Bennett Steinburg
Bennett Steinburg is the Open Shelf Deputy Editor. He is a recent MI graduate from University of Toronto and working as a content coordinator at a…
Word of the month/Mots du mois: Slam poet
Starting this issue, Open Shelf will begin featuring content from Library Lexique. This is a hub of resources meant to encourage and support the use of French in library services. We will be featuring a word (or phrase) of the month in each issue. And, starting this autumn, we will also be featuring an exciting series of bilingual articles from them.
If you build workshops, they still might not come: Notes on a not-so-successful community initiative
I first heard about The Second Chance Foundation from a segment on CBC Radio’s Sunday Edition in 2017. This interview prompted me to reach out to Bev because I knew that this was an organization I wanted to be involved in. We determined, based on her clients’ needs and my expertise, that I would offer introductory internet skills workshops focusing on information literacy.
Cultural diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Cecilia Tellis is the Head of Design and Outreach at the University of Ottawa Library
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.
What’s New in Open Shelf: April 2021
The Oscars are this month (having been delayed from their original February date this year) and this month at Open Shelf we want to channel the glitz and glamour by unfurling a proverbial red carpet and introducing a series of extra-special features and new columns.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
Janneka Guise
Janneka (Jan) Guise is the Director of the Music Library at the University of Toronto. Prior to joining the U of T in 2017…
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…
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.