793.73 “Shelving 101”
In this entry of his monthly puzzle column, 793.73, Douglas challenges readers with a dastardly and delightful shelving-themed logic puzzle. See if you can determine the correct appearance of the shelving unit he describes.
Word of the month/Mots du mois: Book tasting
We will be featuring a “Word (Or Phrase) Of The Month” each issue, courtesy of Library Lexique. This is a tool to feature useful and thematic words or phrases which may arise in day-to-day library work. This month's is "book tasting."
One thing leads to another
You know how it is - you borrow a movie from the library but then you keep it too long. Now you have a fine, so you go to the library to pay it off, but while you’re there you see a book that you want to read so you borrow it. When you return the book, you see that it’s been made into a movie, so you borrow that, knowing you’ll probably keep it late again.
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.
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.
“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.
A library tech perspective on job hunting, story time & more
Each of us probably has a system we use to help us prepare for and participate in the interview process. Although there may be an art to doing an interview, having a strategy for preparing for the process can help us practice a bit of science as well.
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.
Indigenous Canada: A Massive, Open, Online Course (MOOC) worth taking
What do the library at the University of Ottawa and Dan Levy, who played David on Schitt’s Creek, have in common? The Indigenous Canada MOOC! Librarians at the University of Ottawa also provided opportunities for colleagues to complete the MOOC in 2019 – 2020.
793.73: February double header
To kick off this exciting crossword feature, we present our readers with two puzzles: a “crossward” commemorating Black History Month and celebrating black authors, and a devilishly difficult and cold-themed “cryptic crossword” puzzle.
Needs-based public libraries
The thinking of Comrade F. Dobler from the early 20th century remains relevant and even prescient: those who need open access to information may be those who are fundamentally excluded from public libraries.
Four RA strategies to promote new voices and inclusion
We can use Reader’s Advisory to both ensure that our communities feel seen and that they discover new voices and cultures by working on polices, merchandising, book lists, and handselling.
Not too fine a point: COVID-19 reveals the origins of public libraries as agents of social control
In Library Land, the pandemic has exposed inherent fragilities including discriminatory class and race based practices. In turn, these praxis reveal that public libraries have a history of being agents of social control and exclusion.