We are highlighting the library’s mid-century design, acknowledging its place in Waterloo’s history and future, and honouring the experience that the space evokes for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. This building illustration will be applied to branded merchandise in the WStore, such as shirts, mugs, tote bags, and more. Keep an eye out for the launch of the Ode to Dana Porter Library this October.
Dear Dana Porter Library,
We love how you light up the heart of campus.
And how your gentle arches welcome everyone who enters
We love your cozy carrels stacked 10 stories high and the view from your windows like slivers of sky.
A place where we connect, contemplate and create.
Where tradition breeds innovation and our future meets our past.
Your walls a cubed container for our questions, hopes and dreams.
Where, no matter how full, there’s always a seat for me.
- With love, your admirers at Waterloo
About the author
Dani Stock (MA ’10, PhD ’15)
Stock is a freelance writer and brand strategist. After completing her master’s and doctorate in English, she started her own consulting practice where she works with organizations to build brands that help them grow. Over the last three years, Stock has had the pleasure of supporting Creative Studio and departments across campus on their brand and marketing projects. Like many proud Waterloo alumni, she spent her fair share of evenings nestled in the safe space of Dana Porter Library, so making this love letter was long overdue.
About the illustrator
Audrey Thébaud (BAS in progress)
Thébaud is a third-year architecture student and storyteller. She loves exploring different representation styles and new ways to tell stories through her drawings. She is excited to be part of the Ode to Dana Porter Library project to pay homage and highlight the character of our campus' library building. Having travelled a lot and having lived on Waterloo’s satellite campus in downtown Galt, she has gained a deep appreciation for the history buildings cultivate through their impact on their physical location and the culture of the surrounding community.
