September 11, 2017
Four campus locations that deserve their own music videos (The Varsity)
"Due to its location in the heart of the city, U of T is full of potential filming locations. The campus’ mix of architectural styles and its beautiful landscapes would make for electrifying frames, perfect for busting some moves. Here are four locations on campus that would be perfect for the next music video featuring the city."
[Read more]
September 1, 2017
#UofTBackToSchool: 7 tips for surviving the school year (U of T News)
"If you’ve ever tried to find your way around Robarts Library or University College, you know how easy it is to lose your bearings, which makes for a great time exploring campus but a challenge when you’re trying to get to class on time. Try out these handy interactive maps of the Downtown Toronto campus, U of T Scarborough and U of T Mississauga for everything from fastest routes across campus and where to lock your bike to the most convenient place to grab a coffee before class."
[Read more]
September 1, 2017
#UofTBackToSchool: 12 things every student should do before graduating (U of T News)
"We know you’ve just arrived here, but consider this your bucket list: the things you should try at least once while you’re a University of Toronto student. Better yet, explore all three campuses and create your own set of “must-dos.” Let this be inspiration to get you started!
[...]
12. Study in every U of T library at least once. There are 44 of them, and many are stunning!"
[Read more]
August 31, 2017
#UofTBackToSchool: 10 things you didn’t know you could do at U of T’s libraries (U of T News)
"University of Toronto’s libraries are both a haven for bookworms and a hideout for crammers, but there are countless secrets hidden in their stacks.
Considering U of T’s library system is turning 125 this year, it's had a lot of time to build up incredible collections (over 12 million volumes!) and unique resources.
So head over to one of University of Toronto Libraries' 44 libraries and check out some of these tools and services you may not have known existed."
[Read more]
August 29, 2017
Interview with PJ Carefoote (CBC Metro Morning)
"Some of Canada's oldest and most valuable books are getting a dusting this week including an eighteenth century volume bound with silver thread and original shakespeare foley else the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto."
[Listen here - does not play on mobile devices]
August 25, 2017
An overdue library inventory at U of T finds some lost treasures (The Globe and Mail)
"Hidden inside a simple brown case at the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library was a rare silver and gold embroidered Roman Missal. The liturgical book was designed in 1716 for the chapel of a wealthy Venetian family, the thread's silver colour now a dull grey and the pink ribbon markers have yellowed. The book is a rare example of an embroidered binding and yet its significance was never recorded in the library's catalogue – to the world it had ceased to exist.
The book's binding was discovered on Monday, the first day of the library's inventory – the first in 40 years – which aims to go through many of the library's 800,000 books in two weeks. Home to the rarest books in the country, the library is closed for this period, and librarians and archivists are gently, one by one, removing books and manuscripts off the shelves, organizing and looking for items that may have been misplaced, lost or stolen."
[Read more]
August 22, 2017
U of T Libraries’ giant collection of tiny books (U of T News)
"University of Toronto Libraries has a few thousand mini titles – some even smaller than a paperclip.
The collection spans religious manuscripts from the Middle Ages to a modern edition of Romeo and Juliet that's fit for a doll.
U of T News visited the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and librarian David Fernandez to learn more about seven of these tiny treasures."
[Read more]
August 1, 2017
After The Party: How Canadians make space for themselves (Metro)
"Coming here 23 years ago from Kenya, the space my family arrived into was right in downtown Toronto. While my mother worked many jobs, my father studied for his PhD, and together they raised the four kids they’d brought with them.
The first space I really remember walking through is the ladder of streets and underground spaces that traverse the leafy streets of Yorkville, where we went to school, to the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library, to the 519 Community Centre at the heart of the city’s Gay Village. On a map, these city spaces connect to one another through fairly straight lines. But in my mind, they're connected by hands.
The hands of my father as he, a Black man, persisted upwards through the ivory tower, literally guiding me through the stacks of Robarts Library. The hands of my mother as we navigated Chinatown to buy the fruits, vegetables, and ephemera of a poor and ambitious life. The hands of my siblings as we walked, sometimes ran excitedly, to summer camp at the 519."
[Read more]
July 31, 2017
Construction begins at Robarts Library (The Varsity)
"The construction of Robarts Common, the current project of the Robarts renewal intiative and the first addition to the library in 42 years, began on the week of July 24.
According to the University of Toronto’s Chief Librarian, Larry Alford, the construction was set to begin in March 2016 but was delayed due to a building tender that went over the budgeted amount.
The five-storey addition, expected to be completed by the fall in 2019, will provide 1,200 new study spaces and expand the existing seating in Robarts Library to 6,027 seats. 'I sometimes see students sitting on the floor in various parts of Robarts at peak times when they simply can’t find enough seating. So it will take care of that,' said Alford."
[Read more]
July 26, 2017
Diamond Schmitt to Lead Expansion of University of Toronto’s Robarts Library (Contract Design)
"Diamond Schmitt Architects has been tapped to spearhead the expansion of Robarts Library at the University of Toronto—its first addition since opening in 1973. The largest academic library in Canada, the venue’s study spaces will be expanded by 25 percent with the addition of 1,200 spaces for work and study in the forthcoming Robarts Common.
The redesign will enhance daylighting across the 14-story Brutalist structure’s glass-enclosed, five-story west side. The new volume is set to include traditional study carrels and reading tables as well as 32 group study rooms and amphitheater-style seating on levels two through five. A four-story bridge will link the existing structure to the freestanding expansion, which will occupy an entire block of the downtown campus. Robarts Common will also mirror the geometry of the library and reference its triangular form in the framing of its glazing."
[Read more]
July 26, 2017
Robarts Common breaks ground (World Architecture News)
"Diamond Schmitt previously completed a multi-year renovation of Robarts that opened up corridors and stacks to bring daylight deeper into the core, improved study space, data infrastructure, way-finding and transformed two exterior porticos into spacious entry halls.
Robarts Library attracts as many as 18,000 visitors a day. The architecture of the original peacock-shaped facility has made the building a destination for filmmakers, who have cast the building in roles as varied as a prison (Resident Evil: Afterlife) and UFO (Starship Invasions)."
[Read more]
July 24, 2017
Expansion at U of T’s Robarts Library breaks ground (Canadian Consulting Engineer)
"Canada’s largest academic library, Robarts Library at the University of Toronto, is about to undergo a major expansion that will add 1,200 work and study spaces to the iconic facility.
Recognized as an example of the concrete Brutalist style of architecture from the 1960s, the addition of the student study wing is the first expansion of the library since it opened in 1973.
The new design by Diamond Schmitt Architects will bring daylight and views to a five-storey, glass-enclosed addition along the building’s west side.
The original concept for Robarts Library included three pods surrounding the core of the library. Only two were realized, occupied by the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and the Faculty of Information iSchool."
[Read more]
July 24, 2017
Robarts Common by Diamond Schmitt breaks ground at UofT (Canadian Architect)
"The wraparound glass façade and wood accents couldn’t be more different in materiality from the concrete shell of the 14-storey Robarts, yet a thematic relationship exists between the famously triangular form of Robarts and the facetted shapes shape of the Common. 'The height is the same as the other wings and we wanted to fit with the geometry of the existing building and reference the triangle form in how the glazing is framed,' said McCluskie.
This freestanding expansion will connect with the existing building via a four-storey bridge. In addition to traditional study carrels and reading tables, there will be amphitheatre-style seating on levels two through five and 32 group study rooms. There will also be Wi-Fi access and wireless printing throughout the building."
[Read more]
July 24, 2017
Robarts Common (Archello)
"Canada’s largest academic library is growing. A major expansion of Robarts Library at the University of Toronto will add 1,200 work and study spaces to the iconic facility, which is known as an exemplar of the concrete Brutalist style of architecture from the 1960s. The new design by Diamond Schmitt Architects brings daylight and views to a five-storey, glass-enclosed addition along the west side. The original concept for Robarts Library included three pods surrounding the core of the library. Only two were realized and house the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and the Faculty of Information iSchool. The new student space completes the plan, which occupies an entire block on the downtown campus. "
[Read more]
July 24, 2017
Robarts Library at the University of Toronto (e-architect)
"'This expansion will increase study space by 25 percent and make a huge difference,' says U of T chief librarian Larry Alford. 'It’s about creating space for students to do new and different kinds of things, a space for social learning. Some students want places where you can hear a pin drop, and others need space to work with each other . . . This addition will add to the mix of those kinds of spaces.'"
[Read more]
July 18, 2017
U of T students dig into library archives, team up with Toronto Ward Museum for exhibit on Canadian migration (U of T News)
"A postcard of Union Station from 1909, a menu from Banff Springs Hotel from 1946 and a photograph of Japanese-Canadian protesters from 1988 – all help chronicle the sometimes ugly history of migration in Canada.
They are just three of 54 objects in an online exhibit by the Toronto Ward Museum, called 'Finding Myself in The Archives,' a collaborative project between the museum, University of Toronto students from the Faculty of Information and six U of T libraries.
Irina Mihalache, an assistant professor of museum studies and the project's supervisor, asked students to pick an object from a curated selection, research its cultural context and significance, find a personal connection and put all of that into writing.
'Because I work with the U of T archives, I know what type of wonders exist there that never get to the public eye,' she says. 'I thought this would be a good opportunity to see what kind of objects they have that might speak to this broad topic of migration.'"
[Read more]
July 18, 2017
Updating Toronto's Architecture Bible (CityLab)
A photo of Robarts is featured in an interview with architecture critic, Alex Bozikovic, who co-authored a guide to Toronto's "expansive building stock."
[Read more]
July 18, 2017
In ‘final quarter’ of life, Pachter wants to inspire young artists (CJN - The Canadian Jewish News)
"In my interview with him, [Charles] Pachter commended [his biographer, Leonard] Wise for months of sleuthing through the archives of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto, to which Pachter had donated some 70 boxes of documents and letters, including correspondence between himself and author Margaret Atwood.
'Why – as a venerable Officer of the Order of Canada, and recipient of three honorary doctorates – does a biography appeal?' I asked.
Perching his glasses on his head, Pachter said, 'I recalled reading Jasper Johns’ diary, stuff on Andy Warhol, and several books by and about David Hockney. At 74, I feel grateful to be part of that canon. I think that when you enter your last quarter, you should make generous gestures to inspire younger artists, to help show them that they can find a way for themselves. When other artists read my life story – and see that I told it like it was, with difficulties and successes – their lives will be qualitatively different, but they’ll be able to relate to it.'"
[Read more]
July 17, 2017
Fort Book opens up (Metro)
"The University of Toronto's Robarts Library is about to get a makeover. The leading exemplar of brutalism -- a popular architectural style from the 1950s to '70s -- will receive a new addition at Harbord and St. George. We spoke to Gary McCluskie of Diamon Schmitt Architects about what to expect."
[Read more]
July 7, 2017
An Encyclopedia Brown story: Bound and determined to fight for the facts in the time of Trump (The Globe & Mail)
'The heyday of encyclopedias lasted something like 130 years, from about 1780 to the outbreak of the First World War. Like most of its competition, the Chambers’s Encyclopaedia (named after William and Robert Chambers, Scottish brothers, both of whom had extra digits on their hands, and the latter of whom was a proponent of evolutionary thinking) was published in 520 weekly instalments and sold to (mostly) upwardly mobile middle-class subscribers at three halfpennies an issue. When you finally owned the full set, you had them fancily bound with the same lavish care you might once have bound the family Bible.
[...]
Encyclopedias were not new, of course. Pliny the Elder hadn’t yet finished writing his Naturalis Historia when Mount Vesuvius engulfed him in lava in AD 79. But premodern encyclopedias were produced for other encyclopedia makers, rather than for average users – a way to pass along an age’s collected known facts, so that, as the French encyclopedist Denis Diderot said, “the mark of preceding centuries will not become useless to the centuries to come.”
This is still the case. “We’d never want to say, ‘We know the whole truth,’” Pearce Carefoote, director of collections at the Fisher, told me the evening I called him to see if he could help explain the appeal of my inherited encyclopedia. “But each successive edition of encyclopedias has yielded another body of knowledge to pass along. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do today without them. The Internet is not possible without them.”'
[Read more]
July 3, 2017
The 10 most serene spots in Toronto (blogTO)
"The basement at E.J. Pratt Library
U of T has a number of wonderful libraries that are easy enough to access even if you're not a student of the school. In winter, Trinity takes the cake with its fireplace-adorned reading rooms, but summer, the basement at E.J. Pratt is the spot. Here you look out onto a modern garden area with a waterfall that has a Frank Lloyd Wright-feel about it."
[Read more]
June 30, 2017
Mark Canada Day with U of T (U of T News)
"The Struggle and Story: Canada in Print exhibit at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library presents the tumultuous journey Canada has taken in its attempt to become a more peaceful and inclusive nation through a collection of historical documents.
The U of T Libraries has also created U of T Showcase, 150, an interactive online timeline which highlights some of the unique holdings at the campus archives and special collections from the past century and a half."
[Read more]
June 30, 2017
Huge expansion of Robarts Library finally set to begin (blogTO)
"You either love or hate the University of Toronto's Robarts Library, the huge Brutalist structure at the corner of St. George and Harbord streets.
The building has been earmarked for expansion for a number of years now, with a five-storey addition by Diamond and Schmitt Architects announced back in 2015. Construction was supposed to start last year, but as Urban Toronto reports, it'll finally begin this summer."
[Read more]
June 29, 2017
U of T Robarts Common Breaking Ground this Summer (UrbanToronto.ca)
"The University of Toronto has announced that the Robarts Library addition (to be known as Robarts Common) will begin construction this summer after reaching their fundraising goal. Following a fundraising campaign for the project involving over 1,000 individual donors, a final donation from Drs. Russell and Katherine Morrison topped of the project goal. The Diamond Schmitt Architects-designed addition will be built on the West side of the Mathers and Haldenby-designed library, overtop of the existing loading bays. It will add 1,222 new work and study spaces for students, both flexible and individual, to what is an already busy study hub on campus."
[Read more]
June 28, 2017
Construction begins on Robarts Library expansion (U of T News)
"In a couple of years, cramming in Robarts Library won’t require cramming into the library.
Construction is scheduled to begin this month on a freestanding expansion to the downtown library. Robarts Common will increase the number of study spaces by 25 per cent, bringing the total to 6,000. The addition to the library’s western side will include a wraparound glass facade and a range of study spots, from carrel desks to amphitheatre-style tiered seating. There will be 32 meeting rooms, and Wi-Fi access and wireless printing throughout the building."
[Read more]
June 15, 2017
Six Toronto Attractions for Book Lovers (WestJet Magazine)
"Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
This more than 750,000-volume library is part of the University of Toronto but is open to everyone. Canada’s largest collection of rare books includes a Babylonian clay tablet from 1787 BC, a Dali-illustrated Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and a hand-written first draft of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. It also offers rotating exhibits like the current Struggle & Story: Canada in Print, which celebrates the country’s 150th birthday with photographs, manuscripts and more (on until September 9)."
[Read more]
June 6, 2017
Undergraduates recognized for research by U of T Libraries (U of T News)
"From uncovering the experience of Jewish refugees in Hong Kong to searching for clues to improve breast-cancer treatments – U of T undergraduates were recognized for their outstanding research, which required delving deep into archival records and scientific literature.
Six students received U of T Libraries' Undergraduate Research Prize for their innovative and effective search and use of sources in completing course assignments at the second annual prize reception on May 26.
The winners – Angela Hou, Taylor Irvine, Monica Layarda, Imindu Liyanage, Alexandra Southgate and Ryan Sun – were awarded $1,000 each."
[Read more]
June 2, 2017
Look inside U of T's Library with 3 million items (CTV Toronto News)
"It's an off limits preservation facility never seen on television until now, and it is home to nearly 3 million items. From books to films, tv shows and vinyl, the University of Toronto's Downsview storage facility is growing [...] and other universities are getting ready to move in."
