Article by: Cheryl Thompson and Emilie Jabouin

In 2019, I exhibited my SSHRC-Insight Development Grant-funded research, “Newspapers, Minstrelsy and Black Performance at the Theatre: Mapping the Spaces of Nation­Building in Toronto, 1870s to 1930s,” as part of RUBIX, a showcase celebration of the Scholarly Research and Creative (SRC) activity within the Faculty of Communication and Design. At this event, I met Alison Skyrme, Special Collections librarian at Ryerson who suggested that I drop by Special Collections to examine images of blackface in the Kodak Canada Archive. 

I was struck by her invitation because it happens so rarely. Despite the fact that blackface was a popular theatrical form of entertainment from the 1830s through 1960s, performed not only in the professional theatre and in Hollywood films, but also in communities at high schools, athletic clubs, hospitals, at retail, and even summer camps, most people want to hide their blackface artefacts, they do not invite Black researchers to interrogate them. And so, one afternoon in the fall of 2019, I and my graduate student, Emilie Jabouin, scoured through the Kodak Archive’s blackface repertoire. While the images were new to me, I had prior knowledge of the important role that Kodak played in the development of photography.

Continue reading…….

The Toronto Metropolitan University Library is pleased to announce the 2020 Toronto Metropolitan University Library and Ted Rogers School Of Management OER Partnership Grant to encourage the creation and adoption of open educational resources in 1st and 2nd year Ted Rogers School Of Management courses. OER are learning materials that are openly licensed such that they are freely available to be adapted, copied, and shared. OER can be: courses, modules, textbooks, multimedia, assessments, and supplementary materials.

These grants advance the University’s priorities to foster the use of open educational practices, flexible and active learning strategies, inclusive curriculum design and technology enhanced learning. At the same time they build on Ryerson Library’s digital initiatives, expertise in Open Access and Open Education Resource publishing and dissemination, and academic priorities of access and openness. The Library is very pleased to collaborate with the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in the review and adjudication of the grants, and in the support of successful projects. A total of $40,000 is available for a two-stage TRSM project. 

Applications are due October 23rd, 2020.For more information, please see the Library OER Grants page.

Ryerson Reads is an annual campus-wide reading program for all Ryerson’s students, faculty, and staff. This year, in collaboration with Consent Comes First, the Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education, Ryerson Reads will be reading They Said This Would Be Fun by Ryerson Alumni, Eternity Martis.

This engaging book is about being a Black student on a predominantly white campus dealing with misogynoir and other forms of anti-Black racism. A book-smart kid from Toronto, Eternity  was excited to move away to Western University for her undergraduate degree. But as one of the few Black students there, she soon discovered that the campus experiences she’d seen in movies were far more complex in reality.

Register now to receive a free copy or the book (print or ebook) and learn more about the program! 

Photography by rising star Nadya Kwandibens is on display at the Ryerson Library west entrance.

The Toronto Metropolitan University Library has unveiled a large-scale public artwork by photographer Nadya Kwandibens, external link to commemorate the university’s engagement with the annual Native American Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA), external link conference. The 10 x 15.7-foot portrait is on display over the west entrance to the Library as part of the university’s commitment to increase Indigenous visibility and celebration on campus, to educate the community about Indigenous issues and to inspire meaningful conversations.

Captured in 2010, the portrait is part of Kwandibens’ Concrete Indians series, which reflects on contemporary Indigenous identity. Collaborating with subjects who volunteer their participation, she explores what urbanization means for Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island and how living in urban areas can affect one’s cultural identity.

Read the full press release in Ryerson Today

We know that the cost of textbooks and other course materials can represent a financial hurdle for students at Toronto Metropolitan University. As we approach the fall 2020 semester, Library staff are working hard to provide alternative access to the print course reserves collection in order to help mitigate some of the cost and obstacles present in our current environment. 

This fall, short-term loan print course reserves will not be available because of health considerations. A significant portion of the books on reserve are print copies of required textbooks.  To support instructors and students over the next several months, we are developing new approaches to how we make available course readings; however, textbooks remain a challenge.

Most textbook publishers do not provide electronic purchasing options for libraries. Approximately 85% of existing course textbooks are simply unavailable to libraries in any other format than print. Textbook publishers have built their profit models around selling e-textbooks directly to students. 

