Open Shelf Editor

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Nightmare Academy: horror at the Oscars

Despite hosting its share of horrors, horror films rarely make the cut at Hollywood's big night. However, not every horror movie has gone so tragically overlooked. Here is a list of Oscar winners and notable nominees that span the high-brow to the bloodthirsty, and are sure to please your fans of the genre.
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Becoming The University Of Toronto Music Library

Introduction

In 1921, the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto (which was established in 1918) took over the operation of what was then the Toronto Conservatory of Music’s library.  This year marks our 100th anniversary, and we are grateful to the editors of Open Shelf for the opportunity to document our history, current state and special collections in a series of articles over the coming months. This month, we will introduce the Music Library as it stands today.
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793.73: #OscarsSoBro

In 2020, no woman was nominated for Best Director at the Oscars, and only one Best Picture nominee focused on a female cast. Historically, a film nominated for Best Actor is 75 percent more likely to get a Best Picture nomination than one nominated for Best Actress. Here are some trivia questions designed to elevate female filmmakers and actors.
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A Beam Of Light Highlights The Top Line Of An Entray For "algorithm" In A Dictionary

What we talk about when we talk about algorithms*

Words create reality; what we say and write makes ideas concrete. The explosion of research about algorithms has resulted in specific descriptive phrases about their nature and characteristics. Let’s take a brief tour through some of them to see how they reflect our hopes and concerns.
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“Sliding” into a new approach to storytime

In the time of the coronavirus, library workers are having to learn new technologies. A good example of this need to adapt is storytime. I often lead storytimes in my work as a library technician at the Milton Public Library (MPL) and I’ve found by learning to “slide” (i.e., use slides) as part of my storytimes. I’ve not only improved my interactions with children and parents, I’ve also become more comfortable with adapting to new ways of doing my work.
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Whitney Kemble

Whitney Kemble is the liaison librarian for Historical and Cultural Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She has a BA in History and…

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What's New?

What’s new in Open Shelf: February 2021

February is Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and of course, the month of valentines. We are debuting cryptic crosswords for all of you who love puzzles with our new column 793.73. This month, we are featuring eight clues that challenge readers to identify eight Black authors whose work is worth celebrating. And we are also featuring articles from women co-edit books, find more respectful ways to describe people and their work, want to live in good relationships on Turtle Island, and land the right job because they know how to make the most of the interview process.
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Readers' Advisory

Challenge accepted!

It’s a new year and a great time for making reading resolutions. One form this resolution may take is to respond to a Reading Challenge. Taking this type of challenge can not only be fun, but also a great opportunity to change some of our entrenched reading habits.
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