# Protect Canada’s cultural assets

**Source**: https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/protect-canadas-cultural-assets/
**Parent**: https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/

Featured Initiative

# Protect Canada’s cultural assets

## As music, television, and film undergo transformational change, the University of Toronto Media Commons is working to preserve a vibrant Canadian cultural trove.

Joni Mitchell said it best: You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Over the past century, Canadian music, television, and film artists have contributed so much to the world. Yet without expert preservation, we risk losing even the most treasured cultural assets to a collective memory hole as media undergoes a rapid transition from analog to digital.

> With philanthropic support, the Media Commons at the University of Toronto can be the foremost national site for media preservation, access, and engagement—a hub at the nexus of entertainment and education in the centre of Canada’s cultural capital.
>
> Larry Alford, University Chief Librarian

Thankfully, U of T Libraries Media Commons continues to amass a collection of some of our most important works of media art, from the doleful strains of Blue Rodeo to the fearless television journalism of Peter Mansbridge to the thought-provoking documentaries of Ron Mann. A national leader in its field, the Media Commons maintains the largest university media archive in the country, preserving and making accessible distinct Canadian voices across contemporary film and video, broadcast journalism, media arts, music, and more.

## Support the U of T Media Commons

[Give now](https://engage.utoronto.ca/site/SPageServer?pagename=donate#/fund/1207)

Now, you can help support the Media Commons experts, who continue to amplify some of the many overlooked but vital voices of an emerging generation of Canadian storytellers. Your support will help provide our university community with a rich, interactive media experience that celebrates our past while informing and inspiring a brave new artistic future.

## Support the U of T Media Commons

[Give now](https://engage.utoronto.ca/site/SPageServer?pagename=donate#/fund/1207)

Explore related campaign priorities: [Spark creativity + culture](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/news-and-stories/theme-category/spark-creativity-culture/) [Support student success](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/news-and-stories/theme-category/support-student-success/)

To learn more about how you can help preserve our rich national media trove, please contact the Director of Advancement at University of Toronto Libraries.

[Contact](mailto:michael.cassabon@utoronto.ca)

## You may also be interested in:

[Transform human inquiry for the information age](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/transform-human-inquiry-for-the-information-age/) 

The Critical Digital Humanities Initiative equips scholars with technical and design expertise and fosters collaborations that deepen our understanding of power, culture, and social justice.

[Learn more](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/transform-human-inquiry-for-the-information-age/)

[Enhance programming and spaces at Hart House](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/enhance-programming-and-spaces-at-hart-house/) 

Hart House Renewal will make our beloved student centre for arts, dialogue, and wellness even more welcoming and physically accessible.

[Learn more](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/enhance-programming-and-spaces-at-hart-house/)

[Support a marquee space for collaboration at OISE](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/support-a-marquee-space-for-collaboration-at-oise/) 

OISE Commons will transform a dated ground floor into a forum for creativity, innovation, and sharing ideas.

[Learn more](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/support-a-marquee-space-for-collaboration-at-oise/)

[Build a cultural space for Indigenous students](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/build-a-cultural-space-for-indigenous-students/) 

Indigenous House at U of T Scarborough will help foster a sense of belonging and connection with rich programming and gathering spaces.

[Learn more](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/build-a-cultural-space-for-indigenous-students/)

[Create a high-tech venue for talented musicians](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/create-a-high-tech-venue-for-talented-musicians/) 

The Jay Telfer Forum will combine beauty and technology in the heart of the city’s renowned cultural precinct.

[Learn more](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/create-a-high-tech-venue-for-talented-musicians/)

[Protect Canada’s cultural assets](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/protect-canadas-cultural-assets/) 

As music, television, and film undergo transformational change, the University of Toronto Media Commons is working to preserve a vibrant Canadian cultural trove.

[Learn more](https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/initiatives/protect-canadas-cultural-assets/)