Toronto Metropolitan University Library is pleased to announce the appointment of John Papadopoulos as the Library’s inaugural Head Law Librarian. John holds a Master of Information Studies and J.D. from the University of Toronto (U of T), and is an accomplished scholar and instructor in the areas of legal research and writing. He has held the position of adjunct instructor at the Faculty of Information and Faculty of Law, U of T, where he also spent six years as Chief Law Librarian at the Bora Laskin Law Library. John has over 20 years experience working in academic and firm law libraries including his most recent position as the Director of the John W. Graham Library & Trinity College Archives at U of T.

As Head Law Librarian, John will be responsible for building a robust and innovative law library branch including a rich collection of quality legal resources, an outstanding legal research instructional program, and student focused services customized to meet Ryerson’s unique law curriculum. John will be joining the Library’s leadership team, reporting to the Chief Librarian, while also working closely with the new Dean of Law and law faculty members as they welcome the first cohort of students in 2020. “I am looking forward to taking on this challenge and to being part of the strong team at Toronto Metropolitan University Library. Ryerson’s new Faculty of Law presents the Library with an exciting opportunity to develop a unique kind of law library essential for the success of the School’s innovative programming,” says John.

John will also be joining the librarian collegium and will be a key member of the TRSM/LAW liaison team where he will offer important contributions to the Library’s growing support of SRC. 

“I am thrilled that John is joining the Ryerson Library team in this important new role. It is a fabulous opportunity to create a new specialized branch library, and I know John has the leadership experience and expertise needed for success,” says Chief Librarian, Carol Shepstone. 

John will join the Library team on February 10, 2020.

This fall, the Library celebrated the launch of Imprinting Canada: The McGraw-Hill Ryerson Press Collection—an online exhibit highlighting the Library’s largest single gift-in-kind donation to date.

The Ryerson Press Collection arrived at the University Library towards the end of 2016. It includes nearly 3000 books published between 1862 and 1970, and 2000 documents including letters and author contracts, all from what was once the largest publisher in Canada.

The publishing company, originally founded in 1829, evolved into the Methodist Book and Publishing House, and eventually became Ryerson Press in 1919. In 1920, Lorne Pierce joined the firm as literary advisor, and was soon promoted to general editor–a role he remained in for another 38 years. During his tenure, Pierce embarked on an ambitious cultural publishing program to promote Canadian literature, history and art. 

In 1970, the press was sold to McGraw-Hill Canada, and became known as McGraw-Hill Ryerson. While the company had roots in publishing religious materials and trade books, it also launched the careers of a number of notable Canadian authors, poets and illustrators. Among the collection are first editions of Alice Munro’s first book, Dance of the Happy Shades, and works by Canadian poets such as A.M. Klein, Earle Birney, Miriam Waddington and Al Purdy, as well as book illustrations by several members of the Group of Seven.

Shortly after the collection arrived at the Ryerson Library, three book historians took note of the opportunities presented by the donation. Eager to promote its research capacity, Ryerson Librarian Val Lem, Professor Ruth Panofsky, Department of English at Ryerson, and Dr. Janet Friskney, Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies at York University, set out to secure a SSHRC Connections Grant to create an online exhibit of the collection. Expressing interest in the project, Ryerson Librarian, Sally Wilson,  Professor Art Seto, School of Graphic Communications Management at Ryerson, and former Executive Vice President of McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Clive Powell, also joined the team.

Their efforts paid off and in November 2017 they were awarded the SSHRC grant. Ryerson Library also provided in-kind support for the project, and some additional funds were granted by the Faculty of Arts and an external donor. 

“The funding allowed us to hire a graphic communications intern to help create the website images. As well, graduate English students wrote case studies, and external scholars were recruited to contribute chapters, essays or case studies in their areas of expertise,” said Lem. 

The project also provided opportunities for undergraduate students to work with and study the collection. “Undergraduate students registered in the graphics communication course The Art of the Book were encouraged to write essays on aspects of the collection,” notes Lem, adding that “four of the papers were modified for inclusion in the website.” 

Two years later, after all contributions and graphic work was complete, the exhibit launched in October 2019. The website, designed to replicate the format of a book, can be explored through chapters, essays, and case studies each highlighting different sections of the collection. The project shines a spotlight on the significance of the collection, which Lem notes “will continue to inspire new research in the years ahead.”

Echoing Lem, regarding the scholarly importance of the collection, Chief Librarian, Carol Shepstone adds, “the McGraw-Hill Ryerson Press Collection provides our students and faculty with a rich source of academic research materials, and its long history offers insights into many aspects of Canadian studies in the making. There is endless potential for fascinating projects by a broad range of scholars.”

