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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.