"This memoir tells the compelling story of Robert Blackburn, who for almost thirty years between 1954 and 1981 was the Chief Librarian at the University of Toronto. In a life that spans almost a full century, it chronicles Blackburn's early upbringing in Alberta, living through the Great Depression and his many other experiences (including three years in the Royal Canadian Air Force) before he began his thirty-four-year career at the University of Toronto. It was a time of tremendous growth and change in higher education, and at U of T he oversaw an amazing expansion and reorganization of book collections, services, and procedures. He played a key role in the construction of the largest academic library building in the world, one that continues to attract international visitors. Much of this book has to do with libraries, but Blackburn's entire life has been full of fascinating personalities and events, problems and the resolutions."--Publisher.