John P. Robarts Research Library — Attraction in Toronto

The John P. Robarts Research Library, commonly referred to as Robarts Library, is the main humanities and social sciences library of the University of Toronto Libraries and the largest individual library in the university. Opened in 1973 and named for John Robarts, the 17th Premier of Ontario, the library contains more than 4.5 million bookform items, 4.1 million microform items and 740,000 other items.

The library building is one of the most significant examples of brutalist architecture in North America. Its towering main structure rests on an equilateral triangular footprint and features extensive use of triangular geometric patterns throughout. It forms the main component of a three-tower complex that also includes the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and the Claude T. Bissell Building, which houses the Faculty of Information. The library's imposing appearance has earned it the nicknames Fort Book and The Peacock or The Turkey.

A 1974 article in the Canadian Architect magazine outlines the library's significance to serving a campus community the size of a town, as well as by being a central storage for humankind's recorded thoughts and inspiration. The library was initially intended for use by graduate students only, but following a student protest that included an illegal occupation of the building, undergraduate students were also granted access. The library's initial design was for a mechanical book conveyor belt system to allow for faster collection by library staff, who would then send books downstairs for pickup. After Robarts was opened to all students, the conveyor system was discarded, although the tracks used by the conveyor system are still visible above the shelves.

The building houses a number of special collections, including the Mu Collection (Chinese: 慕氏藏書) which is a set of rare books from China in the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, the largest research collection for Hong Kong and Canada-Hong Kong studies outside of Hong Kong at the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library, and a sizable collection in Russian, Polish, Czech and Slovak, Ukrainian, and other East European languages at the Petro Jacyk Central & East European Resource Centre. All of them are open to the public.

In addition to an extensive collection of texts, the library provides limited after-hours study space to students during the academic year with the exception of weekends. The book stacks are off-limits after hours. On August 2010, the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre moved from the first floor of Robarts Library to OCAD University, which is shared with students with disabilities from that college, as well as from nearby Ryerson University and Seneca College. The Internet Archive Canada headquarters are located on the 7th floor.

Robarts Library is thought to be the model for the secret library in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. Eco spent much of the time writing the novel at the University of Toronto, and the stairwell of the secret library bears a particularly strong resemblance to that in Robarts Library.

The library was featured in the episode "The One Where Joey Speaks French" of the popular television series Friends. Robarts Library is shown briefly during a scene transition and is implied to be the outdoor view of an unknown New York hospital where actress Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel visits her father, who has just suffered a heart attack.

The library was also shown in an episode of Sliders titled "El Sid". It is shown briefly as a still visual after a commercial break, in an episode where the story takes place in an alternate San Francisco that has become a giant prison. It was also seen during a slide transition during the season finale of The Amazing Race 8. The Bransen Family were running past it after finishing a Detour (a game task) at the nearby Bata Shoe...

Ever wonder what it feels like to be a criminal in your own safe studying space provided by the university? Well, look no further! UofT's Robarts library ensures to provide an experience like no other (and by that I mean literally, no other university). It seems as though the security is more occupied with kicking out their own students, than maintaining the safety of them. Unfortunately, I arrived to that realization when my Tcard was stolen, and as a means of reward I got the boot around 11 PM when I was unable to show it (although offering to provide both student number and login proof). As a paying student of this university, I do not appreciate to be treated like I am doing something wrong when my only intent is to study for a midterm the very next day, which was very apparent considering I was using the database which requires log in info. I am incredibly upset, angered, and disappointed that UofT chooses to promote discrimination among students who do not attend or fail to provide proof that they attend UofT, unlike other universities that are accepting and understanding, encouraging unity. We are all 'on the same boat' in regards to pursuing our choice of education and special treatment should not be given to basic necessities purely because of the name we carry. I hope to see change...

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Led by renowned researchers and experts in their respective fields, Robert's Research Labs conducts groundbreaking research that pushes the boundaries of knowledge and fosters collaboration with academic institutions, industry partners, and government agencies.

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The lab provides a dynamic and collaborative environment for scientists, engineers, and students to explore new ideas, conduct experiments, analyze data, and publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals. Through its research activities, Robert's Research Labs contributes to the global scientific community and plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of science...