[Watch video]
June 1, 2017
James Mason on the National Anthem (Timeline Magazine / FairchildTV)
Interim Head of the Music Library, James Mason and others were interviewed on Timeline Magazine, about the Music Library's collections, and specifically the Canadian National Anthem. The program is in Cantonese, and you can hear James talk around the 5-minute mark.
[Watch video]
May 24, 2017
Cook like it's 1817: U of T students make culinary connections with the past at Fort York (U of T News)
"Clothed in aprons and armed with centuries-old cooking utensils, a group of University of Toronto undergraduate students gathered at Fort York to learn how to cook like it's 1817.
The students are Scholars in Residence, a collaborative program between Jackman Humanities Institute and U of T's colleges, pairing students with a faculty member for a month-long research project. [...]
The students visiting Fort York are working with Irina D. Mihalache, an assistant professor of museum studies at the Faculty of Information, on an exhibit showcasing culinary culture in Canada through the work of women. The exhibit will be coming to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library next summer."
[Read more]
May 12, 2017
UofTMed Students Showcase their Research Pursuits (U of T Medicine Magazine)
At the recent UofT Med showcase, a wearable robot presented by Aaron Yurkewich was printed at the MADLab.
"Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) graduate students Aaron Yurkewich, Michelle Nguyen and Gillian Szeto research and develop robotic tools for people recovering from stroke. Yurkewich is developing a wearable finger assistance robot to help patients regain finger extension while performing regular tasks."
[Read more]
May 10, 2017
"Knight in the Morning" live at the Fisher (CTV News)
Anwar Knight has your forecast details and a look inside the extraordinary Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library on Knight in the Morning
[Watch here]
May 10, 2017
Toronto's radical librarians critique Little Free Library (Toronto Star)
"Toronto’s radical librarians do not like the Little Free Library organization.
In a study published in the Journal of Radical Librarianship, which is real, Ryerson librarian Jane Schmidt and University of Toronto reference specialist Jordan Hale argue that the neighbourhood mini-libraries don’t live up to their stated goals.
'Who could critique a little birdhouse of books?' Hale rhetorically asked Metro, adding she is strenuously pro-literacy and pro-trading-books-by-the-side-of-the-road. But their paper does just that.
'We posit that in absence of any research or evidence of an issue to be addressed . . . simply encouraging literacy in an already information-rich and privileged environment is hardly a heroic charitable act,' Schmidt and Hale wrote."
[Read more]
May 4, 2017
Study by U of T and Ryerson unpacks problems with Little Free Libraries (U of T News)
"In a paper published recently in the Journal of Radical Librarianship, researchers say the take-a-book-leave-a-book boxes “are examples of performative community enhancement, driven more so by the desire to showcase one's passion for books and education than a genuine desire to help the community in a meaningful way.”
Little Free Library is a non-profit based in Wisconsin, which claims that it has 50,000 registered book exchanges worldwide and is “increasing book access and forging community connections.”
However, Jordan Hale, a geographer who is also a reference specialist at U of T Libraries, and Ryerson librarian Jane Schmidt are skeptical."
[Read more]
May 4, 2017
Toronto librarian makes her case against Little Free Libraries (CBC As It Happens)
Jane Schmidt is a librarian and she has a problem with Little Free Library — the non-profit organization behind the project.
The Ryerson University staffer, along with her University of Toronto colleague Jordan Hale, has co-authored a critique of the book exchange system in the Journal of Radical Librarianship. Here's part of what she told As it Happens host Carol Off in an interview on Thursday: 'To say you're enhancing literacy in a community that otherwise doesn't have access to books, you're not doing that when you're providing them with access to the Windows 2000 manual for dummies.' - Jane Schmidt"
[Read more/Listen]
May 4, 2017
The Sandford Fleming Fire (U of T World)
In the early morning hours of February 11th, 1977, a fire ravaged through the Sandford Fleming building at the University of Toronto. While there were no serious injuries or loss of life, the damage to the building was extreme, and the loss of years of irreplaceable research materials was devastating. However, through the smoke and water emerged stories of resilience and quick-thinking, resulting in the salvage of many irreplaceable books and computer tapes. Ultimately, Sandford Fleming reopened in 1982, and continues to serve the engineering and computer science community at U of T to this day. This exhibit seeks to commemorate the 40-year anniversary since the burning of Sandford Fleming, through sharing stories and artifacts from this fateful event.
[Read more]
May 3, 2017
Against Little Free Libraries (CityLab)
"Schmidt says that, in 2014, she found a kindred spirit—Jordan Hale, an original cataloguer and reference specialist for the University of Toronto who was also putting “hot takes out on Twitter on Little Free Libraries.” They shared an observation: They only noticed Little Free Libraries in Toronto’s wealthier neighborhoods.*
Hale, who is trained as a geographic information systems specialist, geocoded the location data for Little Free Libraries for two cities, Toronto and Calgary, drawing from lists of installations available on the Little Free Libraries website in 2015. Onto these maps, Hale and Schmidt added several data layers—median income, percentage of minority residents, education level attainment, and distance from a public-library branch—to test their hypothesis."
[Read more]
May 3, 2017
The top 10 places to work or study in Toronto (BlogTO)
"Robarts Library
University of Toronto kids are the ones who frequent this library most. It's important to note, the basement and first floor tend to be noisier due to socializing students; it's quieter in the upper floors, where big tables in the corners of the stacks offer some nice views.
Gerstein Science Information Centre
While Robarts is the first study suggestion out of many U of T students' mouths, Gerstein, tucked further south into the university campus, is a close second. The atmosphere is surprisingly stately, with some cushy armchairs, grand-looking tables and chairs, and lovely natural lighting."
[Read more]
May 1, 2017
15 beautiful photos of Toronto from April (blogTO)
"Spring has arrived in Toronto, and local photographers have combed the city looking for unique ways to capture the new season. Yes, that means there were lots of cherry blossoms photos, but that wasn't the only beautiful subject to capture this month."
[View Gallery]
April 27, 2017
Find a first draft of The Handmaid's Tale at the University of Toronto (Metro)
"Margaret Atwood’s original vision for the dystopian future in Handmaid’s Tale can be seen right here in Toronto.
Atwood donated the handwritten draft to the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library as part of an archive collection related to her work housed in over 600 boxes.
'It’s her very first ideas,' said Jennifer Toews, modern manuscripts and reference librarian, of the draft, which also includes some typed pages.
'I haven’t actually checked to see if it has changed over time but I’m sure someone has.'
Toews, a great fan of the book, says Atwood’s handwriting tells its own story.
'It has a lot of personality. She draws arrows here and there and writes down the side, so you can kind of see her mind at work through the way she writes on the page,' she said."
[Read more]
April 25, 2017
Cherry blossom relief line on its way for Toronto (Metro)
"The Disney World-like crowds have created traffic gridlock, overflowing garbage cans, and sometimes people climb trees and damage the limbs, said Teal.
Luckily, the first (small) Woodbine flowers are expected by next spring, said Toronto Parks and Recreation spokesperson Megan Price.
If you’re having FOMO (fear of missing out), there’s time to catch the blossoms next weekend, at High Park, the University of Toronto's Robarts Library or Trinity Bellwoods Park.
But Price pleads with visitors not to take any branches home.
'Take a picture, put it on Instagram, it will have a bigger reach than your dining room anyway,' she said."
[Read more]
April 25, 2017
Sure sign of spring: Toronto's High Park cherry blossoms in full bloom (The Globe & Mail)
'Cherry blossoms are a significant part of Japanese culture. It is kind of a ceremonial thing that symbolizes change or renewal. I am happy I am able to come out and enjoy the day and get to take photos of them,' said sakura enthusiast and Toronto resident Linda Lee. [...]
The cherry blossoms on Cherry Hill were expected to last until Sunday, provided there's minimal rain and wind. But rain – and possibly a thunderstorm – are forecast for Thursday.
Other places to find sakura trees around Toronto are Broadacres Park in Etobicoke, Trinity-Bellwoods Park, Centre Island and the park outside of the Robarts Library on the University of Toronto's St. George campus.
[Read more]
April 14, 2017
Margaret Atwood on 'The Handmaid's Tale,' the Women's March and More (Teen Vogue)
"It came from three different sources. First, 17th century Puritan America, which is why it’s situated at Harvard, which started out as a theological seminary — it had that convenient wall. So, every building in the book has its counterpart in reality, except what they used for the Commander’s house, which has since been torn down. All of the rest of them, they’re all there. Harvard was not initially amused by this, but they eventually came around. It was also of interest to put such a regime not just in a former theological seminary but in a place that is now considered a bastion of liberal democracy. Anything can be repurposed. And it has [been]. Anything can happen. And I never believed, being the age I am, that it can’t happen here, because anything can happen anywhere, given the circumstances.
So, that was one source. The other was my extensive reading of sci-fi and dystopias, most of which at that time, like 1984, had male protagonists. I thought it would be interesting to look at such a society from the point of view of a female protagonist.
And the third thing was what was appearing in newspapers even then, which I dutifully clipped out, and you can find them in the clippings file of The Handmaid’s Tale in the [University of Toronto's] Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, people who were annoyed by feminism, of what they would do if they had the power. And I do believe that people will do the things that they will do if they get the power."
[Read more]
April 10, 2017
Episode 1610: Age of Anxiety (Context With Lorna Dueck)
"Information is flowing at us 24/7, right into our social media feeds. So how do we weed out the noise?
University of Toronto librarians say re-education is necessary. They are a student's front-line when it comes to sources.
[Eveline Houtman:] 'Professors used to say you couldn't use the websites at all, now they're saying yes, you can use reliable/credible websites, and the students don't always know what that means. they're heard rules of thumb, like "don't use Wikipedia", but what's left? They're not always sure, and don't know ow to judge, and they get quite anxious about what is reliable, what is credible.
So Heather [Buchansky] and Eveline have developed a simple guide to spot those shams: first, double or triple source your information, and watch for tricky domain names..."
[Watch segment]
April 22, 2017
5 places to find cherry blossoms in Toronto beyond High Park (blogTO)
"Cherry blossoms in Toronto aren't confined to High Park. In fact, there are collections of sakura spread all over the city. Those looking to avoid the gong show that is a peak-bloom visit to Grenadier Pond can head to any one of these other destinations for a more peaceful version of this spring ritual.
Here are 5 places to find cherry blossoms in Toronto beyond High Park.
Robarts Library
The sakura stand at Robarts Library is relatively small at 70 or so trees, but it's absolutely gorgeous at peak bloom, as the trees create a canopy over the short path that leads through the green space from Harbord to Huron."
[Read more]
April 21, 2017
Forget the lines at High Park: check out U of T's cherry blossoms (U of T News)
"Each spring, large crowds descend on High Park to behold the majesty of its many cherry blossoms – and shamelessly snap selfies.
For those who prefer quieter surroundings, U of T's Robarts Library provides a welcome option. A path cutting across the grounds from Huron Street to Harbord Street is flanked by 70 Japanese cherry trees, also known as sakura.
The university received the trees through the Sakura Project, an initiative of the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto."
[Read more]
April 17, 2017
Margaret Atwood, the Prophet of Dystopia (The New Yorker)
"One morning, I accompanied her to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, at the University of Toronto, where she has donated her archive: four hundred and seventy-four boxes’ worth of papers, so far. She had requested in advance to see materials related to 'The Handmaid’s Tale,' and a small study room had been reserved for our use. Boxes had been rolled in on a cart, and one of them contained Atwood’s handwritten draft. On an early page, she describes the plain contours of the room in which Offred, the novel’s narrator, lives—'A chair, a table, a lamp'—though Atwood had not yet refined the detail that, in the published version, gives the opening paragraph of the second chapter a menacing power: 'There must have been a chandelier, once. They’ve removed anything you could tie a rope to.' Another box was labelled 'Handmaid’s Tale: Background,' and Atwood pried the box open to reveal files containing sheaves of newspaper clippings from the mid-eighties."
[Read more]
April 12, 2017
Canada 150: Collection of General Wolfe's letters at U of T's Fisher library informs new book on the controversial figure (U of T News)
"Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library's collection of General James Wolfe's personal letters are at the heart of a new book, which reveals a creative, melancholic side to the British army commander known for his military might.
Last week at the university's 23rd annual George Kiddell Memorial Lecture, “Who’s Afraid of General Wolfe? Adventures in archives and authorship,” retired U of T librarian Anne Dondertman and author Kathleen Winter talked about new insights revealed in Wolfe's letters.
Winter is the author of a forthcoming novel about Wolfe called Lost in September. The book, focusing on Wolfe's life, including his capture of Quebec in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, used many of the letters in Fisher's collection, which were acquired by Dondertman in 2013.
'Admittedly, not celebrated nor admired in Quebec, Wolfe is indisputably a pivotal figure in Canadian history,' said Dondertman."
[Read more]
April 5, 2017
Secrets of the Night: Former Winnipegger digs lost film out of his basement after 30 years (CBC News)
"These are the building blocks of Secrets of the Night, a silent movie from 1924. For years, silent film enthusiasts thought the flick was lost, like more than 7,000 other films from the era. In fact, it was listed on the U.S. Library of Congress's list of lost films.
But then Richard Scott, a former Winnipegger now living in Mississauga, Ont., dug it — along with 14 other movies from the 1920s — out of his basement, where they sat almost perfectly preserved for the past 30 years. [...]
Scott contacted the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, N.Y. Staff there put him in touch with a media archivist at the University of Toronto, who went to Scott's home and picked up the films to examine them back at the school.
A few weeks later, she got back to him: the school was going to restore and digitize every one of the films, and one of them — Secrets of the Night — was extra special."
[Read more]
April 5, 2017
Box of old movies recovered from Eaton's store in 1940s contains 'lost' film (Metro)
"'It's, dare I say, more than rare — it is unique,' said Brock Silversides, director of the University of Toronto's Media Commons department, which received the film and many others from the Scott family.
Scott, who is retired, said the films had been kept in their original tins in an insulated box in his basement in Mississauga, Ont., for about 30 years.
When he started downsizing, he reached out to the university, which has since restored and digitized the copy of 'Secrets of the Night,' a 1924 murder-mystery comedy starring James Kirkwood, Madge Bellamy and ZaSu Pitts.
Last week, the school organized a special screening of the film with a pianist providing the soundtrack."
[Read more]
April 5, 2017
Box of old movies recovered from Eaton's store in 1940s contains 'lost' film (CTV News)
"'We're the only public institution that actually has the full film,' said Silversides, who noted only a partial copy of the film was known to be in a private collection.
Overall, the entire Scott collection comprises lower-budget, 'good, solid films that give a wonderful idea of filmmaking during the silent era,' said Silversides.
'They're extremely professional, they're good lighting, good editing, good acting, just good feature films.'
Scott said he's "thrilled" that the films have found a new home and will be appreciated.
'They haven't been doing anything here for us,' said Scott.
'It's better that the films be viewed and restored than have them just continue to deteriorate.'"
[Read more]
April 4, 2017
Christina Stewart talks to Gill Deacon (CBC Here and Now)
"Gill Deacon spoke with Christina Stewart about finding 'Secrets of The Night,' a lost silent film from the 1920's. Christina is an Assistant Media Archivist at the University of Toronto."
[Listen here]
April 4, 2017
The open educational resources movement is redefining the concept of online textbooks (University Affairs)
"If you’re still wondering what open educational resources are, the definition is admittedly broad. If you’re a teacher, you may already use some: TED Talks, YouTube videos, and some online articles, among other resources, fall into the category. Though OER could be generally recognized as content that lives online and is destined for sharing, supporters are now creating content more intentionally for pedagogical goals, everything from exam question banks to lesson plans.
