Features – Page 4 – OPEN SHELF

“Can I take your order?”: Curbside library services in the age of COVID-19

Six months ago, drive-thru library circulation was a laughable idea. But now academic library services have been flipped on their heads and curbside pickup is very popular.

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Theory in practice III: Moving from systemic racism to anti-racism in Ontario public libraries

In this final installment of her series on anti-racism, Amber Matthews argues that library staff must recognize libraries as racialized spaces in order to construct equitable social structures.

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Knowing ourselves: How the Encyclopedia of Canada’s Peoples can help us learn who we are

Online reference materials have huge value for teaching and learning, For librarians grappling to give access to comprehensive online resources the Encyclopedia of Canada’s Peoples is a "tertiary source" worth considering.

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New North Branch public library reflects a unique public partnership in Sault St. Marie

Schools and public libraries have long been important centres of activity in Ontario communities. The new North Branch of the Sault St. Marie Public Library is a case in point.

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Put your oxygen mask on first: 13 strategies to support your teams and yourself

Branch managers can feel pulled in all directions, have a need to work at all hours, and yet seem removed from their staff. How can they support staff when not physically working side-by-side and when they have the need to "put their own masks on first?"

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Taking responsibility: Why state imposed governance for Indigenous Peoples?

This two-part article unpacks the supposed abrogation of responsibility of the federal government to Indigenous communities. In this first installment, we dive into the question of governance and the tensions between the Indian Act and rights created under both the Constitution of Canada and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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Six “big” K-12 library questions in a pandemic world

Recently, members of the Ontario School Library Association (OSLA) council had "big questions" when they chatted online about the pandemic and its impact on K-12 school library learning commons.

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Phone-a-friend: SOLS helps libraries (pandemic or not)

Remember the TV game show, Cash Cab? Contestants could try to answer questions on their own, but if they got stuck, they could phone a friend. The Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS) is like that friend who you can call or turn to for an answer.

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Theory in practice II: Moving from systemic racism to anti-racism in Ontario public libraries

There is a strong need to explicitly acknowledge deeply embedded racist thinking in order to move towards systemic change in public libraries.

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Librarians need an MLIS: True or false? (Round III)

Our conversation around the opening statement “A master’s degree in library science should be required for anyone wanting to be a librarian. True or false? And why?” finishes with this third panel.

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Animal therapy or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the quarantine

From therapy animals to household pets to wildlife, many of us know firsthand the power that animals have to improve our mood and add healthy behaviours to our lives. Especially during a crisis.

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Hospital librarianship during the COVID-19 pandemic

I’m still going to work because, while I’m a librarian, my library serves hospital leadership and front-line health workers.

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Consider the source: How to spot fake news

“Fake news” has become a buzzword of late but generally refers to inaccurate information of some kind—whether propaganda, pseudo-science, misinformation, or disinformation.

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