The Library must have moved from the Carnegie Building to its "temporary" location earlier than 1990, since I used to visit the Central Branch in its current location semi-regularly while I was attending UVic (1985-1989). I was never a patron of the Carnegie location.
It's a bit of a shame that the "Dynamic Mobile Steel Sculpture", which I agree is one of the more beautiful pieces of public art in the city, is tucked away in a location where many people will never see it. Perhaps it could be moved to the large eastern plaza where it would have greater visibility. Something is needed there to enliven one of the CoV's infamous public spaces that most of the public never uses.