Bata Library Transformation Project Selected for National Campaign to Restore Canadian Heritage
Trent University’s iconic Bata Library has been selected as one of 26 historical sites across Canada to participate in the 2017 National Trust for Canada’s “This Place Matters” crowdfunding competition, providing an opportunity to compete for a $60,000 heritage restoration prize, with proceeds going to reconstruct the uniquely designed wooden trellises that overlook the Otonabee River.
To celebrate Bata Library’s upcoming milestone 50th birthday, the Bata Library’s 50th: Share Your Voice, Share Your Vote campaign will focus on restoring the trellises – an integral part of Thom’s brutalist/modernist architectural vision – to their original state. The initiative is part of the Bata Library Transformation project, an $18 million renewal which will transform the Bata Library into a library of the future.
From June 15 to July 17, participating groups, including Trent, will promote their campaigns on social media to encourage friends, family, colleagues and residents of the community to vote for and donate to their project. To give each campaign a further boost, every dollar donated to a project will count for one additional vote to that project. Prizes will be distributed to the projects with the highest number of votes. Supporters are eligible to vote once every 24 hours.
“We appreciate this opportunity, provided by the National Trust of Canada, to participate in this exciting crowdfunding competition,” says Lee Hays ’91, director of Alumni Affairs. “We hope members of the community will go online to vote for the Bata Library project. This is an exciting time in our history – Bata Library is turning 50 and what a better gift to give our library than the restoration of the unique outer trellises designed by renowned architect, Ron Thom.”
Trent has set a goal of raising $50,000, which represents a potential $110,000 investment should the University win the national competition.
To support the Bata Library’s 50th: Share Your Voice, Share Your Vote campaign, please visit thisplacematters.ca/project/bata-librarys-50th-share-voice-share-vote/.
Participants are encouraged to use the project’s hashtag #Bata50 to join the conversation on social media.
CONTACT INFO:
Kathryn Verhulst-Rogers, manager, Communications, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6182 or kathrynverhulst@trentu.ca
Posted on June 16, 2017