Memorial University’s Queen Elizabeth II Library celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special reception last night in St. John’s.

The facility, commonly known as the QE II, holds the largest research library collection east of Montreal and currently contains more than 2.5 million books.

Located on Memorial’s St. John’s campus, the building was officially opened on May 28, 1982, and is named after Queen Elizabeth II who turned the sod in advance of the construction of the current building which began on July 27, 1978.

Five stories high, the QE II serves Memorial’s undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, faculty, staff, visiting researchers, the general public and alumni of the university. Its collection supports a variety of disciplines taught at Memorial and contains more than 16,000 periodical titles – about 5,400 of which are available electronically.

During the Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association’s annual meeting, which took place on Memorial’s St. John’s campus on Tuesday, May 22, a special social was held to mark the QEII’s quarter of a century anniversary.

“It is appropriate for us to mark this milestone in the QEII’s history,” said Dr. Eddy Campbell, Memorial’s vice-president (academic).

“This library has received national recognition for being an impressive collection, and the QEII represents a significant resource, not just for faculty, staff and students at Memorial University, but to the wider community of writers, researchers, policy analysts and practically any citizen who is looking to find out anything about our province and our world.”

The anniversary reception took place in the facility’s Map Library, Level II. It coincided with the Canadian Library Association and the Atlantic Provinces Library Association’s annual meeting and conference which are taking place May 23-26, in St. John’s.

“The Queen Elizabeth II Library has served as the base for a conversation between the past and the future, as every academic library does,” said Richard H. Ellis, university librarian. “This role will continue as students and scholars move from information to understanding.”

A dozen employees from libraries on Memorial’s St. John’s campus and the Marine Institute are heavily involved in this year’s regional and national activities which will attract more than 1,200 delegates.

The conference will include speakers from across the country and abroad with sessions encompassing all aspects of libraries and librarianship and is being held at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre, while pre-conference sessions are being held at the Inco Innovation Centre and Science Building at Memorial, as well as the Delta Hotel.

During Saturday’s closing reception, Mr. Ellis, who is stepping down as Memorial's university librarian, will receive the Atlantic Provinces Library Association’s Merit Award for his contributions to the Atlantic Provinces during his 35 year career as a librarian at Memorial.