University of Calgary

Funding for the Taylor Family Digital Library

The Taylor Family Digital Library project – which includes the Taylor Family Digital Library, the Taylor Quadrangle, and the High Density Library – is a $205.7M project funded by the Taylor Family and all three levels of government.

  • Don and Ruth Taylor—longtime friends and supporters of the University of Calgary—donated $25 million in December 2006 to help build a new digital library. In recognition of this generous gift, the University of Calgary’s Board of Governors named the library the Taylor Family Digital Library.
     
  • A portion of the Taylor Family’s gift was used to create the Taylor Quadrangle—a beautiful green space in the heart of campus, adjacent to the Taylor Family Digital Library. This space serves as a meeting place for the entire university community, for both informal and formal gatherings.
     
  • The Province of Alberta matched the Taylor Family’s donation through its matching gifts program and also allocated additional funds, for a total of $150.5 million.
     
  • The Government of Canada provided $27 million in capital funding for the Taylor Family Digital Library project (Taylor Family Digital Library plus High Density Library) through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program. The Knowledge Infrastructure Program is an important element of Canada's Economic Action Plan, and provides funding to support infrastructure enhancement at universities and colleges in order to enhance research capacity, support the attraction of new students and provide a better educational experience for the highly skilled workers of tomorrow.
     
  • The City of Calgary’s Calgary Arts Development Agency supported the Taylor Family Digital Library with $3.2 million towards the relocation of the Nickle Galleries to the library.
     
  • Additional support was provided to enhance the building for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Calgary community:
     
  • Former University of Calgary Chancellor Joanne Cuthbertson and Charlie Fischer, former Board of Governors Vice-Chair, donated $1 million to create the Chancellor Cuthbertson Centre for Student Success housed in the Taylor Family Digital Library.
     
  • University of Calgary’s Alumni Association donated $300,000 to establish a service office for students and alumni on the first floor of the library.
     
  • SMART Technologies provided expertise and products such as touch tables and other cutting-edge technologies in the library.