Where does all the time go?
Time vanishes, and quickly these days. Just like Batman disappears on Commissioner Gordon. Do you ever see yourself as Commissioner Gordon these days?
Drew Hayden Taylor: A contemporary storyteller
Ojibway playwright Drew Hayden Taylor visited Thunder Bay last March. In her last podcast of this series for Open Shelf, contributor Sam Bird took the chance to sit down with this celebrated Indigenous storyteller.
“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.
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.
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.
Cultural diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Suzanne Fernando works as a Services Specialist at the Toronto Public Library (TPL) in the Children’s Services Department.
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.
Jami van Haaften
Jami van Haaften is a professional librarian living in Sault Ste. Marie. She retired from Health Sciences North in 2014 after 19 years of…
Joanne Rumig
Joanne Rumig (BA, MLIS) is the Head of Access Services at the Carleton University Library. In her portfolio, she manages and leads all operations…
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.
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?"
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.
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.