Perhaps the most purpose-built pedagogical tools are open textbooks. Where a teacher may once have told her students, for example, to skip an irrelevant chapter two in the course textbook, OER allows her to fully remove it, or replace the American examples from chapter four with choices more suited to her Canadian or northern Indigenous student population. She can also integrate a chapter of her own research and add her creation to an open library for others to use. [...]
At the University of Toronto, the Zero-to-Low Cost Course Project started in 2014 to investigate duplication between course packs and what was already freely available to students through library databases. It found that over half the works requested for course pack printing were already available. The project reports a savings of over $100,000 in the program’s first semester."
[Read more]
April 4, 2017
'Lost' silent film rediscovered by U of T Libraries (U of T News)
A movie on the Library of Congress's list of “Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films” has recently been rediscovered thanks to a donation to U of T Libraries.
The black-and-white murder mystery-melodrama comedy from the early 1920s boasts a cast of well-known actors from the time – James Kirkwood Sr., Madge Bellamy and ZaSu Pitts.
Titled Secrets of the Night, the film was discovered by Media Commons Assistant Media ArchivistChristina Stewart as she was looking through a recent donation of silent films. The gift came from a family who had come into possession of the films when an Eaton's store in Winnipeg stopped offering silent film rentals in the 1940s.
[Read more]
March 16, 2017
New studio at St. Michael's College is conserving pages of history (The Catholic Register)
Evan Boudreau of the Catholic Register visited the John M. Kelly Library’s new conservation studio on March 9 for a private tour, guided by Sheril Hook, Chief Librarian, Noel McFerran, Theology and Rare Books Librarian, and James Roussain, Archivist. Evan’s March 16 article is a lovely introduction to our new facility and the work we will be able to do to repair and preserve the Kelly’s collections for the present and future use of our students, faculty, and visiting researchers.
“'In our tradition it is not to make the item look brand new, but rather just to make it stable enough so that it can be handled,' [James Roussain] said. 'One of the most challenging things would be to do the repair but to make it look as if nothing has happened. You do that in a manner that respects the state that it is in but that allows it again to be used.'
That means evaluating each item and striking a balance between the significance of the content and the condition of the book.
'It’s a judgment call with aesthetics,' he said, '(of) how much do you want to compromise the original look?'
Although no two cases are the same, Roussain said it is not uncommon to spend 30 to 40 hours to give one piece a basic treatment."
[Read more]
March 27, 2017
U of T library posts guide to spotting fake news (University Affairs)
"A recent study by researchers at Stanford University in the U.S. found that more than 7,800 students in 12 states couldn’t distinguish real from fake news. With non-factual news and what White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has called “alternative facts” circulating on social media, librarians at the University of Toronto have developed an online guide to help students spot the fake stuff.
The guide, developed by Heather Buchansky and Eveline Houtman, provides credible news sources, a list of myth-debunking websites (such as FactCheck.org and PolitiFact), a reading list on the fake news phenomenon and a checklist for analyzing a story’s credibility."
[Read more]
March 20, 2017
Nobel laureate Derek Walcott dies: U of T's Fisher library has 160 boxes of his drafts, notes and sketches (U of T News)
"Archives belonging to Saint Lucian poet and playwright Derek Walcott, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992, are housed at the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.
Walcott, who died Friday, had connections with Toronto's Caribbean community, says Professor George Elliott Clarke, and today U of T is home to more than 160 boxes of his material from the 1980s to the present, including drafts and notes for his many poetical, theatrical and prose writings, drawings, sketches, photographs and correspondence.
Fisher began acquiring the material in 1996 when J. Edward Chamberlin, now a University Professor Emeritus of English and comparative literature at U of T, and his wife, West Indian poet and writer Lorna Goodison, helped the university obtain the collection through fundraising work with the international community, including Toronto’s Caribbean community, says Jennifer Toews, modern manuscripts and reference librarian."
[Read more]
March 6, 2017
How entrepreneurship librarians help campus accelerators grow (University Affairs)
Gerstein's Entrepreneurship Librarian, Carey Toane, penned this piece about helping start-ups from the library.
"While academic librarians have supported campus start-ups and entrepreneurs since before the dot-com boom, the title 'entrepreneurship librarian' is a relatively new one. When I started in that role at University of Toronto Library (UTL), St. George Campus, I was given a lot of freedom to define the role as I saw fit. I started by reaching out to the growing network of campus-linked accelerators formalized under the campus entrepreneurship office.
My approach is based on my experience as a business librarian and a former marketing journalist. What start-ups want most from the library is market research, regardless of their technology or subject area of expertise, and it’s my job to help them find it. This is done through supporting new venture-creation courses as well as through open resources and workshops on a range of topics, including campus orientation for start-ups, market sizing, primary research tools and strategies."
[Read more]
February 27, 2017
Are You There Robarts? It’s Me, Joe (U of T Magazine)
"They have many names for you, my friend. Fort Book, Jail, the Monolith of Despair. But none of these cognomens do you justice, for all you ever wanted was to collect and house knowledge. And yet, the students here give you no respect.
Is it your fault that people put off their 12-page papers until the day before they’re due, and have to spend the night in your austere interior? Of course not. They should be cursing their poor work ethic, not your name. [...]
Well, old boy, Reading Week just finished, and I say it’s high time we properly honoured you. For staying open all night, for helping us cobble together last-minute papers, for just always being there. What would you like − should we erect a statue for you? Create a stat holiday for you? Or maybe we could just write a book about you? Only if you promise to keep it safe."
[Read more]
February 22, 2017
Botany event at U of T shows off Canadian artist's flower power (CBC)
"In the 1860s, Agnes Fitzgibbon blossomed into a pioneering artist known for her plant paintings.
'She defined a way of depicting Canadian flora,' said Calgary-based botanical artist Linda LeGeyt.
A selection of 10 of Fitzgibbon's pieces, freshly picked from the iconic guidebook Canadian Wild Flowers, was ogled at by contemporary botany artists during a presentation at the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library on Tuesday.
LeGeyt incorporated Fitzgibbon's work in her lecture called 'Where Art Meets Science: Traditions in Canadian Botanical Art.'"
[Read more]
February 21, 2017
Excitement Grows as Kelly Library Conservation Studio Opening Nears (Spotlight)
"For over two years, librarians, archivists, and conservators at the Kelly Library at St. Mike’s have had an ongoing discussion about the prospect of a conservation studio being added to the library. Chief Librarian Sheril Hook took the lead on the project, and on February 28, the years of talking and planning will pay off with the opening of the new studio.
The conservation studio will be the biggest of its kind at the University of Toronto, and will be a resource for the entire school as well as the greater community. Jessica Barr, University Archivist for St. Mike’s, says that her primary hopes for the project are increasing the use of the library’s materials while also making them more accessible to non-specialists. Barr chaired a committee that developed an exhibition about conservation, 'Preserving our Collections,' which will open the evening of the studio launch.
Not only will new equipment and facilities enable library workers to repair the sorts of accreted damage that naturally result from “wear and tear for 500 year old books,” but community members will have a place to go with questions about how to preserve antique photo albums, keepsake documents, and printed family heirlooms such as old Bibles or marriage licenses."
[Read more]
February 17, 2017
Rare Books Library gets exterior makeover (Metro)
"A Toronto building that’s home to some of the world’s rarest and oldest books is undergoing a major renovation.
The project at the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library will address a wintertime problem where condensation – a threat to fragile yet valuable books – forms inside the concrete walls. [...]
Six students from the Engineering Strategies and Practices class were assigned to the project, and came up with a proposal that would fix the issues without moving the books. For the entire renovation process, workers are using preformed concrete casings reflecting the original material."
[Read more]
February 16, 2017
How six undergrads saved U of T’s rare books (Toronto Star)
"The library consulted numerous architecture firms and was told the same thing again and again: construction had to be done in the interior. This would require the books, some of which are in fragile condition, to be moved and the library to be temporarily closed.
Desperate for a different solution, John Toyonaga, manager of the Bindery for the library, saw an ad for a first year problem-solving engineering class and decided to throw the library’s problem into the mix.
'I figured we’ve got nothing to lose and it’s a win-win situation, let’s see what they can come up with,' he said."
[Read more]
February 10, 2017
Saving the stacks: First-year Engineering students inspire retrofit for Fisher Rare Book Library (U of T Engineering News)
"As a first-year student in U of T Engineering, Jennifer (Yewon) Son never imagined that she and her classmates would come to the rescue of hundreds of thousands of priceless works of literature.
“We came up with some crazy plans, and then tried to make them implementable,” remembers Son. “To think that something we did as first-year students is actually being put into action — I was amazed.”
Son is one of six students who designed a way to prevent rising humidity levels in the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library for a first-year assignment in 2014. Now, three years later, retrofits to the library inspired by that assignment are underway."
[Read more]
February 7, 2017
Students Focusing on Trump's Laws (CTV Toronto)
On Saturday Feb 4, students at the Faculty of Law participated in a National Research-a-thon to research the legal issues related to the recent travel bans in the United States and their Canadian impact.
Bora Laskin Law Library staff answered reference questions, created research guides, and arranged for a special trial of an immigration law database to assist the students on Saturday.
"It's not your typical study session at the library. These U of T students are coordinating research efforts with law schools nationwide in response to Trump's Travel Ban."
[Watch video]
January 20, 2017
U of T researcher's book on Soviet-era dissidents can shed light on Trump's populism (U of T News)
"There are important parallels between a Soviet-era dissident movement and the modern digital culture that helped Donald Trump gain power, says Associate Professor Ann Komaromi of the Centre for Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Arts & Science. [...]
Komaromi has helped create a U of T digital archive that includes rare samples of some original manuscripts and art from samizdat novels, much of it typed on fine onion paper with graphics painstakingly crafted by hand. Although not as well known in the West as celebrated authors such as Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Andrei Sakharov, the best of the samizdat writers were popular and influential in the Soviet Union between the late 1950s through to the late 1980s."
[Read more]
February 6, 2017
How 18-year-old engineering students saved U of T's rarest books (CBC News)
"The team at Fisher spoke with architecture firms and were told each time they'd have to move the books to accomplish a fix.
Not relishing a solution that would move delicate books from their regulated environment and shut down the library for an extended period, they turned to an engineering class.
It was [engineering student, Yewon] Son, along with five of her classmates, who came up a solution: instead of doing internal repairs, they suggested coating the outer walls with foam to prevent moisture from seeping in."
[Read more]
February 6, 2017
Fisher reno on CBC Metro Morning (CBC)
Listen to Matt Galloway interview Yewon Son, one of the engineering students responsible for helping to come up with the renovation solution.
[Listen to the clip here - note: not available on mobile devices]
January 25, 2017
U of T researchers on need to preserve data, evidence, timelines as U.S. government sites overhauled (U of T News)
"How much existing data is at risk of disappearing is unclear but Murphy, U of T instructor Matt Price, Assistant Professor Patrick Keilty from the Faculty of Information, and Sam-chin Li, U of T’s government publications and reference librarian, are trying to preserve U.S. environmental data before it’s too late.
Their effort is part of the Internet Archive’s End of Term 2016 project, the goal of which is to scrape federal websites of data and archive that data during this change of power. The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library based in San Francisco that hosts the Way Back Machine."
[Read more]
January 24, 2017
U of T joins global Biodiversity Heritage Library to digitize, archive science literature (U of T News)
"University of Toronto Libraries is the newest and only Canadian member of the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), a massive digitization project that provides free online access to scientific literature from prestigious institutions all over the world.
Members include the Smithsonian, Harvard University and London’s Natural History Museum.
'We're really thrilled to be partnering with Biodiversity Heritage Library and all the other institutions that are part of it,' says Neil Romanosky, U of T Libraries’ associate chief librarian for science research and information."
[Read more]
January 18, 2017
Margaret Atwood brings her prescient tales to the small screen (Globe and Mail)
"Margaret Atwood has attended countless book-world events during her literary career, but last week she brought her star power to a fête for the film world – the annual gala of the Toronto Film Critics Association. The reason: Two of her most acclaimed novels, The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace, will soon appear as TV miniseries. Both will have their premieres this year after being filmed in Toronto. And each will include Atwood in a cameo role.
Atwood's official job at the gala was to present the award for best first feature to director Robert Eggers, who won for The Witch. She was accompanied by writer Rebecca Mead, who had flown to Toronto from New York to spend time with Atwood for a profile to be published in the New Yorker in April. Together, they had walked around the city, including a visit to the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library to examine Atwood's manuscript for The Handmaid's Tale."
[Read more]
Video: Extreme measures to protect some of the world’s rarest books (City News)
January 18, 2017
"Purple and yellow spray foam has been applied to exterior of Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at U of T to protect more than 800,000 rare books contained within"
[Watch video]
McLuhan on Campus Exhibit Featured on Salt + Light Television (USMC News)
January 12, 2017
"On a recent episode of Catholic Focus, Salt + Light Television featured the McLuhan on Campus: Local Inspirations, Global Visions exhibit in the John M. Kelly Library. Host Deacon Pedro Guevara Mann spoke with Kelly Library Archivist Simon Rogers as well as Michael McLuhan, son of St. Mike’s very own Marshall McLuhan about both the exhibit and the man behind it."
[Read more]
How to spot fake news (Breakfast Television)
January 12, 2017
"University of Toronto Librarian, Heather Buchansky, tells us what to look out for when spotting fake news."
[Watch segment]
Undead or unexplained? Photos, books on the paranormal at U of T's Fisher Library (U of T News)
January 12, 2017
"University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is celebrating our fascination with otherworldly beings in an exhibit called 'Investigating the Paranormal,' on display until the end of January.
Curated by Fisher librarian Chris Young and archivist Natalya Rattan, the display draws from a collection of more than 1,500 items from the 18th century until today. The collection was donated by U of T alumnus Adam Crabtree, a former Catholic priest who has been interested for awhile in paranormal experiences.
The collection, which also available online, includes illustrated books, fictional pieces, journals and important literature pertaining to psychical research, which is the study of the paranormal."
[Read more]
'Unexpectedly beautiful' angling and fishing collection at U of T's Fisher Library (U of T News)
January 4, 2017
"Fisher has just received one of the largest collections on fishing and angling in Canada – a total of 1,145 items including books, pamphlets and catalogues from the 16th to 20th centuries, given to the library by an anonymous donor.
'[The donor] gave it to us because of Fisher's reputation,' says Loryl MacDonald, archivist and director of the Fisher Library. '[The donor] decided to remain anonymous because his or her concern was not about promoting himself or herself but rather promoting the wonderful collection and the content.'
The collection has been certified as Canadian Cultural Property due to its aesthetic qualities, research value and uniqueness. Items in the collection, like a tiny fishing manual from the United Kingdom, were once considered mundane and practical but now provide fascinating insight into life hundreds of years ago."
[Read more]
How Building Design Can Make Collaboration Easier (UofT Magazine)
Winter 2017
"The Jackman Law Building, which opened last fall and has received almost $35 million in support from more than 600 alumni, gives students plenty of opportunities to meet and work together. Gian Medves, the interim chief law librarian at the Bora Laskin Law Library, notes that the library has 11 new group study rooms, all with views of the city and plenty of natural light. Because students often spend a lot of time in these rooms, they appreciate the aesthetic design elements, as well as the functional ones, says Stephanie Lewis, a second-year student. 'One room has windows onto Philosopher’s Walk,' she observes. 'Even if you’re there late, you can see the sun set.' Lewis also likes that several of the rooms have a whiteboard, which makes collaborating easier – especially for visual learners like her."
[Read more]
Arctic amusements (The Annex Gleaner)
December 20, 2016
"Captain Owen Stanley (1811-1850) painted this watercolour based on drawings he made while on Sir George Back’s Arctic expedition in 1836 and 1837. He served on the HMS Terror, which almost a decade later would be lost after returning to the Arctic for the Franklin Expedition. Stanley was not part of the ill-fated voyage, having moved on to command his own ships and sail to New Zealand and Australia. The HMS Terror was found in September by the Arctic Research Foundation. The drawings are part of the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library.
