I went to the Art of Cartography exhibit hosted at the Toronto Reference Library. It was fascinating to see how cartography and its practices have changed throughout the ages.
Highlights included:
–Frislanda, a fictional island that had been included in maps for over a century
-The politically charged ‘beaver maps’
Below are the images I took.
I’m happy to announce that my short story ‘Making the Myth’ has been published in Existere: Journal of Arts & Literature (vol. 35, no. 2). You can obtain a copy of the issue by purchasing a subscription or visiting a bookstore that sells the journal.
Creative writing was and always will be my first passion. Seeing one’s work in a bookstore is surreal and a dream come true, to say the least. Below are photos of the issue.
I’m sharing a great article about Pokemon GO and libraries. It covers topics on how the game can be used by the library and its issues.
It’s exciting to see the societal impact of a single game.
Where’s Pikachu? How libraries are connecting with patrons over this wildly popular new virtual treasure hunt that uses geolocation—and why the game raises privacy concerns.
While attending Anime North, I visited the Manga Library. The library had a wide selection, as seen in this list.
The Manga Library was run entirely by volunteers, set up for three days and open 24/7.
I personally checked out volume 7 of The Story of Saiunkoku.
I have various considerations to note about the existence of such a library. Libraries are made to serve their community. They also stay relevant by providing needed resources to their patrons. The Manga Library’s specialized collection makes accessible hundreds of titles that are out of print and unavailable at other libraries. This library provides a venue for patrons to read manga they otherwise would be unable to obtain. Volunteers can also recommend titles to patrons, which is an aspect of readers’ advisory; such conversations connect readers to potentially new materials.
See below for pictures of the Manga Library, including a few acrobats.
I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) in downtown Brampton. This festival provided an outlet for readers, authors and publishers to connect with one another and promote diverse Canadian literature.
Some panels focused on the writing and publishing process. Other panels discussed the current state of the publishing industry and the issues surrounding it. It was an engaging and enlightening experience. It has inspired me to seek out and support diverse Canadian authors.
A huge congratulations to Jael Richardson, the other organizers and volunteers who made the FOLD possible. The festival has come at a time when diversity has come to the forefront of issues in literature. Providing a Canadian outlet has contributed to addressing the issue of diversity in fiction.
I look forward to attending the next FOLD.
See above for the photos I took at the FOLD. I also took photos of Brampton and art housed in the Peel Art Gallery Museum.
My book haul included the following:
Many public libraries in Newfoundland and Labrador are at risk of being closed. Let’s take action to protect these libraries!
Update: The library closures have been suspended for the time being. Read the full details here.
In January, I attended the OLA Super Conference 2016. I learned a lot and met old and new friends.
Thursday
The first session I attended was Tracy Church’s Introduction to Prospect Research. This was a great, condensed introduction to prospect research.
Her presentation is available here.
The second session I attended was I Found my Dream Job, But It’s not in a Library, hosted by June Avila, Hannah Loshak and Emily Porta. They spoke about their non-librarian paths in the information field and told us about the alternative and niche careers available to information professionals.
Their slides contain various examples of non-traditional jobs and the options out there.
Friday
The first session I attended was Dayna DeBenedet’s When the Job Search Ends: Management Tips. She provided excellent information and personal advice on how to be a manager and lead one’s staff.
Her slides have further details on the steps and things to consider when you’re a head librarian.
The last session I attended was Launching the FOLD (Festival of Literary Diversity) in Brampton, hosted by June Dickenson, Catherine Carreiro and Jael Richardson. They spoke about the goals, events and progress of planning this upcoming festival. It will promote diverse Canadian literature and authors on a level that has never been done before in this country.
The slides can be viewed here.
You can track the developments of the FOLD, learn how to get involved and find out how to register here.
In between sessions, I attended the Expo and obtained many free goodies (see below).
The conference was wrapped up by Wab Kinew, who was a keynote speaker. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a recording online. Regardless, his speech was amazing and I highly recommend checking out his works.
Literary, library, and the like
The future of Librarianship starts today!
Navigating Legal Resources - Law Society of Saskatchewan Library
Helping writers connect with readers
The publisher of choice for the information professions worldwide
Librarian living in a SharePoint world.
A directory of collections that document diversity through history
A groundbreaking research study on the "lived experiences" of individuals across the Greater Toronto Area who self-identify as Black or of African heritage.
canadian monsters, creatures, and myths
