Mike Serafin
Mike Serafin is a Library Technologies and Liaison Librarian at the University of Toronto Mississauga. He has a background in web and application development…
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.
Open to discovery: Refining metadata standards & creating a controlled vocabulary for Open Shelf
As library professionals, we are trained to understand the critical role that metadata plays in the discoverability of information in a wide range of contexts. With a shorter list of tags, the Open Shelf editorial team now has a controlled vocabulary that will enable improved discoverability of the magazine content.
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.
What’s involved with being an editor for a multiauthor volume?
Sharing our professional knowledge and experience through writing is something we value collectively as a profession. We have found that being the editor (or editors) on a collaborative project is a meaningful way to contribute to the literature related to our work and research in addition to strengthening our professional skillset(s).
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.
Team up: Opportunities for writing collaborations
Interested writers have the opportunity to co-author articles with an Open Shelf regular contributor, a member of our editorial team, or another volunteer who is looking for a writing partner.
< Code of conduct/ >: Call for coding stories
These days, library staff in many departments have an interest in related issues, including coding. Pitch us your coding story ideas about HTML, Twine, Python, Jupyter Notebook and more.
Madelaina DePace
Madelaina DePace is a cataloguer for the Thames Valley District School Board in London, and previously worked cataloguing derived records at the University of…
Tiffany Ribeiro
Tiffany Ribeiro has been a Circulation and News Technician at the Ontario Legislative Library for three-and-a-half years after graduating from Seneca College’s Library and…
Sara Holder
Sara Holder is Associate Professor and Head of Research and Information Services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library. Prior to joining the…