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  • BLOG HOME
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    • Author Profiles
    • Five Things You Need to Know About the Library
    • Five Things to Know About University of Alberta Library – Online Edition
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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.

    Scott Library History – Part 2

    by Erin Sanderman August 3, 2023
    written by Erin Sanderman

    Welcome back. The last post explored the first decade and a half of the Scott Library. We pick-up at the dawn of the World Wide Web, which would forever change how we access information in the library and beyond. 

    Early computer workstations

    1995 to 2009 – The Internet transforms the information landscape

    A student walking into the Scott Library in 1995 would have found computer workstations intended for word processing and other basic functions scattered throughout the space, including a couple catalogue stations that used CD-Rom records of the library’s holdings. Though the Internet became more widespread in 1995, students and library users, outside of librarians, would not have widespread access to it at the Scott until the later part of the 90s. Once in the new millennium, the library as a whole embraced the digital and soon our website with an online catalogue and databases was born. You can see an early version of the Library’s website in the Wayback Machine. It would quickly become an essential tool for research and collections access as an increasing amount of periodicals and books moved to an electronic format. 

    The Reference Desk when it occupied the old Media Library space

    As the Internet became a more dominant influence, older analog technologies fell into disuse. The media library and photocopying services were decommissioned and the spaces were reallocated. The reference desk and a reference area were moved into the space occupied by the media library and the photocopying room became the ILL office. Gradually, the demand for print resources decreased, and some of the shelves in the basement were removed to make room for more study space. 

    2010 – 2023 – A move towards greater inclusivity before the end times

    In October 2010 Sundance Chief Clifford Cardinal, who was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Dentistry at the time, helped formally open the Library’s Traditional and Indigenous Healing Collection on the top floor of the Scott Library. The collection was located on the Library’s top floor and was curated with a focus on traditional healing practices from around the globe, with a special emphasis on Traditional Chinese medicine and North American Indigenous healing. Many of North American Indigenous materials will be available at the Sperber Library Indigenous Healing Collection.

    The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Traditional and Indigenous Healing Collection

    As the 2010s unfolded the library adopted a single service desk model and the reference desk and service desk were consolidated in its current location. The previous location of the reference desk, was reimagined as a lounge space with  take-a-book, leave-a-book shelves and comfy soft seating to provide students and other library users a place to relax. The library also added a self-checkout kiosk and towards the end of the decade, height adjustable desks, treadmill desks and a wider array of seating options to accommodate library patrons’ preferences and accessibility needs. Unoccupied offices on the middle floor were converted into individual study rooms. In 2018, a decision was made to move the most valuable and rare items from the Rawlinson collection to Bruce Peel Special Collections to ensure their longevity. The rest of the items in the Rawlinson collection were moved to the RCRF. 

    By the end of the 2010s it was decided that the Scott Library would move from its location in the Walter C. Mackenzie Centre, as its lease of the AHS owned space was set to end in 2024. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 and the library closed its doors temporarily from March 15 2020 until mid-August 2021. Sadly, students beginning their academic careers during this time missed out on the space during this period, but in the time since many have come to discover and rediscover the Scott since reopening. We hope that they will enjoy the Sperber library as much as they did the Scott.  

    Love us on the blog? Then you’ll love us on social media! Check us out at @uofalibrary on Instagram, & Twitter!

    This content is licenced under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Creative Commons licence.

