Culture and Media / en Learn long and prosper: Թϱ’s Fisher Library becomes ‘eternal archive’ on Star Trek: Discovery /news/learn-long-and-prosper-u-t-s-fisher-library-becomes-eternal-archive-star-trek-discovery <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Learn long and prosper: Թϱ’s Fisher Library&nbsp;becomes ‘eternal archive’ on Star Trek: Discovery</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-05/ZkWH1yol0Zci9L4C_DISCO_508_MGG_1006_16097-1_RT1-crop.jpg?h=713684b1&amp;itok=X8xQxGVD 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-05/ZkWH1yol0Zci9L4C_DISCO_508_MGG_1006_16097-1_RT1-crop.jpg?h=713684b1&amp;itok=WM2EpPVK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-05/ZkWH1yol0Zci9L4C_DISCO_508_MGG_1006_16097-1_RT1-crop.jpg?h=713684b1&amp;itok=jLxSE4IR 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-05/ZkWH1yol0Zci9L4C_DISCO_508_MGG_1006_16097-1_RT1-crop.jpg?h=713684b1&amp;itok=X8xQxGVD" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-05-17T16:51:35-04:00" title="Friday, May 17, 2024 - 16:51" class="datetime">Fri, 05/17/2024 - 16:51</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Hy'Rell (Elena Juatco) leads Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Book (David Ajala) through the Eternal Archive and Gallery in an episode of Star Trek: Discovery that was filmed in Թϱ's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library&nbsp;(photo by&nbsp;Marni Grossman/Paramount+)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/culture-and-media" hreflang="en">Culture and Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/film" hreflang="en">Film</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thomas-fisher-rare-book-library" hreflang="en">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">Թϱ Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library was chosen as a filming location for the latest episode of the sci-fi series because of its unique architecture and "commitment to preservation and the pursuit of knowledge"</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The team behind&nbsp;<em>Star Trek: Discovery</em>&nbsp;didn’t have to venture too far into the final frontier to find the perfect venue for a boundless library containing all the knowledge of the universe.</p> <p>The University of Toronto’s <a href="https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a> stars as a complete repository of cosmic wisdom in the latest episode of the sci-fi series, titled “Labyrinths,” which premiered this week and&nbsp;is <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/ca/shows/video/cRjV3zTvR_XCNmce6PeX_7Y1AGwQ9T1c/" target="_blank">available to&nbsp;stream on Paramount Plus</a>.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_250_width_/public/2024-05/UofT5193_20140610_Robarts_DoorsOpen_007-lpr.jpg?itok=wXbiBLse" width="250" height="167" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-250-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (photo by Թϱ Communications)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>With its tiered stacks of timeless tomes, the Fisher library – a brutalist architectural marvel – serves as more than a retro-futuristic TV setting, says&nbsp;<strong>Michael Cassabon</strong>,&nbsp;director of advancement at Թϱ Libraries.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I think the university is trying to imagine an ideal future and bring it into the present … whether it’s working on inclusion, diversity and equity, or science and exploration,” he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>&nbsp;future represents a lot of what we’re trying to materialize.”</p> <p>A self-proclaimed “Trekkie,” Cassabon says he had to set his fandom&nbsp;aside when reviewing the request to bring the USS Discovery to Fisher Library, which holds about 800,000 volumes and 5,000 linear metres of manuscripts.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-05/ZkGsf0FLKBtrWzYV_STDiscovery_508_MGG_1004_15226-1_RT1-crop.jpg?itok=xtPlxfas" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2792296/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1">Sonequa Martin-Green</a>&nbsp;as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery (photo by&nbsp;Marni Grossman/Paramount+)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The Toronto-based production <a href="/news/star-trek-transforms-u-t-building-futuristic-space-school">has&nbsp;previously filmed at various Թϱ locations</a>. However, camera crews rarely gain access to Fisher Library’s valuable stacks and a shoot of this scale was unprecedented, Cassabon says.</p> <p>The deciding factor? The pivotal role Fisher Library would play in the run-up to the series finale,&nbsp;offering the galaxy a glimpse of the rich trove of knowledge preserved within its walls.