The Gleaner wishes to thank Loryl MacDonald and Maureen Morin from the University of Toronto libraries for their help in creating this year’s cover photo."
[Read more]
HMS Terror found on greeting cards (The Annex Gleaner)
December 20, 2016
"You may know that a maritime mystery was solved this September when Arctic researchers found the HMS Terror, one half of the Franklin Expedition that had set out to seek the Northwest Passage in 1845. Her sister ship, the HMS Erebus, had been found by the same team last year.
What you may not know is that it has an Annex connection.
A naval officer and surveyor named Captain Owen Stanley had served on the Terror when it sailed to the Arctic in 1837-38. Stanley kept a daily diary and made sketches depicting the activities of the ship, later using them to create original watercolour paintings. That diary, those sketches, and the resulting watercolours are to be found in the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library."
[Read more]
Startups in the library: supporting campus entrepreneurs (Inside OCULA)
December 1, 2016
Gerstein's Entrepreneurship Librarian, Carey Toane was featured in the December issue of Inside OCULA:
"While academic librarians have supported campus startups and entrepreneurs since before the dotcom boom, the title Entrepreneurship Librarian is a relatively new one. When I started in that role at University of Toronto Library’s (UTL) St. George Campus, I was given a lot of freedom to define the role as I saw fit. I started by reaching out to the growing network of campus-linked accelerators formalized under the campus entrepreneurship office.
My approach is based on my experience as a business librarian and a former marketing journalist. What startups want most from the library is market research, regardless of their technology or subject area of expertise, and it’s my job to help them find it. This is done through supporting new venture creation courses as well as through open resources and workshops on a range of topics including campus orientation for startups, market sizing, primary research tools and strategies."
[Read more]
Thomas Fisher Finds Terror: Rare books greeting cards feature HMS Terror Drawings (The Annex Gleaner)
December 2016
When the HMS Terror was discovered earlier this year, it was also discovered that the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library was in possession of a diary belonging to Captain Owen Stanley, who had served on the Terror from 1837-38. UTL graphic designer, Maureen Morin explains: "When the wreck of the Terror was located in 2016, we thought it fitting to use that image as well as 'Arctic Amusements' for the holiday cards we sell."
[Available in print copies. The HMS Terror drawing is featured on the front page of the paper, with an accompanying story on page 11]
U of T preserving environmental data ahead of Donald Trump presidency (Toronto Star)
December 14, 2016
"On Saturday, the university is hosting a 'guerilla archiving' event to identify programs and data made publicly accessible by the Environmental Protection Agency for archiving.
'The Trump transition team has been very explicit in its desire to cut particular environmental governance programs and have taken anti-science or non-evidence based approaches to their vision of environmental and climate regulation,' said Michelle Murphy, director of U of T’s Technoscience Research Unit and one of the event’s organizers. 'We’re taking seriously those statements.' [...]
In 2013, the Canadian government under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced plans to consolidate 1,500 government websites into one, a process that U of T librarian Sam-chin Li said would eliminate 60 per cent of online content.
She and other academic librarians crowdsourced important web pages to be preserved online through the Internet Archive."
[Read more]
U of T heads 'guerrilla archiving event' to preserve climate data ahead of Trump presidency (CBC News)
December 14, 2016
"On Saturday, the University of Toronto, together with the University of Pennsylvania, is hosting what it calls a 'guerrilla archiving event' to preserve any climate and environmental data before Trump takes office. It takes place at the Faculty of Information and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event coincides with the Internet Archive's End of Term 2016, a project that aims to preserve federal government information found on the internet at the end of each presidential term."
[Read more]
Bathsheba Everdene and more iconic Thomas Hardy characters at U of T’s Fisher Library (U of T News)
December 13, 2016
"The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is celebrating one of the most important writers in the history of English literature with an exhibition called 'Moments of vision: the life and work of Thomas Hardy.'
The exhibition is thanks to a generous donation from University Professor Emeritus of English Michael Millgate of the Faculty of Arts & Science, who studied Hardy for nearly 50 years. He donated his massive collection out of a desire to share his love of Hardy with the U of T community, and his respect for the Fisher library."
[Read more]
Trouble spotting fake news? UofT librarians have you covered (Metro)
November 30, 2016
"Librarians Heather Buchansky and Eveline Houtman have developed a simple guide to help students – and the public – figure out whether the news they’re reading is the genuine article.
Buchansky recommends looking at the domain name. When sites end in unusual ways, such as ".com.co," it's a clue they may be fake.
When in doubt there are a few handy websites that can help verify stories and sources, such as: FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, and Snopes."
[Read more]
How do you spot bogus news? Ask U of T Libraries (U of T News)
November 29, 2016
"The guide to spotting fake news was published Friday and has gotten positive reactions, said Buchansky, the university’s student engagement librarian.
Jeffrey Dvorkin, director of the journalism program at U of T Scarborough and former managing editor at CBC Radio, says that even if students are highly media literate these days, they can still make mistakes like everybody else.
In a turbulent period and with a tidal wave of information online, readers can be overwhelmed, he continued. 'And when they’re overwhelmed, they retreat to the parts of the Internet that reflect their own concerns and biases.'
He added that media and universities have 'an obligation to help sort out what is reliable information and what is not. Because without that kind of awareness, there's a lot at stake.'"
[Read more]
Bring food to University of Toronto libraries this week, students told (InsideToronto)
November 21, 2016
"People get $2 in fines waived for each non-perishable food item they bring to libraries on all three U of T campuses, to a $20 maximum.
Last year, librarians forgave a total of $2,594.75, which means about 1,400 students participated in some way, Larysa Woloszansky, a university media relations officer, said Friday.
That amount of fines could buy, for example, 2,621 cans of tuna, 3,370 cans of chick peas or 3,243 jars of baby food."
[Read more]
Student learns importance of punctuality after returning library book 10 years late (Metro)
November 29, 2016
"English student Joe Howell left his studies for a full-time job in 2009, forgetting about a copy of Oscar Wilde’s plays he checked out in 2006. He’s since taken occasional courses, but forgot about the book tucked away in his apartment.
But on a recent visit to Robarts Library, staff told Howell he’d accrued more than $2,000 in late fees.
“I was hoping that like Oscar Wilde, they were making some sort of joke,” said Howell.
Luckily, the university dropped the fee down to a $50 restocking fee. The book itself, The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays, sells for $15."
[Read more]
U of T Libraries to forgive some overdue fines for canned goods donations (U of T News)
November 22, 2016
"Until Friday, University of Toronto libraries will forgive $2 of overdue fines for each nonperishable food item donated, waiving up to $20 per person. The donations are sent to the U of T Food and Clothing Bank, a year-round campus resource for students run out of the Multi-Faith Centre.
U of T libraries have participated in the Food for Fines charity drive since 2012. Last year alone, U of T Libraries waived nearly $2,600 of late fees. Students can drop off food at library branches across all three campuses. [...]
Across the country, more Canadians are relying on food banks. More than 863,000 people turned to a food bank in March of last year, a 1.3 per cent increase over March 2015 and a 28 per cent increase since 2008, according to a Food Banks Canada report."
[Read more]
A look inside U of T’s massive archive of Leonard Cohen poems, letters and pictures (Toronto Life)
November 22, 2016
"Cohen tried to respond to every piece of fan mail personally, but couldn’t keep up. 'His fan mail is extensive, encompassing every possible type of person,' Toews says. 'I always found it interesting to discover who his fans were. For example, the archivist for Nelson Mandela was visiting Toronto and came to see the Leonard Cohen papers—turns out he is a big fan.' One correspondence in the collection is between Cohen and a five-year-old girl who had heard his music in gymnastics class—she ends the letter with her age, so when Cohen wrote back, he did the same."
[Read more]
The shadow of an artist: Cohen leaves legacy behind at Thomas Fisher Library (The Medium)
November 21, 2016
"Cohen’s handwritten notes and early manuscripts were among the most humbling pieces in the collection. One double-sided page includes Cohen’s first draft for a piece of writing, according to the label on the folder. Yet, I couldn’t decipher Cohen’s illegible scrawl. I imagined him writing the words down in a frenzy, trying to record his ideas before the thought had passed.
I also discovered sketches that Cohen had drawn in pen. Some were self-portraits, while others depicted the faces of women, most likely his partners. The boxes also contained black-and-white photographs of Cohen among family and friends. One image depicts Cohen standing on a dock in Hydra, smiling with his hands in his pockets."
[Read more]
Leonard Cohen archives live on at U of T library (Toronto Star)
November 16, 2016
"The first batch came to U of T in the early 1960s when Cohen was about 26. After being turned down by McGill, as the story goes, Cohen, through his book dealer, sold some of his earliest papers to U of T, according to [Jennifer] Toews. Impressed by how he was treated, Cohen continued to donate his archives freely to the university throughout his life.
Many of Cohen’s earliest ideas are 'prophetic,' said Toews.
'He has a certain vision, I have to say,' she said. 'He writes something about an American president, in the future, who is African-American and wears Brooks Brothers clothes and stuff, and I thought ‘Wow, that sounds like Obama’ and this was in the early 1960s that he wrote that. He’s a brilliant man, in all kinds of ways.'"
[Read more]
Radio interview with Jennifer Toews of U of T Libraries (CBC's Here & Now)
November 11, 2016
Jennifer Toews of the Fisher Library talks about U of T's collection of Leonard Cohen's masterpieces dating back to when he was still 19 years old.
“It’s quite a rich archive. It includes drafts of many of his books, such as Let Us Compare Mythologies, Beautiful Losers, Favourite Game, Spice Box of Earth. And there’s lots of correspondence, including fanmail, correspondence with Irving Layton. There are drafts of scripts and other material that he was writing with Layton because they were very close. There are photographs, all sorts of things.”
“He’s still there. He feels still alive there in the archive.”
[Listen here - clip does not play on mobile]
A legend dies: U of T's Fisher Library is home to nearly 100 boxes of Leonard Cohen's letters, manuscripts (U of T News)
November 11, 2016
“'U of T’s been very kind to me over the years – and when I really needed it. They bought manuscripts when I was about 25 years old – and they did that twice – so I feel very grateful to the university and to the library,' said Cohen, then 71, in an interview to U of T Magazine.
The boxes trace his life from the beginning as a struggling writer to his iconic status as a singer-songwriter. There's drafts of his poetry and other writing, correspondence, fan mail, gifts and tributes from fans, photographs and personal material.
When Cohen was asked if there is anyone who he particularly envisioned looking through the materials, he told U of T Magazine, 'Oh, any kind person. Anyone with the capacity to forgive.'"
[Read more]
There's a Leonard Cohen tribute in Toronto this weekend (blogTO)
November 11, 2016
"In what is sure to be the first in a series of Leonard Cohen related events (hi Choir! Choir! Choir!), TIFF is screening the 1965 film by Don Owen and Donald Brittain - Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen at the Lightbox on November 12. [...]
If you need more Leonard in your life right now, U of T's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has an impressive archive of Cohen's work dating back to when he was just 19 years old. There are manuscripts, letters, correspondences and mail. There's also a sealed box of letters in the collection that Cohen directed be opened only after his death."
[Read more]
Just My Type (UofT Magazine)
November 7, 2016
"Type Books, an independent bookstore with two Toronto locations, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, defying the odds stacked against indie stores in a big-box retail world. Co-owners Joanne Saul (PhD 2000) and Samara Walbohm (MA 1995, PhD 2004) dreamed up the idea for the store while they were doctoral students of Canadian literature at U of T. These days, instead of researching and writing about icons such as Margaret Atwood (BA 1961 Victoria) and Michael Ondaatje (BA 1965 UC), they mingle with them at Type Books’ many community events.
How did the idea of owning a bookstore come about?
Joanne: As English PhD students, Samara and I spent a lot of hours in our carrels in the Robarts Library stacks, imagining alternatives to an academic career path. It was at a time when many neighbourhood bookstores were closing, and we were feeling that loss quite deeply. It was more of a fantasy – what would our perfect bookstore be? Where would it be? What would it look like? We talked a lot about community, because that’s what we felt was being lost, and how the bookstore could be a community hub where people would hang out, buy books and share stories."
[Read more]
Free museum passes for U of T students (UofT News)
November 1, 2016
"The pass is good for free admission for two to the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Bata Shoe Museum, City of Toronto Historic Sites or the Textile Museum of Canada.
'Students are on a budget,' said Julie Hannaford, U of T’s deputy chief librarian. 'Some are coming to a brand new city and that can be pretty overwhelming. With the pass, they can access art and culture in the city for free, and this is a great way to learn about the city.'
And a little time spent gazing at art might even be good for students' health. (Read about the U of T Mississauga researcher exploring the health impact of positive emotions, including the awe we feel in the presence of great art.)
It’s all part of an effort to drive more university students to the Toronto Public Libraries."
[Read more]
New Initiatives: Partnering with UBC’s Digital Tattoo Project (Informed. U of T Faculty of Information Alumni Magazine)
October 27, 2016
"Earlier this year, on behalf of the Faculty of Information and University of Toronto Libraries, Kathleen Scheaffer, Inforum Librarian, established a partnership with University of British Columbia (UBC)’s Digital Tattoo, a digital identity literacy initiative that encourages critical thinking of online consumption and production choices" [...]
“'Building this partnership has afforded iSchool students with an opportunity to cross-institutionally collaborate and contribute to the crucial and evolving digital identity conversation,' Kathleen explains. 'By engaging in identity, privacy, and security research, students grasp the importance of critical assessment regarding their online activities.' She adds that most Digital Tattoo content is student-generated. This facilitates dialogues with the universities’ largest communities on campus—undergrads and graduate students.
Since 2008, Digital Tattoo has encouraged critical thinking, and fostered discussions and explorations of how online consumption and production choices positively and/or negatively impact one’s digital identity. Digital Tattoo’s resources, structure, and approach are unique. It is the only Canadian university digital identity literacy initiative, in which students write, create, and develop the majority of the content and themes found on the website, as well as the reusable online teaching and learning materials, self-assessments, videos, blog, and social media posts."
[Read more]
Hit the books with personal librarian (Toronto Sun / 24 Hours)
October 24, 2016
"Helping students understand the resources and services available at their campus library is among the reasons why University of Toronto established a personal librarian program. 'We wanted to educate first-year students on information literacy — the term we use to cover things like where to find scholarly sources and how to cite,” says student engagement librarian Heather Buchansky.'"
[Read more]
U of T program wants to reduce costs for student course-packs (Metro)
October 21, 2016
"The cost of textbooks and course packs, which include material from academic journals and books, can be a huge expense on top of tuition.
According to the province, undergraduate students should budget an average of $1,000 a year for course materials, and students in specialized programs such as medicine, architecture, and dentistry should plan on paying even more.
Gayle McFadden, Ontario national executive representative with the Canadian Federation of Students, said UofT’s method is one other colleges and universities could learn from."
[Read more]
Top 10 reasons why you belong at OISE (OISE Viewbook 2017 / 2018)
October 19, 2016
The OISE Library has been included twice (#6 and #9) in the Top 10 list of reasons why students might want to study at OISE:
#6: "The OISE Library – Canada’s Largest Education Library: The OISE Library is the largest and most comprehensive education library in Canada. The library includes more than 2,000 education journals, curriculum resources, textbooks and films, as well as specialized collections in modern language education, women's education and the history of education in Ontario."
#9: "Personal Librarian: As a new graduate student, you are matched with a librarian who provides you with personalized research advice, whether you are writing your first research paper or preparing to embark on dissertation research."
[Read more]
An ancient text gets new life (Canadian Jewish News)
October 13, 2016
"It took one year and some 200 hours of meticulous work, precision and patience to bring to light the words of Akedat Yitshak (The Binding of Isaac), a book from the famous Jacob M. Lowy Collection at Library and Archives Canada (LAC).