Despite the Library’s commitment to make copies of all required textbooks and course materials available to assist those students who are unable to purchase their own, publishers such as the following, will not allow us to purchase an e-textbook version of their publications:

• Pearson
• Cengage
• Houghton
• McGraw Hill
• Wiley
• Wadsworth
• Oxford University Press Canada (Textbook Division)
• Elsevier imprints (especially in veterinary and health science) such as:
  • Elsevier Health Science
  • Mosby
  • Saunders
• Thieme

This means that in courses that have adopted textbooks by these publishers, students who do not purchase the textbook will not have any alternative access to the textbook content. 

We are working with instructors to explore and identify viable textbook alternatives, including:

1. Using an existing e-book in the relevant subject area from the Library’s e-book collection or requesting that the Library purchase one. There are many academic e-books that aren’t considered textbooks, and are therefore available for the library to purchase. Please contact your Subject Librarian to help you.

2. Adopting an Open Educational Resource (OER). OERs are freely available educational materials that are openly licensed to allow for re-use and modification by instructors. You can find more about what is available at our OER Library Guide.  You can also consult our new OER by Discipline Guide. 

3. Creating an online course pack through Library Digital Course Reading service (eReserve) by:
   • Posting individual book chapters or excerpts and scanned copies of the content, subject to copyright limitations. Copyright permission will be sought where feasible in cases where the excerpt falls outside of fair dealing guidelines.
   • Linking to content from the Library’s existing collection of electronic resources (e-books, journal articles, streaming media, and other digital materials) or acquiring new content whenever possible. Contact reserve@ryerson.ca

Efforts will be made to secure online materials that are free from digital rights management restrictions (DRM) when possible in order to ensure unfettered student access. DRM includes limits on the number of users that can access a resource at any one time, as well as limits on copying, printing and downloading. DRM-free content is also accessible and can be used by screen readers. 

Any instructors teaching a fall course are also welcome to contact your Subject Librarian  at any time for support with sourcing their course materials 

Questions?

Email us at reserve@ryerson.ca

Thank you to University of Guelph Libraries for sharing their language in  documenting these challenges. We have adapted their notice with permission.

 

The following are suggested resources, literature (electronic format) and films in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day

 

Indigenous Literature (available to the Ryerson community online)

For additional information, visit Indigenous Literatures and Authors

 

Drama:

God and the Indian: A Play / Taylor, Drew Hayden 

Many of Taylor’s plays are available in digital format from the series: North American Indian Drama
Other First Nation writers from Canada represented in this collection include Tomson Highway, Daniel David Moses, Yvette Nolan, Marie Clements, and Shirley Cheechoo.

 

 

 

Anthologies:

My Home As I Remember / Eds. Lee Maracle and Sandra Laronde.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poetry:

Kiyâm: Poems / McIlwraith, Naomi 

 

 

 

 

 

The Thunderbird Poems / Ruffo, Armand Garnet 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miscellaneous:

Indigenous Perspectives

One Drum: Stories and Ceremonies for a Planet / Wagamese, Richard 

An Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America / King, Thomas 

The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative / King, Thomas 

Why Indigenous Literatures Matters / Justice, Daniel Heath 

Seasons of Hope: Memoirs of Ontario’s First Aboriginal Lieutenant-Governor / Bartleman, James 

Legacy: Trauma, Story, and Indigenous healing / Suzzane Methot. 

Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Issues in Canada / Vowel, Chelsea.

Unsettling Canada: A National Wake Up Call / Manuel, Arthur, and Grand Chief Ronald M. Derrickson.