In February 2019, the Library launched a new grant offering students an opportunity to receive funding, mentorship, and access to Library resources allowing them to develop a personal project that addressed a systemic social issue.

Aptly titled the Creators Grant, this new program hit the ground running after careful consideration and development through the Library’s Isaac Olowolafe Jr. Digital Media Experience Lab (DME). 

Four students were ultimately selected, whose ideas and applications surpassed expectations.

On Thursday, November 14, those four student recipients of the 2019 Library Creators Grant showcased the fruits of their labours during an engaging evening presentation that highlighted their innovation, creativity and learned skills.

Agents of Change: the Disability Edge by Paul Benson

Paul Benson, is a second-year student in Ryerson’s Disabilities Studies program, Faculty of Community Services. He applied for the grant determined to create a documentary that drew attention to “the positive changes that people with disabilities make in the world based on their experiences,” said Benson.

After receiving the grant, he immediately set out to accomplish his film. He set up interviews, used Library resources and worked with mentors selected through the Library DME “who guided [him] through the process of making a short documentary,” said Benson.

Agents of Change: the Disability Edge was screened at the showcase event. His impressive film, which he plans to submit to the Reel Ability Film Festival, is an informative and enlightening look at the work people with disabilities are doing to create change in their communities and the world. 

Untamed Roots by Hansel Igbavboa

When Hansel Igbavboa, a third-year student in the Entrepreneurship & Strategy program at the Ted Rogers School of Management, received the Creators Grant, his intent was to create a multimedia art installation, incorporating 360 video, which would celebrate the beauty and culture of black peoples’ hair. From the start, the project was an ambitious undertaking that would lead Igbavboa Guyana to document his own heritage, African culture and headress traditions. 

Throughout the process, he realized he needed to reduce scope in order to complete the project within the given timeframe of the grant. In doing so, he refocused efforts and completed a vibrant photo exhibition titled Untamed Roots. “Hair is a big part of my life and part of my identity. It helps me express myself,” said Igbavboa. Using Library resources, including print and digital collections, photo equipment and editing software, Igbavboa “hopes black folks can identify with the project and learn more about the history of black hair.” 

Kaleidoscope Light Prism by Kelly Bang

Kelly Bang, a third-year architecture student, applied for the Creators Grant with the idea, and a plan, to create kaleidoscopic light prisms that address public safety on campus. As alternatives to the planters on Gould Street, Bang’s prisms “encourage social interactions and make spaces feel safer,” said Bang. 

While working on the project, Bang relied on the mentorship provided through the grant, as well as tools and resources available through the Library DME and Collaboratory. The result of her hard work and perseverance was an original and remarkable prototype of a prism. Bang displayed the prototype while discussing her process with the project. Without lights, it presented as a fun, and whimsical art installation, which would playfully reflect sunlight during the day. When the lights turned off, and the prism lights turned on, the room erupted in awe. The prism lit up beautifully, achieving the reaction Bang had hoped for. While addressing public safety by increasing lighting within public spaces, Bang’s hope for the project is that “it also becomes an opportunity for people to be able to take a moment out of their day and immerse themselves with the art.”
 

Harm Reduction TO by Alannah Fricker

Alannah Fricker was the final presenter of the evening. A fourth-year social work student in the Faculty of Community Services, Fricker presented her website Harm Reduction TO. As part of the Ryerson Harm Reduction team, she applied for the grant with the intent to further complete a website that addresses drug use and sexual health stigma.

Fricker, who has also worked in Ryerson’s Office of Social Innovation, worked with Library DME mentors, Librarians and used Library resources to enhance her project management, content creation, and ‘front end’ design skills as well as UX assessment techniques. Through extensive research, and managing team members and their contributions, the result of the project is a comprehensive resource, which provides “evidence-based harm reduction information, community supports, materials for skill development, and resources to promote community safety and well-being,” said Fricker.
 

The showcase was an exciting event. All students presented inspiring and thoughtful projects, which they intend to continue to work on, update and improve. 

“The evening highlighted the creativity, passion and innovation of Ryerson students. It was such a pleasure to see the amazing work of these four grant recipients and to see the many ways the process advanced their learning and digital literacy skills,” said Shepstone. “We are so pleased to see how these students embraced these grants and this unique experiential learning opportunity.”

Event details:

On Thursday, Nov. 14 student recipients of the 2019 Library Creators Grant showcased their grant projects.

These dynamic projects, which ranged from documentary film to kaleidoscopic light prisms, each addressed specific social issues that impact our lives, our city, and our culture.