First published in Salonika in 1522, the edition before the LAC’s Preservation Centre in Gatineau, Que., was printed, according to some sources, in Venice, in 1546 or 1547. Authored by the prominent Spanish rabbi Isaac ben Moses Arama, who was expelled by the Inquisition and died in Naples in 1494, the book is a lengthy philosophical and allegorical commentary on the Pentateuch written in the form of 105 “portals,” or sermons.
It’s considered a classical work that unites philosophy and Jewish homiletics. 'It is very sophisticated in its approach, drawing heavily on Aristotelian philosophy,' said Barry Walfish, the Judaica specialist at University of Toronto Libraries. 'It is difficult and quite wordy, but it was a significant and influential work in its time.'"
[Read more]
Architectural historian revels in the fourth dimension of buildings — sound (Arts & Science News)
October 13, 2016
Joseph Clarke, architect, historian, and assistant professor in the Department of the History of Art at U of T's Faculty of Arts & Science is fascinated by the relationship between buildings and sound. Clarke shared some of his insights in an interview with Arts & Science News:
"Architects and architectural historians are typically taught to focus on the visible characteristics of buildings. But sound can affect the occupants of a building on an especially visceral level. If you spend an hour in a room with no echo or reflections of sound, you may have so much difficulty orienting yourself in the space that you’ll experience dizziness, nausea, and even hallucinations!
'Good acoustics' is not a universal criterion. The way people perceive the sound of space has shifted dramatically over time. It can also be a political issue, especially in public spaces, where it often determines whose voices can be heard and by whom. Plato is said to have limited the size of his republic to the number of people who could listen to an orator without amplification. During the French Revolution, there were designs for amplification devices to broadcast the voices of political speakers to an audience of thousands. So the spatial behaviour of sound is not just a technical problem to be solved, but an important issue for cultural history as well."
[Read more]
More than just architecture (The Strand)
October 5, 2016
"One of the main reasons I decided to attend the University of Toronto, besides the evident prestige, was its incredible architecture and how much it inspired me to learn. In fact, I fell head over heels the very first time I saw the Victorian style architecture at Victoria College. The buildings greatly resembled many of the historic buildings in London, England and of course for all the Harry Potter fans out there, it looked just like Hogwarts. Not only did the beauty I was surrounded by make travelling in between classes on campus more enjoyable, it also made me look forward to coming to school despite the long commutes I experienced on a daily basis. There is just something about architecture; the way that it reflects history, art, and culture that creates an energetic atmosphere for those around it."
[Read more]
Copyright back in the spotlight with several impending decisions (University Affairs)
September 21, 2016
"Canada could see changes to its copyright landscape in light of upcoming legal and policy decisions. On the legal front, all eyes are on the impending ruling in the lawsuit brought against York University by Access Copyright, an organization that collects and distributes royalty fees on behalf of authors and publishers. Alongside the lawsuit, there is a long-standing debate around copyright tariffs that has yet to be resolved. On top of that, the federal government will be reviewing Canada’s Copyright Act starting sometime in 2017. Amendments to the Act in 2012 mandated that a review take place every five years, so this will be the first such review.
In June, closing arguments were heard in the civil lawsuit against York. The case will serve as a landmark test of fair dealing for education purposes that could have wide-reaching implications for Canada’s educational institutions and copyright collectives. The lawsuit has been split into two parts. The first deals with whether copies made within York’s fair dealing guidelines – also used by many other universities across Canada – constitute fair dealing under the Copyright Act, and whether copying practices at York were subject to a tariff from 2011 to 2013. Depending on the outcome, a second phase would look into more specific issues such as any amounts owed. A decision from the Federal Court could come in the next several months, though the ruling could also be appealed."
[Read more]
Profile: Debbie Green - Head of Reference & Research Services, Robarts Library (U of T Urban Studies Newsletter)
October 3, 2016
"I’m a librarian who manages the Robarts Reference and Research Services Department. We are responsible for library and research support for students and faculty. So we provide assistance to people like you -- from simple things like helping you find a book on the shelf, helping you use a citation system to create bibliographies for your essays, right up to helping you create a great data visualization to use in an assignment. Our goal is to help U of T students and faculty produce the research that they possibly can."
[Read more]
U of T library acquires a 500-year-old classic (Metro)
September 25, 2016
"William Caxton, who established the first printing press in England, translated The Golden Legend to English, and one of his students printed his version after his death. That’s the version now available at U of T.
Like all of the Rare Book Library’s works, it’s available for the public to read, and even touch, with their bare hands. Its pages, which total about 800, are made of rag, more durable than modern paper made from wood pulp.
The university acquired The Golden Legend two weeks ago after [Medieval manuscript and early books librarian, P.J.] Carefoote saw it listed in a catalogue by a rare-books dealer. He made a move for it that day, knowing it wouldn’t be on the market very long because of how quickly early English texts are typically swept up."
U of T library acquires a 500-year-old classic (Toronto Star)
September 24, 2016
"For [P.J.] Carefoote, medieval manuscripts and early books librarian at U of T’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, purchasing a 1507 copy of The Golden Legend is a significant milestone for the university.
Considered more popular than even the Bible at one point during the Middle Ages, the book blends fact and fiction in telling the stories of saints’ lives.
'People loved them because they were good stories,' Carefoote said. 'The text itself is interesting, but for us I think what is important is the fact it’s an early instance of English printing.'"
[Read more]
U of T library project takes the cost burden out of course packs (U of T News)
September 22, 2016
University of Toronto students have been spared the cost of course packs, and will be able to access their readings online thanks to the new zero-to-low cost course (ZTLCC) project.
"The project connects professors with librarians to find ways of sourcing course material digitally.
'Students were paying exorbitant prices for these course packs for things that were already available for free,' says Graeme Slaght, copyright outreach librarian at U of T libraries’ scholarly communications and copyright office.
The program, run by the copyright office, is estimated to have saved students over $400,000 since 2015."
[Read more]
"The Oldest Profession in Canada”: Students in Laurie Bertram’s class explore a history that’s often hidden (U of T Magazine)
September 21, 2016
"Students are exploring the impact of the world’s oldest profession in Prof. Laurie Bertram’s seminar on sex work in Canadian history. Through research in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, students examine a history that is often hidden from descriptions of 19th and 20th century Canadian society. Her seminar encourages students to think critically about the differences between stereotypes and the more diverse lived realities of those involved in the sex trade.
Students work on a digital map that illuminates the history of the sex trade in Toronto in the late 19th century. Each student researches the life of one sex worker who appears in police records – adding a human face and story to this often hidden history. “This course is really about honouring the history of the sex workers in Canada,” says Bertram. “And when we honour that, I think we also honour their present and future.”
[Read more]
U of T's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library now has one of Canada's oldest printed books in English (U of T News)
September 20, 2016
"U of T’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has acquired a 1507 copy of The Golden Legend, making it the oldest book printed in English at the library and one of the oldest books in English in Canada."
"The book has original woodcuts in it by England’s first printer, William Caxton, considered the Johannes Gutenberg of England, and it shows signs of censorship from the Reformation period. The word “pope” has been marked out throughout the book and a giant “X” at one time blocked out an entire section on Thomas Becket, the murdered Archbishop of Canterbury.
'That’s one of the wonderful things about censorship, says P.J. Carefoote, Fisher’s early books librarian who specializes in Medieval manuscripts and books. “It’s futile. It just makes someone want to see what’s there.'"
[Read more]
University of Toronto is making an effort to help Indigenous students tackle their studies (APTN)
September 20, 2016
Watch the clip of Julie Blair, 4th year Indigenous Studies major, and and UTL Outreach Librarian, Desmond Wong featured in a segment on APTN News about the U of T's response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
[Watch here]
Journal from recently rediscovered HMS Terror kept at Rare Book Library (The Varsity)
September 19, 2016
"Lieutenant Owen Stanley of the British Royal Navy kept a journal detailing his personal experiences on HMS Terror. The journal has been housed at the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library since 1971.
Stanley was the surveyor on the HMS Terror on an 1836 expedition, nine years before the Northwest passage expedition. A book of his watercolours from the voyage is also kept at the Rare Book Library.
In his journal, Stanley recounts the crew’s experience of becoming stuck in ice in the Arctic, where the ship remained for 10 months before breaking free. He is very detailed in his accounts of those 10 months and how the crew survived, not knowing if they would ever return to England."
[Read more]
Meet U of T Engineering’s new head librarian (U of T Engineering News)
September 19, 2016
"Mindy Thuna is the new head of the recently renovated Engineering & Computer Science Library. Located on the second floor of the Sandford Fleming Building, the library is a key research tool for students and faculty, with a print collection of 200,000 books and 1,200 current journal subscriptions.
Thuna joins U of T Engineering from the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) where she spent 11 years as a science librarian."
When asked by writer Tyler Irving why she chose U of T Engineering, Thuna said:
"At UTM I worked with researchers in eleven different disciplines. What I like about engineering is how it combines knowledge from so many different areas to solve problems. There is a nice mix of the theoretical and the practical, of so-called pure and applied research."
[Read more]
Franklin Expedition's HMS Terror has been found (CTV News)
September 12, 2016
"The second ship from Sir John Franklin's doomed 19th-century search for the Northwest Passage has been located -- right where an Inuit hunter said it would be. 'The ship is in remarkable condition,' Adrian Schimnowski of the Arctic Research Foundation, one of the groups involved in the search, said Monday from the research ship that located the HMS Terror."
Follow the link below for more information, and to see the Fisher's PJ Carefoote on CTV News.
[Read more]
Indigenizing Campus (CBC World This Weekend)
September 4, 2016
OISE's collection of resources on Indigenous culture and history for both teachers in training and their students was recently featured on CBC News. UTL's new outreach librarian Desmond Wong was also on hand to speak about building strong collections, community relations and making UTL more welcoming for Indigenous students.
[listen here]
The Six, with Eric Beck Rubin (24 Hour News Toronto)
August 26, 2016
Each week 24 Hour News asks Torontonians or tourists to list their six favourite places in the city. This week's writer, a cultural historian, listed the Fisher.
"In every regard, the opposite of The Phoenix. Book geeks, make a pilgrimage to the eagle-shaped building in front of Robarts Library, at U of T. You enter halfway up the building and once inside it’s like you’re on the hushed, floating bridge of a starship, surrounded by vaults of rare books."
[Read more]
Celebrate Waffle Day, with another look at yummy waffle slabs (TreeHugger)
August 25, 2016
"In Sweden, they celebrate Våffeldagen or Waffle Day on March 25; In America, we waffle a bit and celebrate Waffle Day on August 24, the day the patent on the waffle iron was issued. That's two opportunities to celebrate the tasty waffle slab, a form of construction that used to be popular but has fallen out of flavor or favor or whatever.
Which is a shame; we are not usually fond of concrete because of its carbon footprint, but waffle slabs let designers get much larger spans with less material. They also look so nice as architectural elements that they are left exposed instead of getting covered up with drywall- the structure is the finish. We have covered tasty waffles that I have known here, but there are some others worth looking at. I have been criticized for not mentioning some other very famous waffles"..."A number of readers berated me for not including Toronto's Robarts Library in the list; I am a fan of this building and have written about it before, but had forgotten about its waffle slabs."
[Read more]
U of T hires librarian to work with Indigenous students (U of T News)
August 23, 2016
"The University of Toronto has hired a new librarian to work one-on-one with Indigenous students and to help grow the university’s Indigenous collection as part of U of T's commitment to the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
While universities have librarians specializing in indigenous initiatives or ready to connect indigenous students to available resources, U of T’s latest outreach librarian, Desmond Wong, is unique in many ways."
[Read more]
University of Toronto hires new librarian to focus on Indigenous Issues (Metro News)
August 23, 2016
"Students at the University of Toronto will soon be able to check out more indigenous books and other materials from the school’s library.
U of T recently hired Desmond Wong as its first librarian to specialize in indigenous issues. He’ll work to grow the volume of indigenous material in the library’s collection."
[Read more]
The top 33 iconic buildings in Toronto by neighbourhood (Blog TO)
August 21, 2016
"The most iconic buildings in Toronto are not necessarily the oldest or the most architecturally significant, but instead the ones that we immediately conjure when we call to mind an image a of certain neighbourhood or part of the city. These are the buildings that frame Toronto's psychogeography, and exist as touchstones that help us to navigate the place we call home.
The Annex is home to plenty of lovely bay-and-gable homes, but the building that garners the most attention and discussion is surely Robarts Library. Built in 1973, the Brutalist giant is one of the most recognizable buildings in the city."
[Read more]
Behind one Toronto library's seedy initiative with a lot of growth potential (Metro News)
August 19, 2016
"There’s a card catalogue at the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library that does more than help people look for books. Instead, what people find inside can one day turn into everything from beans to watermelons.
It’s one branch of the Toronto Seed Library, where people can “borrow” seeds through a program aimed at bringing gardening to people who might not otherwise be able to dig in."
[Read more]
A 'Moral Imperative' to Recover a Lost Art Legacy (The New York Times)
August 18, 2016
"Photos, prints and descriptions exist of many more paintings that have yet to be tracked down. In 1993, Sotheby’s sold Mr. Rynecki’s scene of a crowded cafe and his portrait of an accordion player. (The paintings, offered as a pair, brought $1,700.) It’s unclear where they are now. A batch of photos of Mr. Rynecki’s work is filed at the University of Toronto, in the papers of Otto Schneid, a Polish art historian who knew Mr. Rynecki and researched his career. In the 1930s, Mr. Schneid completed a dictionary of 20th-century Jewish artists, but it was never published; the Nazis destroyed his printing plates."
[Read more]
U of T's Personal Librarian program eases the university transition for first year students (University Affairs)
August 16, 2016
"Using the library is a daunting task for many first-year students. That’s why University of Toronto has established Personal Librarian, a program that pairs first-years with a librarian.
'As a personal librarian, I think of myself as a facilitator between the student and the library, and library resources,' says communications librarian Jesse Carliner. He compares the volunteer role to that of an adviser: he answers students’ questions, helps with citations and works through additional issues with students either by email or one-on-one."
[Read more]
Toronto’s architectural renaissance fuses old with new (Maclean's Magazine)
August 8, 2016
"Known by students as “Fort Book,” Robarts is one of North America’s most important examples of brutalist architecture and a frequent nominee as Toronto’s most unloved structure. The library is thought to be the model for the secret library in Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. Toronto’s most famous architectural eyesore has, however, been reappraised as of late and is gaining if not universal praise, at least grudging respect. When viewed from the southeast, Robarts resembles a peacock."
[Read more]
Canadian Archives with Largest Following on Facebook (LinkedIn Pulse)
August 3, 2016
An archivist at the Galt Museum & Archives in Alberta has published a list on LinkedIn Pulse of Canadian Archives with the largest Facebook following, and our very own UTARMS made the top 20.
"This is a list that might raise some eyebrows. It was generated by running a simple search for “archives Canada” within Facebook pages. I was surprised to see some small archives punching well above their weight and some major institutions have no Facebook presence! Below is the Top 20 – Canadian Archives on Facebook (as of August 1, 2016) based on number of followers."
[Read more]
The importance of finding your place and clearing slates (National Post)
June 9, 2016
In one of her Saturday columns earlier this summer, author and National Post contributor Mireille Silcoff hilariously recounted her quest to find a library space where she could work, and the decades-long library fines she had to pay before she could return to an old favourite here on campus.
"For the last six months, I have been looking for a library – the right library...I liked Robarts for its quiet, for its books and for its incredibly weird Brutalist architecture."