    August 3, 2023 0 comment
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  • Scott Library History – Part 1

    by Erin Sanderman July 25, 2023
    by Erin Sanderman July 25, 2023

    The Scott Library has been in operation for almost 39 years. During its lifespan it, along with the rest of the world, has seen a multitude of changes. This post intends to shine a light on some of the (almost) forgotten aspects of the Scott’s yesteryears, before the space is but a memory… Pre-1984: A Tale of Two Libraries Before the Scott Library was a glimmer in University and Library administrators eye,…

  • Celebrating the Scott Library

    by Erin Sanderman March 30, 2023
    by Erin Sanderman March 30, 2023

    For almost 39 years the John W. Scott Library has been home to the University of Alberta Library’s health sciences collections. It has been a beloved study space for students from all disciplines and a research support resource for many in the health sciences. But, our time in the Walter C. Mackenzie Centre is coming to a close later this year; as we embark on a new era in the Geoffrey &…

  • Publications by UAlberta’s Black Academic Excellence Cohort

    by Erin Sanderman February 16, 2023
    by Erin Sanderman February 16, 2023

    February is Black History Month, where we take the time to learn and reflect upon the history and experiences of those who make up the African Diaspora. It also gives us the opportunity to celebrate the work being done by Black People to enhance our understanding of the world and who are making a difference both locally and internationally. There are several distinguished Black scholars here at the University of Alberta whose…

  • Hidden Gems: The Wiedrick Collection

    by Erin Sanderman January 31, 2023
    by Erin Sanderman January 31, 2023

    The University of Alberta Library offers access to numerous resources that are core for certain disciplines, but also really deserving of wider attention. Here is one of those gems… Attention education researchers, students and those fascinated in the evolution of school curricula! Access to primary resources related to the first one hundred years of Alberta’s education history is easier than ever through the Wiedrick Collection, available through Internet Archive.  The Wiedrick Collection…

  • Digitizing vintage media – A tale of three films

    by Erin Sanderman January 24, 2023
    by Erin Sanderman January 24, 2023

    In early December 2022 the University of Alberta Archives and Alumni Relations Events team partnered with Metro Cinema to host a screening of three recently restored and digitized silent films from the Archives’ holdings: Le charme des fleurs, Le Remplaçant and The Honor of the Law. These films have also been uploaded to and made freely available to the public through our digital audiovisual repository Aviary.  The tale of these three films…

  • Five Things to Know About the Library

    by Erin Sanderman January 4, 2023
    by Erin Sanderman January 4, 2023

    We have a library for that!  With 8 locations spread across four campuses and collections encompassing all fields of study, University of Alberta Library endeavours to provide our community with everything they need for success. Discover more about how each library can serve you.    Search our collections online Did you know that University of Alberta Library is the second largest research library in Canada? You can search our entire physical and…

  • Exam Time Well-Being: Tips, Tricks and Resources

    by Erin Sanderman November 30, 2022
    by Erin Sanderman November 30, 2022

    It’s crunch time! Projects are almost due, final exams are on the horizon and there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to get everything done. In times like this, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and forget to take care of ourselves. Here at the library we feel for you. A few of our student employees were willing to share little bits of wisdom on how they make the most of their…

  • Le service de prêt entre bibliothèques (PEB)

    by Erin Sanderman November 3, 2022
    by Erin Sanderman November 3, 2022

    La bibliothèque de l’Université de l’Alberta possède une collection assez vaste. Qu’il s’agisse de livres et de périodiques, d’articles de journaux, de vidéos et d’audio en continu, de kits divers, de jeux ou autres, les ressources à explorer ne manquent pas.  Néanmoins, nous devons parfois chercher plus loin et emprunter des documents à des bibliothèques extérieures au consortium NEOS. Nous appelons cela des prêts entre bibliothèques (PEB). Un PEB est la meilleure…

  • Hidden Gems: The New Yorker

    by Erin Sanderman November 3, 2022
    by Erin Sanderman November 3, 2022

    The University of Alberta Library subscribes to numerous resources that are core for certain disciplines, but also really deserving of wider attention. Here is one of those gems… For almost a century, The New Yorker has been a landmark source of modern literature. Short stories by noteworthy authors like Shirley Jackson, Philip Roth, Stephen King and Haruki Murakami, to name a few, have been featured in its pages. Writers working for the…

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The University of Alberta is situated on traditional Treaty 6 territory and homeland of the Métis peoples. Amiskwaciwâskahikan / ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᕀᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ / Edmonton


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