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news.library.ualberta.ca
  • BLOG HOME
  • About
    • Author Profiles
    • Five Things You Need to Know About the Library
    • Cinq choses à savoir sur la bibliothèque
  • Collections
  • Community
  • Wellness
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    • Cinq choses à savoir sur la bibliothèque
Author

Erin Sanderman

Erin Sanderman

Former blog overlord, U of A grad, film enthusiast and former Information Services Specialist at the Scott Library. I still like my tea hot and cheap, and my sentences pithy.

    Primary Sources Highlighting Black History

    by Erin Sanderman February 24, 2022
    written by Erin Sanderman

    For those of us interested in learning more about an aspect of history, primary sources are invaluable to understanding past societies and events. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a primary source is a document, image, map, object or information source contemporary to an era or event. They offer a window into various historical periods by capturing aspects them as expressed by those living through them – not unlike a time machine. As we reflect on the history of the African Diaspora, here are a few places where you can find primary sources related to Black history.


    “Group celebrating Hazel Hayes win as first Alberta Association for the Advancement of Colored People (AAACP) Queen, Calgary, Alberta.”, [ca. 1958-07-02], (CU2230192) by . Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.  

    Continental Africa

    We have an entire page of resources where primary sources from Africa can be found, but here are a few key resources worth checking out.

    Lithograph depicting the arrival of Europeans on the coast of Africa. 1795. From the Schomburg Photographs and Prints Division (Print Collection – Africa – Life and Customs). From Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice
    • Black Short Fiction and Folklore from Africa and the African Diaspora
    • World Heritage Sites – Africa
    • Struggle for Freedom – Southern Africa

    United States

    Last year I covered the open access database Black Freedom Struggle in the United States as a part of our Black History month celebration (2021). There are a number of other resources home to primary sources related to the lives and experiences of African Americans from the early days of slavery to contemporary lives and activism on our American History Subject Guide. Start with these ones:

    • African American Communities
    • African American Newspapers 1827-1998
    • Black Liberation Army and the Program of Armed Struggle
    • Black Nationalism and the Revolutionary Action Movement: The Papers of Muhammad Ahmad (Max Stanford)
    • Black Thought and Culture
    • Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice
    Chicago Urban League, ‘Equal Opportunities, Equal Results’
    University of Illinois at Chicago Library, Special Collections
    From African American Communities

    Canada

    Finding primary sources related to the history of Black Canadians is a little less straight forward. That said, with a little tenacity there are some incredible items waiting to be discovered. Here are a few resources to start with:

    • Alberta on Record 
    • ARCHIVESCANADA.ca 
    • Library and Archives Canada
    • UCalgary Digital Collections

    There are many other sources related to primary resources that you can access through the library related to parts of the world not covered in this post. The easiest way to find them is through our Primary Source subject guide.

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  • BHM: Celebrating Black Feminist Thought

    by Erin Sanderman February 3, 2022
    by Erin Sanderman February 3, 2022

    “Usually, when people talk about the “strength” of black women . . . . they ignore the reality that to be strong in the face of oppression is not the same as overcoming oppression, that endurance is not to be confused with transformation.” ― bell hooks The world has been blessed by the existence of many extraordinary Black women who have called out the ongoing injustices that plague society. The history and…

  • Winter Reads: Embracing the wondrous wintery world

    by Erin Sanderman January 25, 2022
    by Erin Sanderman January 25, 2022

    As those new to Edmonton quickly learn winter takes up a significant portion of the year. Complain all you want, but it doesn’t change the days or (shudder) weeks of extreme cold, snow storms and bone chilling winds. It has also provoked many inquisitive folks to investigate various aspects of winter. Knowledge is power and understanding is a first step towards acceptance. We’ve covered how to dress for the season, but let’s…

  • BIBLIOTHÈQUE À DISTANCE : Votre guide de la bibliothèque pour l’hiver 2022

    by Erin Sanderman January 7, 2022
    by Erin Sanderman January 7, 2022

    Bonjour ! Alors que nous commençons ce nouveau trimestre en ligne, ou si vous continuez à travailler et à étudier virtuellement, voici un rappel de tout ce que la bibliothèque a à offrir en ligne. Pour vous aider à naviguer toutes les façons dont la bibliothèque de l’Université de l’Alberta peut répondre à vos besoins particuliers, nous avons créé la série bibliothèque à distance qui contient des informations destinées aux étudiants de…

  • Library Remotely: Your Winter 2022 Library Primer

    by Erin Sanderman January 4, 2022
    by Erin Sanderman January 4, 2022

    Greetings! As we begin this new term online, or if you are one of the many campus community members who are continuing to work and study virtually, here’s a reminder of all the library has to offer online. To help advise on all the ways University of Alberta Library can assist with your unique needs, we have created the library remotely series, with information for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well…

  • Etiquette in Vietnam

    by Erin Sanderman December 22, 2021
    by Erin Sanderman December 22, 2021

    ‘Tis the season of hosting, visiting and making merry — with the COVID caveat that we keep our social groupings small. With that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about customs and etiquette in Vietnam. So if your small holiday gathering includes someone who is from Vietnam, or if you are planning a trip to this beautiful nation (COVID willing) in the future, here are a few…

  • Fun Facts About Vietnam

    by Erin Sanderman December 6, 2021
    by Erin Sanderman December 6, 2021

    This December we’re turning our attention towards the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam and some of the wonderful aspects of Vietnamese culture. Vietnam and China have been entwined throughout their histories due to the Chinese Empire’s expansion into Southeast Asia in 3rd Century BC. As a result, Vietnamese culture demonstrates a Chinese influence. Despite this, and the influence of 19th and early 20th century French colonial powers, Vietnam retains a distinctive flavour.…

  • Early Learning Resources: Another reason to get your L-Pass

    by Erin Sanderman November 9, 2021
    by Erin Sanderman November 9, 2021

    Earlier this year LearnAlberta’s Online Reference Centre (ORC) ceased to exist. This meant the end of UAlberta access to resources like the Britannica Online School Edition K-12, PebbleGo and Gale Science in Context. Fear not, gentle educators and education students. Just because we no longer have access to these resources doesn’t mean there aren’t other options available to UAlberta folks. Our friends at Edmonton Public Library (EPL) have many resources related to…

  • Fiction by Nigerian Authors

    by Erin Sanderman October 14, 2021
    by Erin Sanderman October 14, 2021

    As was indicated in our earlier post with some of the fun and interesting facts about Nigeria, the country has a rich literary scene. We are fortunate to have books from many prominent Nigerian authors here at University of Alberta Library, as well as many of our partnering NEOS libraries. For today’s post we’ve focused on a sampling of adult fiction by Nigerian authors that are worth checking out. This is just…

  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

    by Erin Sanderman September 27, 2021
    by Erin Sanderman September 27, 2021

    This Thursday, September 30 marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. All University of Alberta Library locations will be closed to mark this day. On this solemn day, Canadians will reflect on our grievous past, particularly the incarceration and abuse of Indigenous children in Residential Schools. We encourage all members of the University of Alberta community to wear an Orange shirt and consider this past and how we can do better now…

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