RSVP: bit.ly/2019creatorsgrant

Date: Thursday, Nov. 14

Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: Toronto Metropolitan University Library, 4th Fl, LIB 405

Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in partnership with the Library, host Enhanced Citizenship Ceremony

On Wednesday, November 13, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, in partnership with the Library hosted a special citizenship ceremony, themed Innovation and Entrepreneurs. 

New citizens were welcomed during an enhanced ceremony that took place on the 8th floor of the Student Learning Centre. 

Proceedings began with remarks and smudging offered by Elder Wendy Philips, and roundtable discussions facilitated by Librarians and Library staff. The discussions provided opportunities for new citizens, family and friends to come together and share stories about their journeys to citizenship and what it means to them to be Canadian. 

Having an opportunity to listen to these stories, Library facilitators felt honoured to be a part of the days events. “Being a facilitator was an amazing experience, it was a joy to meet such a diverse group of people, and to be there at the start of their lives as Canadian citizens. The stories they told were incredible to hear, both funny and poignant,” said Namir Ahmed, Library DME Coordinator. 

Following roundtable discussions, the official citizenship ceremony began with Judge Hardish Dhaliwal presiding over proceedings and asking the platform party– including Ryerson President, Mohamed Lachemi and DMZ Executive Director, Abdullah Snobar, to assist with the presentation of certificates.

During his remarks as a member of the platform party, President Lachemi welcomed all citizens, their families and friends to the Ryerson campus on behalf of the University and the Library.

“It was a privilege for the Library to have the opportunity to partner with the ICC, and IRCC to host this special ceremony. Listening to the new citizens’ stories was truly inspiring and highlighted the inclusive, diverse, welcoming community we all work in at Ryerson,” Carol Shepstone, Chief Librarian, Toronto Metropolitan University Library.

As the ceremony concluded, all participants—as well as Ryerson community members and students—were invited to a reception in celebration of their new citizenship.

Denise O’Malley-Farrell

Q: What does today mean to you?

A: I’m really excited to be a Canadian, and become a Canadian today. I’m happy to have been here for 7 years, and I look forward to seeing more of Canada, exploring the country, and meeting all the new people, and exploring the diversity that Canada has.

Arora Family

Q: In one word, how do you feel about becoming a Canadian citizen?

A: Kurangi Arora: I feel excited today.

Parveen Arora: I feel amazed today.

Puja Arora: And, I feel privileged to be here.

(left to right)

Event details:

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and the Toronto Metropolitan University Library celebrated 52 new Canadian citizens during an enhanced citizenship ceremony.

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 13

Time: 10 a.m.

Location: 8th Floor SLC Building

Join us on Thursday, August 22 for Queering Canadian Wikipedia Edit-a-thon.

Ryerson Library edit-a-thons are for beginners, experts, and everyone in between. Join us on our wiki-editing quest to lift voices, and improve knowledge and representation. All members of the Ryerson community are welcome, as well as community members interested in the topic.

Date: Thursday, August 22 2019

Time: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Theme: Queering Canadian Wikipedia

Location: Ryerson Library Collaboratory, enter through yellow door, SLC 3rd floor

Laptops: Bringing your own laptop is encouraged; a limited number of laptops will be available for those who are unable to bring their own.

On April 30, 2019, the Centre for Digital Humanities (CDH), and Toronto Metropolitan University Library, hosted Digital Diversity @ Ryerson, a symposium that highlighted the launch of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada (LGLC) website. The new resource provides online access to a significant collection of information that chronicles the lesbian and gay liberation movement from its inception in 1964, with the formation of the first gay liberation organization, to the 1981 AIDS crisis.

The completion of the digital project has been five years in the making, unless you consider the text on which it’s based. Then, all in, it’s been over two decades of work chronicling a movement and transcribing it into digital format.

In 1996, Don McLeod, a Librarian at the University of Toronto published volume one of a ground-breaking two volume set titled Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada. The book methodically chronicles ‘the people, places, legislation, protests, publications and organizations that defined the LGBT movement in Canada’ from 1964 to 1975.

The second volume of this impeccable historical achievement, covering 1976 to 1981, wouldn’t be published for another 20 years. Together, the volumes represent a remarkable undertaking that provides a detailed account of people, places and events spanning 17 years of a movement that brought an enormous amount of awareness and change to Canadians, and Canadian culture and society.

In 2011, five years before the second volume was to be published in 2016, Michelle Schwartz, a Librarian and Researcher from New York who had recently relocated to Toronto, was working at Ryerson and volunteering at the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives [now the ArQuives]. At Ryerson she met Ryerson-York PhD candidate Constance Crompton, and the two decided to join forces to begin encoding McLeod’s work into digital format, with the intent of creating an accessible online resource.

