Truth and Reconciliation Commission Closing Events Streaming at Cameron Library

On June 2, 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) will release its final report on Indian Residential Schools in Canada.  TRC is also hosting a 4-day closing event in Ottawa, Ontario from May 31 to June 3. It is working with its national partners to host events in cities and regions across Canada.

The University of Alberta, the City of Edmonton, the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, the Province of Alberta’s Ministry of Aboriginal Relations, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada-Alberta Region, the Edmonton Catholic School Board and the Edmonton Public School Board are partnering to deliver local events commemorating this historic milestone in our collective history.

Come to Cameron Library at University of Alberta Libraries to view any of the following events, which will be live streamed on June 1st and 2nd.

Monday, June 1, 2015: TRC Education Day

• 8:00-8:15 AM: Welcome by Commissioner, Opening Prayer and Qulliq Lighting
• 8:25-9:40 AM: Breaking Stereotypes
• 10:15-11:30 AM: Youth Dialogue Panel
• 11:40 AM-12:10 PM: Celebration of Hope and Reconciliation

Tuesday, June 2, 2015: TRC Findings Report Release Day

• 7:00-7:15 AM: Honourary Witness Induction
• 7:15-9:00 AM: Honourary Witness Talking Circle
• 9:00-10:30 AM: Release of the TRC Findings on Indian Residential Schools
• 11:15 AM-12:00 PM: Response from Parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement

For More Information

• View the live webcast of these events online
• Visit the City of Edmonton's Truth and Reconciliation Closing Events page for other live Streaming location and events
• Read more about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Sarah Polkinghorne Selected as Peer Mentor for Librarians' Research Institute

The Canadian Association of Research Libraries [CARL] recently announced the 2015 Peer Mentors for this year's Librarians' Research Institute [LRI], which will be hosted by Simon Fraser University in June.  We are very pleased to share that Sarah Polkinghorne, Subject Librarian for Art & Design, Drama, and Psychology in UAL's Rutherford Library, has been selected to serve in this capacity.

LRI Peer Mentors have a proven research record and an active, sustained research agenda.  In consultation with program leaders, they develop and deliver the content to participants. The Institute also provides an opportunity for Peer Mentors to connect with the other librarians doing a similar level of research in Canada, and meet institute participants from across the country.

Ithaka Faculty Survey Results Now Available

University of Alberta Libraries [UAL] recently sought feedback from faculty about the impact of digital information technologies on their research and teaching. All University of Alberta faculty were invited to participate in the survey via email, which ran from December 22, 2014 through the end of January, 2015.  The survey gathered benchmark data in the areas of:

• Data Preservation and Management
• Discovery
• Role of the Library
• Student Research Skills
• Digital Research Activities
• Formats
• Market Research

The survey results are now available below.  These survey findings will have great value to our institution in tracking how scholarly practices and attitudes are evolving.  They also confirm many of our current directions, and will help us to develop and implement strategies for supporting faculty needs in a rapidly changing environment.

• Read the University of Alberta Faculty Survey: Report of Findings
• Read the Faculty Survey Feedback
• Read the UAL Response to Feedback
• Share your feedback on the faculty survey results and response with us
• Visit the Ithaka S + R web site to learn more about the survey and to view previous survey results

Nancy Goebel Winner of Women and Gender Studies Award

Nancy Goebel, head librarian at the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta, is the winner of the 2015 Association of College and Research Libraries [ACRL] Women and Gender Studies Section [WGSS] Award for Significant Achievement in Women and Gender Studies Librarianship. The WGSS award honors a significant or one-time contribution to women and gender studies librarianship.

In 2009, Nancy adapted the idea of a human library from a human rights NGO program in Denmark for an academic context. Conducted twice a year, the augustana human library is an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and community members to learn about the experiences of another person in a structured and safe space for both the Reader and the Human Book. Its goals are to create opportunities for individuals to learn and share experiences, develop tools for mutual respect and respect for human dignity and to provide occasion for Readers to reflect on their own experiences and prejudices. Students are encouraged to think about and explore the connections between what they learn from the human library conversations and traditional scholarly materials and research, providing rich opportunities to see first-hand how qualitative work can inform and deepen our knowledge of the world.

"The committee was so impressed by the impact this unique and innovative program is having on the Augustana community," said award Chair Heather Tompkins, reference and instruction librarian for the humanities at Carleton College. "Many of the narratives in the human library in 2014 focus on experiences deeply relevant to women and gender studies: students, and community members, including balancing motherhood and school, challenging transphobia, and healing from sexual abuse. Nominators spoke at length about the ways this project fosters connections, promotes understanding, and provides deep learning experiences."

"The words engagement, compassion, and life-changing came up frequently when faculty who have been involved with the human library, either as Human Books, Readers, or professors using this resource in their courses," noted Tompkins. "One recommender said, 'The notion of human libraries being a place to promote understanding and compassion through exploring prejudice and stereotyping by the narratives of those volunteering to be read is powerful. The augustana human library helps our fundamental humanity emerge through bringing people together for inquiry and dialogue.' Nancy’s leadership and role in positioning the library as a leader and facilitator in this kind of inquiry and dialogue make it an exemplary program to serve women and gender studies students and faculty, and to encourage thoughtful engagement with gender on campus and in the community."

Nancy herself notes that the success of the augustana human library is also due in large part to the many contributions of the Augustana Library staff.  Kara Blizzard and Tanya Pattullo, in particular, have been integral to research, coordination, and promotion of events.

• Learn more about the augustana human library and topics from past events
• Read about the history of The Human Library, and the range of activities taking place globally
• Find out more about the Association of College and Research Libraries and its Women and Gender Studies Section

Adapted from: http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2015/03/goebel-wins-2015-acrl-wgss-significant-achievement-award