[Read more]
Canadian scientist, educator Ursula Franklin remembered as 'global pioneer'
July 25, 2016
The late Ursula Franklin is being remembered as a “global pioneer,” a trailblazer in science and academics, a staunch feminist and outspoken peace activist. The acclaimed Canadian scientist, educator and Holocaust survivor died Friday at the age of 94. She received her PhD in experimental physics at the Technical University of Berlin in 1948 and the following year emigrated to Canada and became a postdoctoral student at the University of Toronto. U of T Libraries has 150 boxes of the scientist’s texts, photographs, posters and artifacts in its possession.
[The Globe and Mail]
[CTV News]
[Waterloo region Record]
In Memoriam: University Professor Emerita Ursula Franklin (U of T News)
July 24, 2016
The world is mourning University Professor Emerita Ursula Franklin, one of Canada's most accomplished scientists and educators and one of its most renowned feminists and peace activists. Franklin, who died at the age of 94, was born in Germany and educated in Berlin. After surviving the Holocaust, she came to the University of Toronto as a postdoctoral student in 1949. Following 15 years as a senior scientist with the Ontario Research Foundation – where her research on strontium-90 in baby teeth was instrumental in achieving a moratorium on atmospheric nuclear weapons testing – she rejoined U of T in 1967 as the first female professor of what is now known as materials science and engineering. U of T News reporter Romi Levine spoke with Karen Suurtamm, an archivist at University of Toronto Archives & Records Management Services. Suurtamm, who assisted Ursula Franklin in archiving her records, notes that the records are available to researchers.
[Read more]
Newly discovered version of O Canada offers peek into our history (Metro News)
July 21, 2016
You might think Canada has always been the “true north, strong and free.” But, turns out, the song that would become our national anthem has gone through more than a few changes over the years.
A rare copy of O Canada was recently unearthed from the deepest corners of storage at the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library.
[Read more]
An 'O Canada' you won't recognize (Toronto Star Touch)
July 16, 2016
The lyrics to this rare 1915 version of Canada’s national aren’t remotely like the official anthem we know today, says P.J. Carefoote, an early-books librarian at the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. One of about four competing versions that were around at the time, it was sung at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to honour Canadian soldiers shortly after the Second Battle of Ypres.
[Read more]
Mapping the city: what Toronto's waterways can tell us (U of T News)
July 8, 2016
Mapping the City is an ongoing series on the stories we can tell about people and places in Toronto through maps created by University of Toronto students and faculty. In this first instalment, U of T News writer Romi Levine profiles the work of Marcel Fortin and Jennifer Bonnell.
[Read more]
Engineering and Computer Science Library on the cover of Engineering Dimensions magazine
July 2016
A photo featuring the ECSL staircase as backdrop made the front cover of PEO's Engineering Dimensions. PEO is Professional Engineers Ontario, the Province of Ontario’s licensing body for P.Eng’s so the magazine goes to all professional engineers in this province. The cover story marks incoming PEO president George Comrie, and the PEO communications staff who arranged the shoot mentioned that George is a FASE alum and had specifically suggested having his photo taken at ECSL.
3D Printing @ the MAD Lab (ACT Director's Blog)
June 28, 2016
An article on the Gerstein 3D printing service by Erica Lenton and Carolyn Dineen was mentioned on Director of Academic & Collaborative Technoloies Avi Hyman's blog.
[Read more]
A 'System of Partnership' That Lasted a Lifetime: The lives, love, and letters of Dr. Frieda Fraser and Dr. Edith 'Bud' Williams (Historicist on Torontoist)
June 18, 2016
“There isn’t a volume of correspondence on gay issues like this anywhere in Canada that has survived,” notes archivist Harold Averill in a 1996 article in the University of Toronto Bulletin. “To have these letters endure after all this time is an amazingly useful reference tool.”
[Read more]
Where Every Day is Throwback Thursday: Karen Suurtamm helps bring the U of T Archives to students raised on social media (U of T Magazine)
Summer 2016
"I try to showcase all of the resources we have, to encourage people to visit. We have 300,000 photos, but we also have 11 kilometres of textual records. We’re a place where someone can come and write a scholarly book or thesis based on the material we have. And it isn’t just promotion: we’re making U of T’s history more widely accessible. Rather than waiting for researchers to come to us, we’re pushing it out there to them."
[Read more]
Why Brutalism is the hottest trend in web design (Spark, CBC Radio)
May 29, 2016
A prominent photo of Robarts library is featured in this article on the emerging stripped-down aesthetic in web architecture, termed Web Brutalism, "a play on the mid-20th century Brutalist movement in architecture. To understand a bit more about what's fuelling the Web Brutalism trend, we look to the architecture movement it borrows its name from."
[Read more]
Stellar Panel Discusses Preserving Popular Music in Canada at U of T (FYI Music News)
May 19, 2016
On Tuesday night, as part of the Friends of the Libraries Lecture Series at the University of Toronto, a panel discussion was held at Innis Town Hall under the banner “Preserving Popular Music in Canada” featuring Alex Lifeson (Rush), Lorraine Segato (The Parachute Club), music historian Rob Bowman and writer/author Martin Melhuish.
[Read more]
Mapping the History of Sex Work in Canada (Re:THINK)
May 16, 2016
"For Dr. Laurie Bertram, equipping students with the skills to locate, compile and critically analyze, and effectively present primary documents is an integral component in a history course. Through assignments and course parameters that help them transfer what they’ve learned to future academic and professional settings, students can engage with material that is both historical significant and relevant to today."
[Read more]
Story of Toronto's 19th-Century sex trade uncovered by professor, students (The Globe and Mail)
May 13, 2016
"Professor Laurie Bertram, along with 12 students and a team of library staff members, spent several weeks examining archives and digital databases from 1865 to 1915 to reveal the well-hidden history of sex work in Toronto. It was all part of Ms. Bertram’s fourth-year history seminar at the University of Toronto, called The Oldest Profession in Canada."
[Read More]
UTL ranks in top 5 of list of 100 high-traffic library websites (LibUX)
May 10, 2016
"Alexa — the web-traffic data folks, not the all-seeing skynet precursor — ranks sites by traffic, which makes for an easily accessible sample that data-nerds can use to gauge the average speed of the top e-commerce pages or the state of accessibility among the most popular destinations on the web. You might find it huh-worthy that Alexa actually has a top-site list for libraries, were you to follow the breadcrumb Top Sites > Category > Reference > Libraries. The caveat is that Alexa’s list as-is includes sites that don’t really fit (e.g., Goodreads, Blackboard), so I did a little cleanup."
[Read More]
The Road to Success: Building Professional Pathways (Re:THINK)
May 6, 2016
"The classroom isn’t the only place where U of T graduate students are encouraged and supported in honing their skills for an academic future. In 2014-2015, U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Library worked on a cross-university team to create Student2Scholar (S2S) – a set of 10 interactive, self-paced online modules designed to help graduate students in the social sciences excel in their academic communities."
[Read More]
With Its New Addition, Robarts Library Turns the Page (Design Lines)
April 4, 2016
"Diamond Schmitt Architects is rewriting Robarts Library’s reputation. Nicknamed “Fort Book” because of its jagged shape and narrow windows, the brutalist University of Toronto book repository will soon gain a more inviting new wing. Five extra storeys of study space add character to the building’s west side, while a fritted glass exterior will allow for expansive views, facilitating a lively dialogue between street and structure."
[Read more]
Profile: Don McLeod (Sexual Diversity Studies Newsletter)
April 19, 2016
"Don McLeod is the liaison librarian for Sexual Diversity Studies. He holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Toronto (1983) and a BA in Classical History and Archaeology (1980) from the University of Calgary. Don has conducted much research and documentation on Canadian gay history, particularly for the period 1945–80. Since 1984, he has worked as a volunteer at the Toronto-based Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, one of the largest LGBT archives in the world."
[Read more]
Rare Books: Thomas Fisher Library has Canada's largest Collection (Global News)
April 15, 2016
"The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library feels like a shrine to the written word. But John Shoesmith dismisses the idea. 'It's not just here as a shrine. [The books] don't come here to die,' said the outreach librarian. 'It's a working library.' The Fisher, as it's commonly called, is the largest rare book library in Canada and it's open to the public."
[Read more]
Toronto exhibit traces history of Canada’s oldest profession (Toronto Star)
April 9, 2016
"From the women who wielded power in the brothels of the west to the reformers who forced prayer on sex workers, “Canada’s Oldest Profession: Sex Work and Bawdy House Legislation” explores all sides of Canada’s prostitution laws. The exhibit runs at Robarts Library until June 1."
[Read more]
U of T Scarborough library acquires more than 10,000 Chinese menus (University Affairs)
April 6, 2016
"There are more Chinese restaurants in the world than all fast-food restaurants combined. Their ubiquity makes the 10,000-plus Chinese menu collection recently acquired by University of Toronto Scarborough especially important, says Daniel Bender, a history professor at the campus and director of its Culinaria Research Centre. 'This collection is a reminder to all of us that we should be thinking [about] and looking at today’s restaurants in different ways. The menu is not just a piece of paper, but a representation of a dream,' says Dr. Bender."
[Read more]
Notes from the MLA Conference (Library Journal)
April 1, 2016
Houman Behzadi, Music Collection Development Librarian, was recently profiled in a Library Journal overview of the Music Library Association’s (MLA) 85th annual meeting in Cincinnati. Along with Kyra Folk-Farber from UC Santa Barbara, Houman presented on the state of library compact disc collections, and the development of an acquisition model for libraries. "Notes from the MLA Conference." Library Journal 1 Apr. 2016: 65. (in section “News you can use”).
“Given the trajectory toward obsolescence of the CD format and lack of a viable alternative for preservation, the speakers proposed a new acquisition model being developed in partnership with Naxos. Everyone who works with CD collections will be fascinated.”
Retired UTL Librarian, Lynne Kutsukake’s debut novel a moving tale set in postwar Japan (Toronto Star)
April 3, 2016
"When we think of war, we often think about the horror of armed conflict. What we don’t always consider is the aftermath. What happens in the days and months and years after the guns fall silent and the tanks retreat? How do people cope? How do they grieve their losses, heal their pain and return to the land of the living?
Retired University of Toronto librarian Lynne Kutsukake’s debut novel The Translation of Love explores these questions with an epic tale of defeat, despair and redemption."
[Read more]
Library thefts on the decline: Robarts introduces new security measures (The Varsity)
March 21, 2016
"Despite 10 reported thefts at the University of Toronto’s libraries this semester, the overall number of thefts on campus has been on the decline since 2015. There was a decrease of 22 thefts in January 2016, and a decrease of six thefts in February 2015."
"Robarts has implemented several new initiatives that have resulted in a lower theft rate at the library, including the Stop Campus Theft campaign, a staffing service called iStaff, and a new service that lends out laptop locks to students."
[Read more]
Personal Librarian initiative helps first-year students (The Varsity)
March 21, 2016
"This year, 5,000 first-year arts and science students participated in the Personal Librarian project, an initiative designed to encourage students to ask questions, offer book consultations for difficult research questions, and provide a tour of the library and its resources.
'Students involved in the program receive advice and feedback from their personal librarian throughout their first year, and are encouraged to contact their librarian whenever they have questions about library resources, services, and research,' reads the University of Toronto Library website."
[Read more]
TV story about U of T's library treasures (TV Vestnik.ca - OMNI)
March 17, 2016
With an aim to inspire members of the Russian-speaking community to get out and enjoy the great Canadian lifestyle in all its diversity of social and cultural events, TV Vestnik.ca has showcased some of UTL's treasures, including Stalin's daughter's letters and the “Project for the Study of Dissidence and Samizdat” (PSDS), a digital collection of rare Soviet samizdat materials.
View news coverage here:
http://vestnik.ca/tv-pisma-docheri-stalina-toronto/ - Stalin’s daughter letters (interview with Anne Dondertman, Associate Librarian for Special Collections and Director of the Fisher Library)
http://vestnik.ca/tv-samizdat-toronto/ - Samizdat story (interview with curator of the exhibit, U of T Assistant Professor, Ann Komaromi)
http://vestnik.ca/tv-episod-28-2016/ - the entire program
Personal librarians helping students get through first-year hurdles (680News and CityNews)
March 17, 2016
"First-year students have a lot on their plates: juggling courses and assignments, part-time jobs, dealing with being on their own for the first time, and surviving the campus atmosphere are just some of the hurdles. So a little help can go a long way. At the University of Toronto the assistance comes in the form of a personal librarian.
Since the program’s inception at U of T in 2012, first-year students in the Arts and Science and Applied Science and Engineering undergraduate programs are matched with a personal librarian who can help them tackle the behemoth libraries around campus."
[Read more]
Umberto Eco and Toronto (Living Toronto)
March 9, 2016
"I imagine Umberto Eco, one of Italy’s best known academics, on his first visit to Toronto. He’s standing at the corner of Harbord Street and St. George Street, gazing up at the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library building, barely four years old at the time. He examines its towers and takes note of the posturing concrete peacock, which looks like an eagle to me, and like a turkey to others, and files the building away in his imagination."
[Read more]
Michael Torosian retrospective to hit Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (Designedge Canada)
March 8, 2016
"The work of Michael Torosian and Lumiere Press will be the subject of a major retrospective exhibition in 2018 at the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. “The exhibition will be a prominent and significant means of commemorating the acquisition, by the Fisher Library, of the Lumiere Press Archives. The exhibition will be accompanied by a full-scale illustrated catalogue,” explained Anne Dondertman, director of the library."
[Read more]
Law library open for business (U of T News)
March 8, 2016
"The freshly renovated Bora Laskin Law Library has reopened for business, and it didn’t take long for law students to stake out their new study spots in the stunning hall of light.
And as if on cue, the snow fell outside, and photos of the study hall lit up social media with its vast views of Philosopher’s Walk and stately Trinity College."
[Read more]
Getting personal on the research front: Thousands of first-year U of T students are paired with personal librarians (U of T News)
March 7, 2016
"'The personal librarian program offers a new way for students to make the best use of the wealth of library resources available to them,' says U of T Libraries chief librarian Larry Alford.
'All of our librarians are dedicated to working closely with our students to support their research and learning, while also learning from them how the libraries can best meet their needs.'"
[Read more]
News coverage of The Survival, Resistance, and Social Network of Chinese in Hong Kong, Australia and Canada (FairChildTV and OMNI Cantonese)
March 8, 2016
The Survival, Resistance, and Social Network of Chinese in Hong Kong, Australia and Canada, an event hosted by the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library, which brought together four prominent scholars in this area of research, was highlighted in news coverage from two channels:
FairChildTV
OMNI Cantonese
Harvesting the government web space: U of T librarians step in to preserve electronic information (U of T News)
March 1, 2016
"At a time when more and more government publications are online, U of T librarians have stepped in to start archiving government websites.
U of T’s collection is considered among the most extensive and accessible collection of online captures of government websites in the country, and the university’s efforts are critical because they’re preserving information – and in turn keeping governments accountable – in an era when the documents are no longer available in print and always changing on the Internet."
[Read more]
Jack Leong speaks about the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project (OMNI Cantonese)
February 23, 2016
Showcasing the valuable and unique resources UTL has on the topic, Jack Leong speaks to OMNI News about the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America project that he is currently working on.
[Watch it here]
A Toronto professor reframing legacy of Greenpeace co-founder, Bob Hunter, one archival box at a time (Toronto Star)
January 24, 2016
"A decade after the death of Greenpeace co-founder, a Toronto professor is on a mission to reframe his legacy — not just as an activist and journalist, but also as a philosopher for our time."
"Under the fluorescent lights of a research room in Robarts Library last fall, Hart sat beside an aging book trolley, its metal shelf flexing under eight bankers’ boxes."
[Read more]
World's largest collection of Chinese menus acquired by University of Toronto (U of T News)
February 10, 2016
"A massive collection of Chinese food artifacts recently acquired by U of T Scarborough will help scholars explore the important role food culture has played in the immigrant experience throughout North America.
