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Celebrate Indigenous History Month with us as we explore the increasingly popular genre of the graphic novel! Indigenous artists and writers have opened up the world of tribal tales, traditions and customs to a new generation of readers. Graphic novels share all the key characteristics of traditional novels but their images do the vast majority of the storytelling. Combining text and art, these books have the power to engage and through that,…

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and to celebrate we are sharing a virtual book display featuring books by Canadian authors of Asian descent. These are just a few of the talented authors adding the richness of their experiences and cultures to the Canadian literary landscape. Time to replenish your “to read” book pile! There is a plethora of titles to choose from, and this gallery is a small sampler of…

Though it seems like it in this part of the world, Hollywood is not the centre of the cinematic universe. Most nations across the world are home to creators who use film to tell stories unique to their cultural heritage. As we turn our attention toward Asia and the incredible array of nations and people who hail from it this month, let us take some time to appreciate the diverse filmic offerings…

Have you ever found yourself knee deep in researching a topic online when you come across something that sounds like a perfect fit, and then –BAM! –You run into a paywall? There is nothing worse than being so close yet so far from the information, or content, you need. Not everyone is able to, nor wants to, pay access fees or subscriptions, so what can you do? Good news intrepid learner! There…

Last month, with the help of colleagues, I created a new Wikipedia page for the Henderson’s Directories! This was a project that combined two areas of my work that I never imagined could meet! City Directories  City directories were once commonplace. In the late-18th and early-20th centuries, they helped people navigate cities and find residents & services. Today, they give us a glimpse into everyday life in the somewhat-distant past. I think…

The University of Alberta Library subscribes to numerous databases that are core for certain disciplines, but also really deserving of wider attention. Here is one of those gems… Royal College of Physicians: A Wiley Digital Archives Collection primarily relates to the history of medicine, but others may also enjoy exploring this fascinating database! This digitized archival collection contains the documentation of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). The RCP came into being…

…We have done just that: we have put Two-Spiritedness in the front, for once, and in that leading position we will walk into the future, in whatever form it will take… – Joshua Whitehead, Love after the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction This post was written by Cameron Library ISS Eric Leonhardt, in anticipation of Campus Pride week (March 8-12, 2021).  Author’s Note (Mar 26, 2021): This blog has…

Good news! The library has signed two new agreements that open up access to University of Alberta research papers. The Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) negotiated these agreements, with SAGE and PLOS, on behalf of its member libraries. CRKN is a national consortium of 81 libraries, mainly academic/research libraries, of which the U of A Library is a member. Sage Journals If you publish in one of more than 900 SAGE journals,…

Written by our guest author: Natalya Brettle Most of us grow up loving movies.  Film is an immersive form of storytelling that engages our sense of sight, sound and sometimes even touch (vibrating seats, anyone?). These stories can be both an entertaining escape from daily life and a cultural touchstone that reflects our realities.  On the other hand, popular film making hasn’t always widened its lens to offer up much variety when…

This blog post was written by Cameron Library ISS Grace Romanow as part of our continuing Black History Month series exploring Black Futures. One of the most beautiful things about technology is that it’s accessible to everyone… or is it?  What happens when the algorithm used in the creation of technology is skewed against people of colour; when the data used to train artificial intelligence is already biased against minorities based on…