What’s new in Open Shelf: September 2021
The team at Open Shelf has returned after our end-of-summer break reinvigorated. We enjoyed our “time off,” but are just as excited to meet the challenges and joys of the autumnal season.
What’s new in Open Shelf: July 2021
We envisioned this year’s July issue to be an inaugural attempt at creating a contributor-driven “unconference issue.” And while this month’s issue is a compact one, I think its contents speak to the spirit of an unconference—user-driven conversations and knowledge-sharing that span a wide range of topics, media and scope, engaged with at our own pace.
What’s new in Open Shelf: June 2021
In this month’s issue of Open Shelf, we feature conversation about anti-racist practices in librarys, encouraging community during COVID and picturebooks that deal with difficult subjects honestly and effectively. Read on for these and much more!
What’s New In Open Shelf: May 2021
It seems as though spring has truly sprung by this point in the month, with the warmth and sun finally showing themselves after what was a difficult winter for many. With the sun comes a promise of togetherness, if not now then soon. It conjures visions of sitting outside, perhaps in a park, perhaps in your backyard with a friend or loved one you have not been able to see in far too long and of catching up with one another.
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.
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.
What’s new in Open Shelf: December 2020
Dear Santa, We’re the Open Shelf editorial team. Our favourite things to do are to engage with our friends in the OLA community. We write, we provide feedback, we get creative with pictures and tweets, we play tag all the time, and just basically have lots of fun. We’ll be snuggled at home during the holiday season, hopefully taking a break from work but still dreaming of new stories we can tell in Open Shelf in 2021. Although this has been a crazy year—the “Year of COVID”—we’ve still been able to play with our Open Shelf contributors and they have sent us lots of great stories to print in the magazine.
What’s new in Open Shelf: November 2020
So, we’ll bend Tom Jones’s lyrics for Try to remember: Try to remember the kind of November When life was slow[er] and oh, so…
What’s new in Open Shelf: October 2020
Pandemic: (Of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world…and a magazine. Again, we feature stories that capture our experiences during this “time of COVID-19”: articles about our resilience and capacity to be innovative while coping with the complete disruption of our work lives and services as well as stories that emphasize the real need for the public services that institutions such as libraries provide. The individual and collective benefits of these services are not only practical (e.g., access to printing) but also emotional and psychological.
What’s new in Open Shelf: September 2020
Is it fall yet? Somehow, time and space seem to have collapsed over the past six months and even the seasons don’t necessarily feel discrete right now. Plus, global warming contributes to a sense of life being off kilter as well, as fluctuating temperatures and volatile storms bring uncertainty to each day. However, our lineup this month reflects our capacity to survive and thrive despite the unpredictability of pandemics, weather, and just change in general.
What’s new in Open Shelf: July 2020
This a summer like no other…activities we take for granted, like travelling or reading a book on the beach, can’t be taken for granted any longer. Fights for social justice continue, hotter than ever. And we wonder what our libraries (school, academic, special, hospital) will look like in September. Contributors to the July issue of Open Shelf are tackling these issues and more while following the mantra of Dr. Bonnie Henry (a Canadian medical leader par excellence): Be kind, be calm, and be safe.
What’s new in Open Shelf: June 2020
So who knew we'd have 12 articles this month ... and at a time when all our lives have been so unexpectedly disrupted? But we do and our topics include acknowledging systemic racism in public libraries, voices (and photos) from those affected by the pandemic, and telling stories through memes. Plus, follow Round II of the panel on whether librarians need an MLIS, learn what's happening with K–12 education, and lisez la deuxième partie de la francisation de Scholars Portal.
What’s new in Open Shelf: April 2020
So who knew we'd have 12 articles this month ... and at a time when all our lives have been so unexpectedly disrupted? But we do and our topics include acknowledging systemic racism in public libraries, voices (and photos) from those affected by the pandemic, and telling stories through memes. Plus, follow Round II of the panel on whether librarians need an MLIS, learn what's happening with K–12 education, and lisez la deuxième partie de la francisation de Scholars Portal.