 

Documentary films (available to the public online):

Colonization Road: The path of reconciliation is long and winding / CBC Docs POV

The Pass System: Life Under Segregation in Canada / Williams, Alex

We were children / Wolochatiuk, Tim (available for rent through the National Film Board)

Trick or Treaty? / Obomsawin, Alanis 

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance / Obomsawin, Alanis 

Celebrating Indigenous Storytellers Portal available from CBC Gem

 

Library subject guides (available to the Ryerson community):

Aboriginal approaches to health 

Aboriginal approaches to social work 

Aboriginal research portal 

Indigenous politics and governance 

 

Additional resource (available to the public online):

National Indigenous Peoples Day

Yellowhead Institute

 

 

The following are some suggested resources on anti-black racism. For additional resources, please refer to the Black Experience in Canada libguide. For more information about these resources, please contact: Jane Schmidt| jschmidt@ryerson.ca

 

Books (available to the Ryerson community online)

Black like who?: writing Black Canada / by Rinaldo Walcott

 

 

 

 

Teaching community : a pedagogy of hope / bell hooks

 

 

 

 

From #BlackLivesMatter to Black liberation / Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

 

 

 

 

How to be an antiracist / Ibram X. Kendi (ebook on order)

 

 

 

 

 

The End of Policing / Alex S. Vitale (available as free download from publisher)

African Canadian leadership : continuity, transition, and transformation / edited by Tamari Kitossa, Erica S. Lawson, and Philip S.S. Howard.

Films (available to the Ryerson community online)

I am not your negro / written by James Baldwin ; directed by Raoul Peck.

The hate u give

13th (Note: Netflix documentary)

 

Selected articles and reports (publicly available online) 

What Is an Anti-Racist Reading List For? / Lauren Michele Jackson

The case for reparations / Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Skin I’m In: I’ve been interrogated by police more than 50 times—all because I’m black / Desmond Cole

Black Women in Canada / Wallace, Jen Katshunga; Notisha Massaquoi; Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, City of Toronto; Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI); and Justine Wallace

Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on its mission to Canada. / UN Human Rights Council

 

Resource guides (publicly available online)

#BlackLivesCDNSyllabus 

Abolition in Canada Syllabus

Black Lives Matter Allyship and Action Guide

Introduction to Critical Race Theory / Adrienne Keene

Want to ‘meet’ at the Library? Now you can be there virtually with Zoom backgrounds! Select your preferred background from the collection below. Come here without leaving home.

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What is Zoom?

Zoom is an online meeting tool recommended for teaching-related web conferencing, especially if your classes comprise more than 100 people. All staff, faculty and teaching assistants have licensed Zoom accounts at this time. 

• Features: screensharing, breakout rooms, annotations, chat, record meetings, and more.
• Room capacity: 300 people per room.
• Delivery method: Zoom desktop app (preferred) or Chrome web client (limited features).
• Meeting length: Up to 4 hour meetings.

(reference: https://www.ryerson.ca/digital-media-projects/tools/zoom/)

The virtual background feature in Zoom allows users to display an image as the background during Zoom meetings.

How to Download the Ryerson Library images below:

• Click on chosen image, the image will open up in a new tab
• Right-click on your chosen image
• Click “Download Linked File As” and save it to your chosen location (documents, downloads, desktop, etc.)

How to Set Downloaded Image as Backdrop in Zoom once you’ve launched a Zoom meeting:

• Click on ^ next to “Stop Video” on the bottom left of your Zoom window and select “Choose Virtual Background”
• Click on the + on the right-hand side below the current image in your settings
• Click “Add Image”
• Find your saved image and select it

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The archive will serve as a repository for future research and experiential learning

The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” has proven true as the COVID-19 global pandemic has unfolded. People have searched for images that show what the virus has done to cities across the globe, and have found comfort in videos of neighbours singing together from their balconies in isolation. Ryerson Library Archives and Special Collections have created a digital home for content just like this, and are inviting the Ryerson community to contribute through an online portal. The material they receive will be used for future research and experiential learning.

Read full Ryerson Today article by Michelle Grady

Contribute to the COVID-19 digital archive

The Archives and Special Collections have posted an excellent blog dedicated to celebrating the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

Author’s  blog note: The planning for this blog started in November 2019, to tie into exhibits and other events to celebrate the World Health Organization’s declaration that 2020 would be The International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. At that time COVID-19 was not a known entity and now 5 months later we are in the midst of an international health crisis. We would like to take this moment to recognize Nurses and Midwives for all of their hard work and dedication. The Nurses who care for us and our loved ones on a day to day basis, and those who are working on the front line of this pandemic – Thank you. The Midwives who support and care for their patients and are doing so now during these unprecedented times – Thank you.

Read the full blog post Celebrating the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife