At the time of the design and construction of Robarts Library, the University of Toronto (U of T) was a centre for social change and activism, which extended to the library before it even opened its doors.

In early 1972, with the library still under construction, University administration planned that stack access would be granted only to faculty, graduate students and fourth-year undergraduate students. All other students would need to request that books be retrieved for them by staff.

The Students' Administrative Council rejected this plan and demanded equal access for all students. On March 11, 1972, student protesters occupied the Senate Chamber in Simcoe Hall.

While 25 students were forcibly removed by the Toronto police two days later, the advocates ultimately achieved their goal, as Acting President Jack Sword agreed to their demand for equal access.

Moving into the 1980s, library administration and workers were again conflicted over issues brought on by the dual pressures of budgetary austerity and emerging technology. By March of 1991, CUPE 1230 was once again threatening to strike. The union was frustrated by long delays in grievance procedures, unresolved concerns with the reclassification of positions and pay equity and worries about the impact on library workers of automation and technology. Negotiations throughout the spring and summer were contentious, and, unable to come to an agreement, CUPE workers went on strike for 14 weeks in the spring of 1991.

The strike ended when the union voted to settle and return to work. While not all its demands were met, many of the contentious issues around the grievance procedures had been resolved, and CUPE 1230 had established itself as a powerful voice for library workers.

As Robarts Library entered the twenty-first century, it continued to evolve and adapt to changes at U of T which, in turn, reflected changes in society and higher education. These changes included a growing awareness of systemic inequalities and biases due to racism, colonialism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other social problems. The library began to focus on initiatives that would support equity, inclusion, diversity, reconciliation and anti-racism, and Robarts Library aimed to become a more welcoming and inclusive space for students, staff and faculty who had historically been marginalized in both the design, administration and use of the space.

The single greatest disruption to Robarts Library in its 50 years was the COVID-19 pandemic and its corresponding sudden closure. Its shift to operating as an exclusively online library in March of 2020 and gradual reopening spurred innovations in services, including the provision of a controlled digital lending library which made available digital copies of books held physically at the library, a curbside pickup service and physically distanced study spaces.

During the early stages of the pandemic, both users and staff became more comfortable with remote meetings and e-resources, and other work habits and preferences sparked by the pandemic became permanent.