“At the time, I was volunteering at the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, and had become familiar with McLeod’s book as a key reference work for researchers in LGBTQ history” says Schwartz.  “Constance was working on another digital project, the Yellow Nineties, and we often talked about how McLeod’s chronology was the perfect candidate for digitization. Having the text in a digital format would allow us to ask all sorts of questions about the data contained in the book that wouldn’t be possible with a paper copy.”

In 2014, Schwartz and Crompton secured Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funding for the project. Crompton, who had since graduated and was now a faculty member at UBC’s Okanagan campus, had remained in contact with her Ryerson PhD supervisor Lorraine Janzen Kooistra from the Department of English and the founding Co-Director of CDH. Janzen Kooistra had been a supporter of the LGLC project from the beginning, encouraging and collaborating on its development. CDH had been established in 2012 (it is now housed on the  4th floor of the Library) with a mission to engage “in collaborative  transdisciplinary scholarship, research, and creativity (SRC) at the critical intersection of the material and the digital, contributing to scholarly and societal knowledge about cultural objects, makers, and communities.” The LGLC project checked all the boxes for CDH and as the project grew, so too did support from the CDH community. Janzen Kooistra notes, “all members of the CDH community—students, faculty, staff, librarians, and partners—have benefited enormously from the opportunity to collaborate on this ground-breaking, intersectional and interdisciplinary project in open public scholarship.”

Over the course of the next five years, Schwartz and Crompton–with the help of undergraduate and graduate research assistants from Ryerson, University of British Columbia Okanagan, University of Ottawa, and Simon Fraser University–would create a remarkable database of McLeod’s work. The project, while transcribing the published text into a digital format, also set out to build on the books. Schwartz and Crompton note, “we have both expanded Don McLeod’s pioneering content and provided new ways of searching and organizing it,” adding that “the publicly accessible website (lgcl.ca) provides users with access to interconnected links with location information for the places mentioned, biographical information of the people involved, and citations drawn from periodicals, newsletters, and archival sources.”

As the project came to fruition it required a platform on which it could be supported. Schwartz and Crompton reached out to Toronto Metropolitan University Library’s Chief Librarian, Carol Shepstone and the Head of Library Information Technology Services, Fangmin Wang. As a leader in adopting emerging technology and building innovative programming and services, the Library welcomed the opportunity to partner with CDH, and Schwartz and Crompton, to provide a platform and hosting support. In addition to hosting the website the Library’s expertise in digital publishing and scholarship gave the project additional backing in relation to developing and sustaining an open access publication. The partnership between CDH, the Library, and the LGLC project team, was an ideal fit.

Now complete, the LGLC website is a robust online resource built from and extending McLeod’s original work. It consists of over 34,000 enriched records of people, places, and events; includes additional social aspects of Canadian LGBTQ history, such as poetry readings, protests, legislative change and book launches; and highlights that the gay liberation movement did not exclusively take place in urban centers. In fact, the LGLC site references 350 cities, 900 locations, and 3,430 people.

A key feature of the site is the ability for users to chart their own path through the movement, uncovering stories of a particular person, city, organization, or year.

Reflecting on the value and depth of the project, Chief Librarian Carol Shepstone notes “the Library is thrilled to partner and support this important scholarly and community resource, which contributes to centring LGBTQ history in Canada.”

After two decades of work, the volumes and the collaborative project mark an enormous accomplishment, which details an important period of history and provides an accessible resource pertinent to Canadian culture and society

Join us on Thursday, May 23 for the 2019 GLAM Wiki Summit

Learn about the ways Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, and the Wikimedia Commons can increase the impact of collections and provide opportunities for community engagement with Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums.

Keynote by: Effie Kapsalis, Senior Digital Program Officer, American Women’s History Initiative, Smithsonian Institute

Date: Thursday, May 23, 2019

Time: 9 a.m. –  4 p.m.

Location: Room LIB 405, Toronto Metropolitan University Library

80 Gould Street

Toronto Metropolitan University

Cost: $25 tickets (includes lunch, coffee, and snacks)

Register at: bit.ly/2019GLAMWikiregistration

Toronto Metropolitan University Library’s 2019 DME Creators Grant recipients are charging ahead, kicking-off the development of five unique passion projects that will showcase new ways of addressing current social issues. The grant—highlighting the experiential learning and digital literacy opportunities available to students through the Library—provides funding and mentorship to students for, and throughout the development of the individual student works. Over the next four months, five undergraduates will embark on developing projects aimed at tackling local and systemic societal issues, culminating in public presentation of completed work in early September.

