TORONTO — A Toronto couple has donated $10-million to the renovation of Robarts Library – the largest such gift of its kind – adding to the family's legacy of support for the University of Toronto.

U of T grads Russell Morrison, 85, and wife Katherine Morrison, 83, announced the gift on Tuesday to the $40-million renovation set to begin next year at Robarts, North America's fourth-ranked research library.

The couple had previously given U of T two gifts of $6-million – to support Morrison Pavilion, a student study centre that opened in 2003, and Morrison Hall, a student residence that opened in 2006.

Ms. Morrison, a 1974 PhD grad who was among the first generation of students to use Robarts, said last night she and her husband had enough projects named after them, and though “not glamorous,” were anxious to support the library's renovation.

“I almost lived in that Robarts Library, and I came to appreciate what a vital institution libraries are,” said Ms. Morrison, an economist who earned her PhD in English. “We tend to give to educational projects… we think it's very important.”

Both Mr. Morrison, also an economist who has yet to retire, and Ms. Morrison have a long family tie to the university. Many of their children and grandchildren also attended U of T, and a daughter and son-in-law work there. As they age, the couple sought to support the university with their estate.

“So anyway, we're still kicking but we don't expect to be around too much longer,” Ms. Morrison quipped. “We've never aspired to ostentatious living … it's mainly for the students, for the people that use the libraries.”

The couple attended a private dinner Tuesday night in honour of their gift.

“Libraries are the font of creativity on campus and it is vital that students have high quality spaces to study, collaborate and research,” Mr. Morrison said. “We view the renewal of Robarts as an opportunity to contribute to the foundations of education, advance groundbreaking ideas, and dramatically improve the quality of student life.”

The renovation is expected to take up to three years to complete. About $28-million has been raised so far. The project will include new study space and reading rooms, and a second-floor café, among other projects. The audiovisual holdings will be expanded, its main reading rooms revamped, and a new centre will be created for Robarts' map, data and government collections.

But the main goal is the creation of study space. A total of 1,200 new spots will be built, as the university deals with record enrolment and a large commuter base increasingly reliant on on-campus study space.

“People ask, do students still use libraries? The traffic is heavier than ever,” said Robarts chief librarian Carole Moore. “We have very heavy use, and we really don't have the capacity to meet the demand for seating space, study space. And the quality really just isn't what it should be for students.”

The Morrison's gift this week goes a long way to creating the space that's needed, building on the 650 spaces created in the Morrison Pavilion. This week's $10-million gift is believed to be the largest to any library renovation in Canada.

“They're wonderful, wonderful benefactors,” Ms. Moore said. “We're very grateful for the for putting their gift into that, because its challenging to get donations for internal renovations.”

A new $34-million Robarts wing is also planned, once the renovations are complete.

“The renewal of Robarts is ultimately about lifting the student experience,” U of T President David Naylor said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to Russell and Katherine Morrison for supporting this important hub of our campus community.”