</p> <p>“It was exciting that Fisher Library wouldn’t just be a backdrop,” Cassabon says. “It was like the library itself was a character – a very important character – in the story.</p> <p>“The Fisher Library is a national treasure, and we thought this was a really good way of making it known to a lot of folks out there.”</p> <p>The fifth and final season of&nbsp;<em>Star Trek: Discovery</em>&nbsp;sends the crew on an interstellar scavenger hunt to uncover a hidden ancient power. The final clue lies in the “eternal archive,” an infinite library safeguarding the secrets of the universe.</p> <p>As soon as&nbsp;<em>Star Trek: Discovery</em>&nbsp;location manager&nbsp;<strong>Melissa Warry-Smith</strong>&nbsp;read the site description, she says only one place came to mind.</p> <p>“Not only does [Fisher Library] look like it is from the future and could in fact have been plucked directly from the&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>&nbsp;universe, but the library’s commitment to preservation and the pursuit of knowledge is intrinsic to the core values of&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>,” Warry-Smith says.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-05/903362f1-c4ed-4217-859f-0f53fa265462-crop.jpg?itok=6BmY-iVa" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Larry Alford, right, university chief librarian, observes filming from a director's chair (photo by Michael Cassabon)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>“The library is a stunning example of what we can achieve when we care deeply about preserving and sharing knowledge, and commit to coming together to use that knowledge for a shared vision of a better future for all – and what could be more <em>Star&nbsp;Trek</em>&nbsp;than that?”</p> <p>This respect for the preservation of knowledge shaped the production team’s approach to shooting the scenes, says Cassabon.</p> <p>Filming took place overnight to minimize disruption to readers and researchers. The crew worked with Fisher’s librarians and archivists to implement strict protocols to protect its precious collections, including using heat-free lighting to prevent damage to delicate materials.</p> <p>Cassabon and&nbsp;<strong>Larry Alford</strong>, university chief librarian at Թϱ Libraries, were on set for part of the shoot.&nbsp;</p> <p>For Cassabon, meeting the show’s cast and crew was a fanboy moment.</p> <p>“It was super surreal for me,” he says. “These are my childhood heroes.”</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-05/DISCO_508_MGG_1004_15713-1_RT1-crop.jpg?itok=f0Rb_w5n" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Filming took place overnight to minimize disruption to readers and researchers`(photo by&nbsp;Marni Grossman/Paramount+)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Cassabon adds that many researchers, professors and students have drawn inspiration from&nbsp;<em>Star Trek&nbsp;</em>as they look to tackle some of the greatest challenges in the world –&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-alum-helps-prepare-canadarm3-lunar-orbit">and beyond</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Many of the show’s themes are reflected on campus, he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>For example, the episode’s search through the “eternal archive” echoes the work of <a href="/news/hidden-stories-project-u-t-researchers-lead-international-collaboration-centuries-old-books">a&nbsp;Թϱ-led international research collaboration</a>&nbsp;that’s using new techniques to unearth long-hidden stories lurking within Fisher Library and other collections, Cassabon says. And he notes that&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>&nbsp;has a nearly six-decade history of breaking new TV ground when it comes diverse representation and inclusivity – another one of the university’s core values.</p> <p>“So much of&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>&nbsp;is imaging a world where … the things that label and divide us have faded away,” Cassabon says. “The university is all about trying to create a more inclusive and just world. It’s all about working together in harmony toward progress.”</p> <p>Both Թϱ and Fisher Library are credited in “Labyrinths,” which is dedicated&nbsp;to “librarians everywhere, dedicated to the preservation of artifacts, knowledge, and truth.”</p> <div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-oembed-video field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"><iframe src="/media/oembed?url=https%3A//youtu.be/35qwht19q_0%3Fsi%3DhZVJin5jvlnBLwGU%26t%3D382&amp;max_width=0&amp;max_height=0&amp;hash=c6_ScsKXHAhca6dULdrK_uI2wxW-QydKMvrp6avIYNs" width="200" height="113" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="David Ajala Enters The Ready Room | StarTrek.com"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Fri, 17 May 2024 20:51:35 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 307874 at