The Media Archives hold a vast array of archival collections documenting Canadian Cultural Production. Media Commons in Robarts Library consists of three sections: a Media archive, an Audiovisual circulating library, and a Microform collection. The Media Archive acquires, preserves and makes available archival and
special collections materials relating primarily to Canadian media production and popular culture (film/video, broadcasting, music, photography, advertising, animation). In order to support the collection the Media Archive also collects and maintains both current and non-current playback machines for the many varied formats represented in the collection. The Audiovisual circulating collection is made up of 15 thousand (and growing) licensed audiovisual materials to support research and teaching at the University of Toronto. It also features up to date playback stations and comfortable screening rooms and theatres to view the material. The Microform collection contains more than 2 million films, fiche and cards from incunabula to vast literary resources to historical documents from a variety of Canadian and International sources to contemporary newspapers both domestic and foreign. Digital reader/printers are provided for its users.
