Andrea Wheeldon
Andrea Wheeldon leads the Open Shelf social media team and works as a clerk at a public library. She has also managed social media for small…
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.
LivingWorks: Suicide intervention training that works
The LivingWorks Start program for suicide intervention is worth doing because a greater understanding of how to support someone who is thinking of completing suicide might help save a life.
Volunteer opportunity: Open Shelf deputy editor
The Ontario Library Association is seeking a deputy editor for Open Shelf, its online magazine. This two-year term will begin October 1, 2020.
Volunteer opportunity: Open Shelf editor-in-chief
The Ontario Library Association is seeking an editor-in-chief for Open Shelf, its online magazine. This two-year term will begin February 1, 2021.
New interactive APA tutorial: Use it, adapt it!
A team at the University of Alberta (UAlberta) Library in Edmonton, Alberta has created an OER in Pressbooks to support students learning to use the American Psychological Association academic style.
Working from home: Printing is essential!
Working from home has been a necessity during the pandemic and it can be expensive. Maybe public policy makers need to think more carefully about how essential services are defined in a public health crisis.
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.
No screen sharing, no instruction?
Teaching in a virtual environment is challenging, particularly when we depend on others to provide basic support, such as screen sharing. Evan our love for technology cannot overcome some disruptions.
Amplifying the voices of school libraries: Spotlight on Jane Dennis-Moore
In this on-going series, we feature the work being done Canadian school library learning commons. This month spotlights the work of Jane Dennis-Moore, who works in the Peel District School Board. Jane is an incredible advocate for student voice and embedding creativity into her library practice.
Library and museum support for the Ainu People of Japan
Two Japanese professionals on the role that libraries and museums in Japan can play in promoting the knowledge and cultures of the Ainu People.
Library tech services are crucial to social well-being during a pandemic
Core tech services such as internet connectivity and access to computing devices are crucial to those people who do not have an alternate means of access in their local communities.
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.