'This collection really puts us on the map as an important destination for those interested in studying not only food but the role of migration and food,' says Professor Dan Bender, director of UTSC’s Culinaria Research Centre."
[Read more]
UTL contributes to $54 million saved in operating expenses (U of T News)
February 2, 2016
"Several elements of the plan involve retrofitting older structures with “smart building” improvements. Lighting has been upgraded at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. The Robarts Library and OISE have new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning features, including state-of-the-art sensors and variable-speed fans. Similar upgrades are planned for the Bahen Centre for Information Technology, the Earth Science Centre and the iSchool."
"Other ongoing improvements include the Library Storage facility at U of T’s Downsview property, which is nearing competition. Built and operated by a consortium of five Ontario Universities (Queen’s, McMaster, Western and the University of Ottawa are the others), this facility will save millions for each of the partners."
[Read more]
Shakespeare 400th: Rare books exhibit in Toronto (Radio Canada International)
February 10, 2016
"He is one of the biggest literary figures, not just in the English language, but in history. Who doesn’t recognize the name Shakespeare, even though he died 400 years ago, in 1616.
The University of Toronto, Fisher rare books library, is staging an exhibition of the only example in Canada of the “First Folio”, the complete works of Shakespeare, published shortly after his death. Three others followed in later years."
[Read more]
Coverage of Tempo of China Exhibit (Omni Cantonese)
January 27, 2016
View news coverage of the opening of the Tempo of China Photo Exhibition on Omni TV.
U of T acquires the world’s largest collection of Chinese restaurant menus (Toronto Star and Metro News)
February 2, 2016
"Ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year, University of Toronto Scarborough showed off its new $40,000 purchase of the world’s largest Chinese restaurant menu collection. Approximately 10,000 menus, photographs and artifacts now call Toronto home.
The Star spoke with university curators, chief librarian Victoria Owen and archivist Amanda Tomé, who highlighted some of the more unique exhibits and explained how menus of the past reveal much more than low prices."
[Read more]
U of T to take over St. George Campus food services (The Varsity)
February 1, 2016
“This move will allow us to take a more active role in creating comfortable and welcoming dining areas,” said Anne Macdonald, director of ancillary services at U of T, “We’ll also be able to enhance the food offerings available to students on the St. George campus, particularly those who don’t live in residence.”
[Read more]
University libraries struggle to stock journals priced in US dollars (NEWS 1130 & CTV News)
January 27, 2016
"The University of Toronto libraries, for example, prepared reserve funds in anticipation of a low loonie, said Caitlin Tillman, the associate chief librarian for collections and materials management. Still, she’s noticed a 'substantial' difference in cost when paying US-dollar invoices this year.
While she’s yet to cancel any subscriptions, Tillman said the library will be unable to purchase a lot of the special collections, like works at the Thomas Fisher rare book library, that it’s been able to afford in the past.
'As a cultural institution, we really are taking a hit'"
[Read more]
From Russia with love: Stalin’s daughter’s letters settle at Fisher Library (The Varsity)
January 25, 2016
"U of T’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has just acquired a collection of letters written by Joseph Stalin’s daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva. The library received the letters by way of an auction, with the help of Rosemary Sullivan, U of T professor emeritus. The collection will soon join the library’s display of Sullivan’s research, all documented in her book, Stalin’s Daughter."
[Read more]
Bringing manuscripts to your screens (The Medium)
January 25, 2016
"Professor Alexandra Gillespie, a specialist in English and medieval studies in the Department of English and Drama, is co-leading a million-dollar initiative to develop tools that will aid the study and archiving of fragile and important items...In Gillespie’s words, the 'project is about being able to sit in your bedroom in Mississauga and look at manuscripts in the Vatican, the British Library, the National Library of South Africa, and Harvard University'".
"Gillespie is co-leading this project with Sian Meikle, director of Information Technology Services at U of T’s Robarts library.
The ITS unit is responsible for 'providing support for digital scholarship in all fields across the university...Robarts has a central role because it’s the core of the collection. [Robarts is] interested in finding new ways to support scholarship and pedagogy using digital tools and have some dedicated librarians doing that and the money came from the agency to work with the library to do this kind of development.'"
[Read more]
Anne Dondertman quoted in story on eccentric book collector (The Globe and Mail)
January 22, 2016
"What’s most fascinating about Nicky Drumbolis and his one-of-a-kind collection isn’t its value, which he estimates is in the millions, or its size – although it includes roughly 50,000 titles, and fills the building, floor to ceiling – but the focus. He has devoted a great portion of his life and livelihood to work that, as he describes it, “slips through the cracks.” Pamphlets and hand-sewn chapbooks that were produced in minuscule print runs; novels and poetry collections published by the most obscure of presses; the work of authors whose names the world has forgotten, if it ever knew them."
"“He’s a remarkable person,” says Anne Dondertman, director of the world-renowned Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto. “You have to admire someone who’s that single-minded. He’s given up everything to do this.”
[Read more]
Stalin’s daughter’s letters now in the public’s hands at U of T (Toronto Star)
January 20, 2016
“There comes a moment in every child’s life where they realize their parents are imperfect, fallible and human.
But for Svetlana Alliluyeva, that meant slowly realizing as a teenager that her beloved father was also a brutal dictator.
Stalin’s daughter, as she’s known in the award-winning biography of the same name by Toronto author Rosemary Sullivan, struggled with that knowledge for the rest of her life, and it’s captured perfectly in a new collection of correspondence between her and a dear friend in Britain named Mary Burkett.
The cache of around 500 letters, dating from 1995-2011, some with playful doodles decorating the margins, is now available to the public at the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.”
[Read more]
January 20, 2016
Robarts Library nurtured author's love of the tradition of poetry (Metro News)
“The Language of Secrets is also rare in the genre because of the poetry that flows through it. From recitals of classical works to slam poetry nights, it is present throughout her story, which Khan says comes from her upbringing as the daughter of two Pakistani-Canadians who hosted recitals at their house.
Khan’s love of the tradition continued when she attended University of Toronto, and would find herself in the stacks of Robarts Library, looking up titles in translation. Beyond wanting to celebrate and share Eastern art, Khan had another personal reason for incorporating poetry into a whodunit murder.”
[Read more]
Svetlana comes to Canada (CBC Radio)
January 17, 2016
"Last spring Michael spoke to Rosemary Sullivan about her biography of Svetlana Alliluyeva, and about the thousands of hours she spent in libraries and archives, doing interviews and combing through correspondence. Now, Ms. Sullivan has helped the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library to acquire some important letters; exchanges between Ms. Alliluyeva and her close friend, British art historian Mary Burkett."
[Read more]
A jam once lost, but now is found (The Varsity)
January 17, 2016
"Mason, a librarian at the University of Toronto’s Music Faculty Library, discovered a long-lost concerto written by the Norwegian conductor and composer Johan Halvorsen. The piece had originally been written for and performed by Canadian violin prodigy Kathleen Parlow in the early twentieth century before its mysterious disappearance."
"The discovery speaks to the importance of digitizing libraries. The concerto will make its twenty-first century debut at the International Musicological Society’s annual conference in Norway on July 4. Mason is optimistic that the piece could also be performed within Canada in the near future."
[Read more]
What happens when you find a long-lost violin concerto in a library basement? (CBC Music)
January 12, 2016
"When I looked at it, it was clearly handwritten. This was a manuscript score. This wasn't something that came from [noted music publisher] Schott, or whatever. So right away, I knew something was up. A manuscript score is always cool. But I didn’t know it was one that had been lost for 100 years, that people have been searching for, or one that was from a composer of that calibre."
[Read more]
Letters from Stalin's daughter arrive at U of T library (Metro)
January 11, 2016
"A new collection arriving at the University of Toronto library reveals what it was like to grow up – quite literally – under one of the 20th century’s most famous dictators.
The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has just acquired a collection of letters written by Svetlana Alliluyeva, the only daughter of former Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
'Can you imagine having Stalin as your father?” said the library’s director, Anne Dondertman. “She had an amazing and difficult life. Her mother committed suicide when she was young, members of her family were disappeared, her first lover was sent to Siberia, and the list just goes on.'"
[Read more]
Letters of Stalin's daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva, acquired by U of T's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
Published in U of T News and The Bulletin
January 5, 2016
"The tragic life of Josef Stalin’s daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva, who defected from the Soviet Union but always remained in the shadow of one of history’s most reviled figures is the subject of the award-winning book Stalin’s Daughter... written by U of T professor emeritus Rosemary Sullivan."
“It’s a moving book,” said Anne Dondertman, Associate Librarian for Special Collections. “You read it and you realize this person had a lot to deal with in her life and she never really found peace. And now we have a part of that story here.”
[Read more]
Violin concerto lost for more than a century found in U of T archives (CBC)
January 6, 2016
The unearthing of a violin concerto believed lost for over a century is music to the ears of classical music lovers.
James Mason, who works at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music Library, discovered Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen's composition while digitizing the library's thousands of pieces of sheet music.
[Read more]
See also CBC News televised coverage, http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2681518944 at 45:06
See also Ontario Today podcast, under "Lost and Found": http://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcasts/ontario/ontario-today/
Long-lost concerto found deep in U of T basement archives (Toronto Star)
January 6, 2016
Librarians at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music have stumbled on a famous composer’s concerto, lost for more than a century, buried deep in the archives — and dedicated to a bygone Canadian prodigy.
Kathleen Parlow, the only musician known to have played the piece, written with exquisite penmanship by Norwegian concertmaster Johan Halvorsen, performed it in Holland in 1909 at age 18.
[Read more]
"Lost" Halvorsen violin concerto unearthed in Canada (The Strad)
January 6, 2016
A manuscript copy of a violin concerto by Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen (1864–1935) has been rediscovered in a Canadian university music library. The concerto, dedicated to the Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow, was believed lost for more than a century.
[Read more]
Canada Welcomes Larissa Ivshyna, Ukraine's Crusader on the Information Frontier (Day Kiev)
December 17, 2015
If astronauts seek to travel to new galaxies, then Larysa Ivshyna, the editor-in-chief of Ukraine’s newspaper Den, is a modern-day explorer who strives to open up new horizons in the information sphere.
Ms. Ivshyna was invited to visit the Petro Jacyk Central and East European Resource Centre, which is located in Robarts Library, one of Canada’s largest libraries. Since the Centre serves as a gateway to print and electronic resources available throughout the University of Toronto Libraries, Larysa Ivshyna’s meeting with the Centre’s reference specialists, Ksenya Kiebuzinski and Wasyl Sydorenko, provided an opportunity to discuss information sharing between the Centre and the publication projects of the Den newspaper.
[Read more]
UTL Map and Data Library store poll results on Forum Research poll on support of Trudeau (Toronto Star)
A Forum Research survey shows Justin Trudeau — greeted abroad like a global rock star and gracing the pages of Vogue magazine like a model — continues to enjoy strong support on the all-important home front.
[Read more]
Robarts Expansion to Begin This Spring (UofT Magazine)
Winter 2016
"At Robarts Library, finding the title you want among its 4.5 million books is easier than finding a spot to study. That’s because the St. George campus library attracts as many as 18,000 visitors a day – double what it was 35 years ago – but the number of workstations hasn’t kept pace with demand.
An effort to alleviate this space crunch and make the library more inviting is now underway as the 14-floor building undergoes its first expansion in its 42-year history. A five-storey free-standing addition will be built on the library’s west side, and will be connected to the main library by a four-storey bridge. To be called the Robarts Common, the building will increase study spaces by 25 per cent, bringing the total number to just over 6,000."
[Read more]
A Drake-themed guide to Robarts during exam season (Life @ U of T)
December 4, 2015
"Exams are upon us, U of T. Time to buckle down, catch up with readings, and hit up the nearest campus library for some serious studying. Robarts is the natural go-to choice for many students. Exams may make you miserable, but at least being around other people who are stressing out as much as you are is somewhat comforting. Also comforting is knowing that you’re making Drake proud by acing that calc exam. And always remember that if Aubrey Graham could go from a teeny-bopper D-list actor on Degrassi to a bonafide rap legend, than you can certainly power through these final weeks of the first semester."
[Read more]
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library captures hearts far and wide (Lee Clarion Online)
November 4, 2015
In a recent article in The Lee Clarion, a student-produced and university-sponsored publication of Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, literature columnist, Hannah Cole, talks about travel, reading, and her fall break to Toronto, with one very special stop:
"I believe that the atmosphere of a place determines the way literature affects us. From the moment I stepped foot onto the University of Toronto’s campus, I was immersed in a culture built on books. The Fisher Rare Books Library is probably the most-affecting room in all of Toronto; the walls are lined with old tomes of varying colored vellum and sizes, and the skylight illuminates the dust and collection of stories — perhaps some of the world’s rarest volumes. This changed my perspective of the book I held in my hands — as if one day it might find a place on the shelves of Fisher — and that made reading Alexandre Dumas’ novel more significant"
[Read more]
Robarts Library retains one of the best Judaica collections on the continent (The Canadian Jewish News)
"For some reason, despite the Latners’ largesse, Toronto’s Jewish community never saw fit to develop the Jewish Public Library into a first-rate institution. By comparison, Montreal’s venerable, 101-year-old Jewish Public Library is sustained by a $5-million endowment, holds more than 150,000 items, and features a large children’s library, archives, multimedia centre, and antiquarian books collection.
In any case, Toronto is not exactly bereft of Jewish bibliographic resources and treasures: the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library houses one of the best Judaica collections on the continent."
[Read more]
Hyperallergic, Brooklyn-based arts blogazine, profiles Maximum Imaginativeness: Modern Czech Book Design, 1900–1950
November 30, 2015
"Maximum Imaginativeness: Modern Czech Book Design, 1900–1950, currently on view at the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, traces the development of the modern Czech book during the first half of the 20th century through books and journals from the library’s own collection. The exhibition spans the years leading up to the Czech national revival until the German occupation of the region during the Nazi regime."
[Read more]
UTL Map and Data Library store poll results on Syrian refugees (Toronto Star)
November 20, 2015
"A new Forum Research poll [of 909 randomly selected Canadian adults] suggests just over half of Canadians disagree with Justin Trudeau’s plan to stop bombing Islamic State targets, while a similar number oppose taking refugees from Syria...Poll results are housed in the data library of the University of Toronto."
[Read more]
Robarts cherry blossoms to temporarily relocate (The Varsity)
November 23, 2015
"In preparation for the Robarts Common construction project, the beloved cherry blossom trees behind the library will be leaving their home temporarily. PAO Horticultural, a nursery located in Hornby, Ontario will relocate and replant the 32 trees that surround the library. This project began on November 12."
[Read more]
November 7, 2015
Beer and the library - Brewariana brings both together (Toronto Star)
Yet another reason to enjoy grabbing a cold one: the history and art that is Brewariana - bottles, labels, and other beer ephemera. And where better to indulge in this than the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library who made its way to the Food & Wine section of the Toronto Star. Four years ago, a local collector donated his collection of 3,000 labels to the library.
[Read more]
November 5, 2015
Robarts Library dabbles in conspiracy with game (Toronto Star)
"Glushko said the goal of hosting the game was for people to experience the library in a new way — “In a way that they might not have expected they could have experienced a library, as living, breathing, rather than just a place to study.”'
[Read more]
November 2, 2015
Robarts hosts Alternate Reality Game: Unique event part of Open Access Week (The Varsity)
"According to Cancilla, the game achieved an unprecedented level of popularity , gaining 10,552 hits from people all over the world...Cancilla hoped that that the game would make library events seem more relevant and fun to students. 'Even if a few people are more aware about open access and what it could do for them in their scholarship, it would be worth it.'"
