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Staff Pick: Waiting for Superman

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Cecile

New to the collection: Waiting for Superman

Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim reminds us that education “statistics” have names: Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, whose stories make up the engrossing foundation of WAITING FOR SUPERMAN. As he follows a handful of promising kids through a system that inhibits, rather than encourages, academic growth, Guggenheim undertakes an exhaustive review of public education, surveying “drop-out factories” and “academic sinkholes,” methodically dissecting the system and its seemingly intractable problems. Written by Sundance Film Festival.

Waiting for Superman is currently on Reserve in the library.

If you like this, try:
The end of education
Theories of development II
Adult-child interaction: communicating to support learning

Dancing with the Devil: Gifts in Kind

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Cecile

Toronto Metropolitan University Library & Archives is pleased to welcome Michael Moir (University Archivist and Head of the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University) on Friday, November 4 from 10:00-12:00 noon in LIB72 for a discussion entitled “Dancing with the Devil: Gifts-in-Kind, Monetary Appraisal, and Cultural Property.”

Abstract:
It’s valuable, it’s free and someone wants to give it to your institution. Sounds like a winning proposition, right? It may be, but as the Trojans discovered long ago, gifts can lead to unexpected consequences. Find out what you need to know about accepting gifts-in-kind to ensure a happy outcome for both donor and institution.

The event will begin at 10:00 with a meet and greet with light refreshments. The presentation will run from 10:30 until noon and will include time for Q&A. The presentation is open to all. We hope to see you there!

If you have questions about the event, please contact Joanna Beyersbergen at jbeyersb@ryerson.ca or (416) 979 5000 ext. 4982.

Celebrating Open Access Week in the Library

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Cecile

October 24-28 is Open Access Week. The Open Access movement is impacting scholarly communication and post-secondary education in the digital age and the library will be hosting some events this week to promote awareness of open access.

Today, Tuesday October 25, from 12:00-1:30 p.m., take a study break and join us for a film screening on the fourth floor. We will be showing RIP: A Remix Manifesto, an award-winning documentary.

On Wednesday, October 26 from 1-3 p.m., join us in the Learning Commons on the second floor of the library for the Open House. We will highlight services provided there, which will include an Open Access Zone. Come by and learn more. Refreshments will be provided and you can enter a draw to win an iPad2!

Join Digital Initiatives Librarian Brian Cameron on Thursday, October 27 from 2-3 p.m. in LIB489B for a discussion entitled Author Rights in a Digital World. This session will examine copyright transfer agreements, author addenda, and discuss open access publishing and Creative Commons Licenses.

Open Access Week – RiP: A Remix Manifesto Screening

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Sally

Tuesday October 25th; 12:00-1:30 p.m. 4th floor of the Library

RiP is an open source documentary that challenges the concept of copyright. While it focuses on music it addresses wider issues such as copyleft, open source, Creative Commons licensing, and file sharing.

“In RiP: A remix manifesto, Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers.

The film features Creative Commons founder, Lawrence Lessig, Brazil’s Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and pop culture critic Cory Doctorow.

Hallowe’en … by the numbers

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Sally

Did you know that there were 74,970 tonnes of pumpkins produced in Canada in 2010? For more interesting facts about Hallowe’en, check out Statistics Canada’s “By the numbers” Photo by dimitridf

Alcuin Society Awards

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Cecile

The Alcuin Society recently hosted its awards for excellence in Canadian book design. The library currently has a set of the trade books on loan. We have created two displays of the materials: one across from the Reference Desk on the second floor, and a second display on the fourth floor near Special Collections.

Among the titles on display are “Spork” by Kyo Maclear, “I am a Japanese Writer” by Dany Laferriere, and “Darwin’s Bastards” by Zsuzsi Gartner.

Drop by the glass display case on the second floor and the display area on the fourth floor to have a look at these award-winning titles! Don’t forget to check Ryerson library holdings for the availability of the award winners!

Celebrate World Tourism Day!

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Cecile

September 27 is World Tourism Day! In honour of this year’s theme, “Linking Cultures,” we’ve created a display in the glass case near the Reference Desk. The display highlights some of the items in our collection relating to cultural tourism.

For more information about World Tourism Day, check the official website of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Stop by and check out the display!

Greener Printing

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Sally

To support Ryerson Sustainability initiatives, double-sided printing is now the default setting on all black and white self-serve laser printers in the Library.

If you want to switch to single-sided printing, you will need to make this change in the program (Word, Adobe, etc.) that you are using on your computer. Computing and Communication Services has a tutorial web page which shows you how to switch to single-sided printing in the most frequently used software packages available on the Library and CCS Lab computers.

The cost for double-sided printing is still 10 cents per printed side. Watch for a price drop this September.

Chinese Counter Culture in Canada and Beyond

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Cecile

In preparation of the upcoming conference hosted by Ryerson about Chinese counter culture in Canada and beyond, check out the display in the case on the second floor near the Reference Desk!

The display includes items from the library collection about Chinese culture, as well as literature and personal artifacts. For more information about Chinese culture in Canada and beyond, have a look at some of these items in our collection.

The Counter Cultures: The Space and Place of the Chinese Shop conference, hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University, will run from July 24-26. It includes a roundtable event, photography exhibits, film screenings, and various panels. Ryerson scholars will be among the panelists at the conference. For more information about the conference, including registration information and a full list of events, see the conference website.

Your Next Great Summer Read…

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Cecile

Lazy summer days got you down? Check out the library’s Popular Reading section to find your next great summer read!

Located on the second floor across from the Reference Desk, the Popular Reading collection is made up of over 200 titles, including current bestsellers.

In addition to the area on the second floor, we also have a wide selection of literature titles on the 9^th floor. You can search the catalogue for specific titles.