Fisher Library is the largest of the 12 libraries in the University of Sydney Library system. The current Fisher Library was opened in 1963 when the University had 14 000 students; now we have around 50 000. It receives more than 1.3 million visits every year.

In the last decade there has been a revolutionary shift in the way researchers access and use information. This has resulted in exponential growth of the electronic collections; available 24/7, anyplace and anytime. The University Library provides over 100 000 journals and 344 456 books online and supports more than 20 million downloads from online resources. Print materials remain essential in any great research collection. Last year there were 662 000 loans from 42% the collection, however 58% of the 1.6 million items in the collection has not been borrowed in the last 5 years. This project will support the development of a dynamic, high use collection on site with a responsive delivery service for less used materials in archival storage.

Government and University funding has provided an exciting opportunity to upgrade Fisher Library to 21st Century standards; creating an excellent modern facility to support world-class research.

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