[Read more]
October 29, 2015
Open Robarts alternate reality game webpage receives attracts 2,677 viewers
Published in U of T News and The Bulletin
Open Robarts, the alternate reality game organized as part of Open Access Week, engaged students and the online community beyond the boundaries of the library during its brief run. "Librarians love seeing students in the stacks and reading rooms across the three campuses (U of T has the third-largest library system in North America) but...they deliberately designed the game to ensure 'people wouldn’t have to be coming into Robarts in order to play the game” in the spirit of Open Access.
Between Oct. 19-Oct. 23, the Open Robarts webpage received 10,552 page views from 2,677 visitors – many of whom worked together on Facebook, Twitter and even dedicated Reddit forums to win the game. It was exactly the type of collaboration for which they had hoped.'"
[Read more]
UC revitalization plan returns East Hall to original calling as library
October 21, 2015
U of T News this past week shared more on the recently-drafted University College revitalization plan which will head to Governing Council, October 29th. The plan would see "The East Hall, renamed the Collections Room...returned to its original calling as a library. Natural light from the Romanesque windows is enhanced by appropriate fixtures. A new mezzanine will maximize collection space – for an estimated 20,000 volumes – while respecting the original design of the room before the fire of 1890."
[Read more]
Open Robarts, alternative reality game, engages locals, students, and staff
October 20, 2015
Open Robarts, an alternate reality game, held as part of Global Open Access Week 2015, has been profiled in Boing Boing, the award-winning zine and blog:
"Led by the University of Toronto libraries, Open Robarts is an alternate reality game celebrating the tensions between open access and the control of information. Designed by local Toronto artist David Oxley and author Mark Foo, Open Robarts explores themes of information and control, and is meant to draw attention to and celebrate open access for Global Open Access Week 2015. There are many ways into the game, even for non-locals. Come check it out and help us unravel the mystery and determine the future of the library!"
[Read more]
UTL scores on top 10 places to study in the Annex
October 18, 2015
Graham Library and Robarts Library find their way into yet another blogTO list - this time, The top 10 places to study in the Annex.
"Graham Library is the place to go if you're looking for a quiet spot with little distraction. The building's oak floors and sculptures of alumni evoke a feeling of grandeur, not to mention the variety of study spaces to suit your mood. From drawing rooms to individual desks and group studying, there's something here for anyone."
"Robart's may be the champion of libraries in Toronto, boasting 13 floors of books, study carousels [sic], and private study rooms. With space on the main and second floor for non U of T students (other floors you have to swipe your student card), you're bound to find a prime study spot in impeccable silence."
Check out the list to find your Annex gem, where you can get your brew on.
Getting warm and cozy with Brutalist architecture
October 13, 2015
Toronto-based writer, senior editor/co-owner of Spacing magazine and psychogeographer Shawn Micallef, shares with the CBC about his love of Brutalist architecture, including that of Robarts - perhaps, you might be enticed after watching.
University of Toronto Libraries' STAR Recognition highlighted in HR & Equity News
October 14, 2015
As part of an article entitled "Speaking Up’ about feeling valued at U of T", UTL was chosen as the Divisional Highlight of recognition at the University of Toronto. Read the section here, or learn more about recognition at U of T by reading the original article.
The University of Toronto Libraries launched an awards program this year aimed at celebrating excellence and innovation of individuals and teams working within the library system at U of T. The Staff Team Appreciation & Recognition (STAR) Awards recognize contributions of UTL employees in two categories: the Library Innovation Awards and Library On-Going Excellence Award.
“The University of Toronto Libraries is one of the top academic library systems in the world. UTL’s outstanding reputation is based in large part on the extraordinary work of our staff. We recently launched our Staff Team Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Awards, which has been a wonderful way to more formally recognize the great work being done throughout the 44 libraries on the three campuses. We were thrilled that UTL staff engaged in these inaugural awards; collectively they nominated eight teams. These awards are one small way for me to show my profound appreciation to UTL staff for their initiative, creativity and commitment to excellence,” says Larry Alford, Chief Librarian, University of Toronto Libraries.
On September 16th, UTL staff and librarians honoured the first recipients of the new awards at the inaugural STAR Award reception held at the Fisher Library. To learn about the exciting initiatives and great work of library employees, visit the UTL news page.
UTL Government Information Librarian Sam-chin Li featured in Maclean's Magazine
A recently published article in Maclean's magazine highlights the efforts of University of Toronto Libraries' Government Information Librarian Sam-chin Li and her colleagues to preserve government information in a time of catastrophic loss of government records and data.
“Protecting Canadians’ access to data is why Sam-Chin Li, a government information librarian at the University of Toronto, worked late into the night with colleagues in February 2013, frantically trying to archive the federal Aboriginal Canada portal before it disappeared on Feb. 12. The decision to kill the site, which had thousands of links to resources for Aboriginal people, had been announced quietly weeks before; the librarians had only days to train with web-harvesting software.”
Read full article
The Fisher Library is nominated for Toronto's best library
NOW magazine has released its 2015 Best of T.O. Reader's Choice Poll and Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is among those libraries nominated for Toronto's Best Library. Agree or disagree? Vote here, under Cityscapes.
U of T Libraries makes blogTO's list of top 10 university libraries in Toronto
Just in time for back-to-school readers, blogTO released their list of top 10 university libraries in Toronto. Five U of T libraries made it onto their list, including Robarts Library, Gerstein Science Information Centre, E.J. Pratt Library, Emmanuel College Library, Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Center (UTM), and John W. Graham Library.
UTL's political web archive mentioned in U Waterloo article
The University of Waterloo's news site features an article on a new collaborative database that pulls content from a collection of millions of archived political web pages spanning the last decade, gathered by the University of Toronto Libraries' Government Information and Statistics Librarians, GSLAs, and volunteers. CBC news also picked up the story.
Robarts Library in the News
July 24, 2015
The unique design of U of T landmark Robarts Library was mentioned in a Metro News article on the changing face of Toronto's architecture.
Fisher and Gerstein libraries featured on Instagram
The Faculty of Medicine recently highlighted the Fisher Library’s medical texts and the Gerstein Science Information Centre's resident skeleton Skully in their list of '5 things to do before you graduate': https://instagram.com/p/3ZsBKSBBJT/
UTL's new website receives positive feedback from students via the Varsity
June 12, 2015
In addition to discussing several of the new features of the new website with commentary from User Experience librarian Lisa Gayheart, an article appearing in the Varsity last week included excerpts from interviews with students who have used the website in its first weeks. Many students noted the improved accessibility and functionality of the new website, and were particularly pleased with the modern look, navigability of the search function, centralization of information and positioning of library hours on the homepage. Feedback like this will be important to the design team both over the next two months as they will conduct follow up usability testing, and in the long run as the website will be a work in progress, with the team making smaller changes more often and rather than saving changes for large-scale redesign projects.
Photograph of Robarts Library by Gordon Belray to run in the Globe and Mail
June 5, 2015
An image of students in the Robarts Library porticos, taken by Gordon Belray of Information Technology Services, will be featured in the June 12 issue of the Globe and Mail as part of a special section about philanthropy.
The image was originally featured in the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Images of Impact initiative in 2014, which was designed to create a growing visual representation of the accomplishment and difference that philanthropy and fundraising makes in and beyond Toronto.
Photo: Gordon Belray
Indigenous language revitalization at the TRY Conference
May 27, 2015
Three members of the University of Toronto community were interviewed for an article by Anishinabek News about the TRY library staff conference, May 5. This year's theme, "Access for All: Collaborative Solutions for Evolving Libraries," explored access in its many forms and the many communities who rely on library services at the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, and York University. UTL Reference Librarian Sara McDowell proposed a sub-theme about Indigenous librarianship with very positive results.
http://anishinabeknews.ca/2015/05/12/living-languages-discussed-at-try-conference/
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in the news
May 27, 2015
This past weekend the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library participated in Doors Open Toronto, an annual event showcasing some of the city's most fascinating and often limited-access buildings. Please follow the link below to see the spectacular photo of the the Fisher that made it into BlogTO's Top 10 Favourites from Doors Open, and to vote for it as your personal favourite, too!
http://www.blogto.com/news_flash/2015/05/vote_for_your_favourite_photo_of_doors_open_toronto_2015/
Fisher Library featured on CBC TV for Doors Open (May 22, 2015)
The CBC's Stephanie Matteis visited the Fisher Library on Friday May 22 to profile the library prior to the Doors Open weekend. She chatted with librarian John Shoesmith, who spoke of the library's "magic." The library was one of three buildings profiled in the segment. It can viewed via this link.
The Fisher was also listed as one of the top 15 buildings to visit for Doors Open by BlogTO.
The media coverage contributed to the success of Doors Open for the Fisher. Almost 3,200 visitors came through the revolving doors, making it the most busiest day in the Fisher's history.
April 3, 2014
We already knew this, but it's great to see it recognized on this popular Toronto blog! Here's what it says about Gerstein and Robarts:
Gerstein Science Information Centre
"While Robarts is the first study suggestion out of many U of T students' mouths, Gerstein, tucked further south into the university campus, is a close second. The atmosphere is surprisingly stately, with some cushy armchairs, grand-looking tables and chairs, and lovely natural lighting. (Also, they're bringing in a therapy dog for the spring 2014 exam season. This alone should shoot them to the top of our list.)"
Robarts Library
"Non-University of Toronto kids may find it difficult to fully understand the deep, conflicted relationship some students have with Robarts, U of T's brutalist, birdlike reference library. But after hitting the books there for a madness-inducing span of hours, you pick up a few tips. The basement/first floor tends to be noisier due to socializing students; it's quieter in the upper floors, where big tables in the corners of the stacks offer some nice views. Over exams, the study rooms are open all night."
[read the full post]
Gerstein Science Information Centre ranked as #2 most impressive medical library (The Best Master's Degrees blog)
April 3, 2014
"The largest science and health science university library in Canada, Gerstein provides students with wireless-equipped group and quiet study areas, one-on-one research consultations with a librarian through UT’s library website, and customized library workshops. The library building, which features a restored 1892 domed ceiling, has won several architectural awards."
The Beat Goes On (U of T Magazine)
March 28, 2014
The University of Toronto is now home to the world’s largest collection of photographs by the late beat poet Allen Ginsberg, thanks to a donation by the Larry & Cookie Rossy Family Foundation.
The almost 8,000 photographs housed in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and more than 200 silver gelatin prints at the University of Toronto Art Centre include portraits of music icons Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and Iggy Pop, artist William de Kooning and composer John Cage.
'Yinglish/Englishized Cantonese' and Cultural Identities in Hong Kong lecture attracts media attention
March 20, 2014
On March 12 Professor Kwok-kan Tam, Dean of the School of Arts & Social Sciences at the Open University of Hong Kong, gave an excellent talk about 'Yinglish', a form of Englishized Cantonese that has come to define the culture and identity of Hong Kong nationally and internationally. The event attracted media attention from Fairchild TV and OMNI.
U of T News features Q & A with Startup Weekend Toronto EDU: Library Edition organizer, Helen Kula (U of T News)
March 18, 2014
A global program fostering quick-turnaround startups is set to revolutionize library systems at U of T and beyond through the first-ever Startup Weekend EDU: Library Edition. The event is sponsored by University of Toronto Libraries and produced by a team including some of U of T’s top library innovators.
This article was viewed 25,614 times via U of T's twitter account and 513 times via www.news.utoronto.ca between March 21-26!
U of T News interviews Jack Leong about rare Chinese film collection donated to the Media Commons (U of T News)
March 10, 2014
Check out the video (viewed 29,647 times from February 28-March 5!)
Inforum's Kathleen Scheaffer's research garners media attention
March 7, 2014
Kathleen Scheaffer, Librarian and Outreach and Instructional Services Coordinator at the iSchool, was interviewed by several media outlets about the most recent research she conducted with Assistant Professor Rhonda McEwen. They looked at how Facebook is used to mourn and grieve a loss of a loved one, and how the features and terms of use of Facebook influence users' practices and alter memory archives.
McEwen, R. and Scheaffer, K. (2013). Virtual mourning and memory construction on Facebook: Here are the terms of use. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 33 (3/4), 63-74.
Library Series: Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (The Varsity)
March 3, 2014
For book lovers, the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is nothing short of paradise. With stunning architecture and precious books of every shape and length, using the resources at Fisher can seem like a real treat. The best part of all? Everybody gets to handle the books. (Read more)
Allen Ginsberg Photos Find a Home in Canada (Canadian Art)
February 25, 2014
Canadian Art's associate editor, David Balzer, paid a visit to the Fisher Library earlier in the month to take a closer look at the Allen Ginsberg Photography Collection donated to the library. The collection, Balzer writes, "doesn't just capture the Beat's salad days, but provides a fascinating window in 1980s and 1990s New York, where Ginsberg lived until his death in 1997 and was a gregarious bohemian celebrity.... In many respects the snapshots are reminiscent of the work Torontonians saw in Patti Smith's 'Camera Solo' show at the Art Gallery of Ontario last year, with their focus on humble objects and casual encounters that, nonetheless, possess auras of repute."
February 20, 2014
“Beautiful morning to get lost in a book! The book is Explicacion de la bulla de la Sancta Cruzada, printed in Salamanca in 1601.” By Instagram user fisherlibrary.
AGO Bring Together Poets and Artists (Open Book Toronto)
February 19, 2014
The Art Gallery of Ontario has joined forces with the League of Canadian Poets and Toronto Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke to create one of the most unique art classes in the city: Portraits of Poets. This eight week long portraiture class has an unexpected twist: all of the models are Canadian poets. Participating poets include bill bissett, Myna Wallin, George Elliott Clarke, Adam Sol, Dionne Brand, Rudyard Fearon, Ayesha Chatterjee, Sachiko Murakami and Olive Senior.
"Phyllis Loves Kelly" eBook a Valentine's favourite on social media
February 14, 2014
USSmusic plays pop-up show on campus (Storify)
February 11, 2014
USSmusic played a pop-up show in front of Robarts Library on February 11 to the delight of their many student fans. The band documented the show via twitter and Storify.
Print and Broadcast News Coverage of the Beautiful China Exhibit Opening and Acknowledement of a Film Donation from the People's Republic of China Consulate General
February 11, 2014
Political Science Data Library (Toronto Star)
February 7, 2014
The firm Forum has donated a cache of public opinion polls, including those related to the upcoming Liberal byelection, to the department of Political Science at U ofT, referenced in the Toronto Star as a "Political Science Data Library". At the present time the data is only available to political science undergraduate students. We will be opening up the data to all U of T students and faculty soon and we are currently in the process of designing a website that will facilitate this distribution.
Library Series: Exploring the shelves of Pratt’s Special Collections (The Varsity)
February 3, 2014
U of T has the third-best library system in North America, behind only Harvard and Yale. However, most students often don't see past the stacks and reading rooms, assuming that the Thomas Risher Rare Book Library is the only treasure trove of old books. The Library Series introduces the special collections hosted at the different libraries at U of T, highlighting some of the best parts of our library system.
Concrete waiting for a renaissance in Toronto (Toronto Star)
January 24, 2014
I’ve been spending a lot of time in Robarts over the past year, sometimes with the great map collection on the fifth floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows and great views in all directions. If I need less temptation to daydream, I’ll go higher up where there are fewer windows. Often called “Fort Book,” all that concrete keeps the books safe, away from the sun, and separates scholars from the noise and distractions outside. It does what a library should do; cocoon us so we can think.
The CBC's Stephanie Matteis visited the Fisher Library on Friday May 22 to profile the library prior to the Doors Open weekend. She chatted with librarian John Shoesmith, who spoke of the library's "magic." The library was one of three buildings profiled in the segment. It can viewed via 
"The University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has acquired a copy of what it calls one of the most famous private press books in existence. 
"On any given day, there is a small corner of Robarts Library that is darker and quieter than the rest. If you’re not looking, you’ve probably walked by it without noticing. But, if you’re smart, you’ve been inside. 
"Index Librorum Expurgatorum with tiny figurines from the 
