improve teaching and learning.

Due to an unexpected authentication issue, logging into My Library Account via Omni is unavailable. Library staff can assist with renewing materials.


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The exterior of Mills Memorial Library on a sunny spring day. A student walks on the sidewalk in front of the library.
A student walks by the entrance to Mills Learning Commons on a sunny spring day.
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Looking for a good spot to prepare for final exams this April? 

McMaster University Libraries have you covered with extended hours and a variety of study spaces. 

Meanwhile, the Office of the Registrar has reserved one classroom on campus for online exams. 

Extended hours at Mills Learning Commons and Thode library start March 24, and further increase on April 9. 

After the end of winter exam period, Mills, Thode and Health Sciences libraries will have modified hours beginning April 26. 

Elevator 4 is out of order until further notice. Repair team has been notified. 


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