Here’s a peek at the innovative projects to come:

Kelly Bang, second-year, Architectural Science, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

What will you create over the next four months?

I’ll be creating “Kaleidoscope Light Prisms” as an equitable and vibrant alternative to the planters on Gould Street. The goal is to achieve a series of prisms with built-in kaleidoscopes that reflect sunlight onto the pavement during the day, and that are interactive. At night, they will light up from within to create outdoor lamps that brighten the street.

What social issue are you addressing?

Walking through campus at night, it quickly becomes apparent there is not enough life or sense of safety on the streets. The project will address issues of safety on campus, especially at night, as well as the lack of social engagement and inclusion on campus.

What new skills are you looking forward to learning at the DME that will help you complete your project?

I hope to learn how to utilize digital fabrication tools such as 3D printing and 3D digital modelling.

What skills are you excited to gain through this mentorship opportunity?

I think that I will be able to gain technical skills as well as learn about how projects are brought to fruition.

Paul Benson, first-year, Disability Studies, School of Disability Studies,
Faculty of Community Services

What will you create over the next four months?

I will be working on a documentary (the working title is Agents of Change: The Disability Edge) that showcases persons with disabilities who are agents of social change. The documentary will highlight disability issues in a positive and creative way.

What social issue are you addressing?

The project will address the undervaluing of the contributions of Persons with disabilities (PwDs) within society. PwDs are at times viewed as limited in what they can, and do contribute to society. They are sometimes even seen as a burden. There is overwhelming evidence that PwDs are, and can be exceptional contributors – often in ways that are based on the result of their experiences with disabling conditions.

What new skills are you looking forward to learning to complete your project?

Professional quality video capture, video editing, titling, and capturing.

What do you think you’ll gain through mentorship opportunity?

An understanding of all components of a documentary project from video capture to final product.

Alannah Fricker, third-year, Social Work, Faculty of Community Services

What project will you create over the next four months?

I am going to be working on a harm reduction website that supports student safety and includes a public health approach to substance use at Ryerson.

What social issue will your project address?

The website will provide students with evidence-based harm reduction information, supports, skills, and resources to promote safety; explore viable alternatives to prohibitionist drug policies that disproportionately affect Black and Indigenous people and other marginalized communities; and will educate about intersectional oppression, challenge drug use stigma, and address problematic myths, stereotypes, and language.

What new skills are you looking forward to learning at the DME that will help you complete your project?

I’d like to learn project management skills, user experience (UX) and web layout design, and how to develop an online store set-up.

What skills are you excited to gain through this mentorship opportunity?

I think mentorship will help with design and implementation, managing my research team, and having structured goals and timelines.

Hansel Igbavboa, third-year, Entrepreneurship & Strategy, Ted Rogers School of Management

What will you create over the next four months?

I’ll be working on a mixed media interactive short film celebrating the beauty of Black people’s hair. It will incorporate photography, videography, 3D modelling, music and spoken word with elements of traditional documentary film techniques, producing a creative audio-visual sequence.

What social issue are you addressing?

Discrimination against Black people and their hair. Black people are not only discriminated against for their skin colour, but we are also discriminated against for the texture of our hair and the nonconformity of our hairstyles. Although the film will touch on the struggles Black people endure, it will focus on celebrating the beauty of our hair, especially centering Black women.

What new skills are you looking forward to learning at the DME that will help you complete your project?

3D modelling, virtual reality storytelling, audio editing and lighting

What skills are you excited to gain through this mentorship opportunity?

I hope to gain some of the skills listed above and get new and interesting insight into the media industry. I’m hoping that will allow me to continue telling stories and sharing perspectives that are buried in stereotypes.

Library Speaker Series

Research Libraries and Digital Humanities: “Either this is madness or it is hell”

Universities and research libraries continue to experience significant global changes as a result of a rapid shift to a digital knowledge economy. Within an ever-changing environment, full of ambiguity and required flexibility, successful research is increasingly conducted via valued interdisciplinary collaborators and research partners.

Jonathan Bengtson, University Librarian, University of Victoria, will discuss emerging trends
at the intersection of research libraries and digital humanities, casting an inspiring vision for
how new paradigms of research can enable innovation and even unanticipated surprises.

SPEAKER

Jonathan Bengtson is the University Librarian at the University of Victoria. He is the founder and
managing editor of KULA: knowledge creation, dissemination, and preservation studies, and the
current President of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries.

Date: Monday, May 6, 2019
Time: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Toronto Metropolitan University Library, 4th Floor, LIB 405