Alberta Native News: Edmonton Public Library puts a spotlight on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

May 24, 2018
by John Copley 

(ANNews) – The Edmonton Public Library (EPL) and the University of Alberta are co-hosting a series of initiatives that are addressing the recommendations to reconciliation as outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.

Voice for the Voiceless: A Moderated Speaker Panel on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, took place in Edmonton at the Citadel Theatre’s Zeidler Hall on May 22.

EPL Director of Branch Services & Community Engagement, Linda Garvin said the program was part of the EPL’s Exploring Reconciliation series and the fourth event to take place this year. The initiative, which got underway in 2016, doesn’t have a set amount of programs planned.

Edmonton Public Library’s Director of Branch Services & Community Engagement, Linda Garvin

“We are quite flexible, even nimble in our approach,” Garvin explained. “The programs are based on consultation with Indigenous community members. We are also involved with the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies and are working collaboratively with them whenever we have the opportunity.”

Garvin said that she is very pleased to note that the programs have all attracted large non-Indigenous audiences, something she said was first noticed when the president of the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta, Adam North Peigan, brought it up when he spoke at the EPL’s Birth of a Family screening earlier this year.

“Adam was quite pleased and noted how important it is to see a large representation of non-Indigenous people taking up the call for reconciliation, wanting to know more and to learn more. The feedback we’ve been getting indicates that more and more Canadians want to become involved in reconciliation. So many people are just beginning to learn about the plight of Indigenous people and they want to help make a difference.”

The Voice for the Voiceless speaker panel was moderated by Tanya Kappo, a Senior Policy Advisor for Treaty 8 First Nations. A well known women’s advocate Tanya is actively involved and engaged in issues and efforts for and by Indigenous people, particularly on issues that include women, land rights, sovereignty, and language retention.

A member of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Kappo is a mother and grandmother and a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba; she was called to the Alberta Bar in 2014.

The Voice for the Voiceless initiative heard from three well-known speakers, Melanie Omeniho, Sara Howdle and Danielle Boudreau, each of whom encouraged the audience to get involved by asking questions and offering comments about their own experiences.

Danielle Powder is EPL’s Indigenous Relations Advisor

“All of the speakers who participated in Voice for the Voiceless panel are experienced and capable individuals who have been actively involved in MMIW cases and other important issues for many years,” noted Danielle Powder, EPL’s Indigenous Relations Advisor.

Powder, who works closely with Indigenous peoples, communities and agencies, is part of a team that explores reconciliation issues and then organize the programs that receive approval.

She is the EPL’s first Indigenous Relations Advisor, a position she’s held since September 2016. “Most of the work I do focuses on external relations with Indigenous organizations and groups, including a lot of committee work,” she explained in an interview. “I try to ensure that the EPL is involved with the community and in Indigenous-related initiatives. I also connect with Indigenous partners to put on programs in our library branches. We have a great relationship with the Canadian Native Friendship Centre and other community active organizations and together we put on programs at various library branches throughout the city.”

Powder also works closely with the EPL’s eight-person Indigenous Services team to host public events and to help in the preparation of the Exploring Reconciliation speaking series.

“As a team we meet monthly and brainstorm different topics and ideas and talk about such things as history, culture and current issues that we can bring into the library so our customers/clients can have meaningful conversations when they engage in these important topics.”

For more information on the Exploring Reconciliation Series or other Edmonton Public Library events and programs, visit epl.ca or call Danielle Powder at 587-588-9034.

Source: Alberta Native News

iSchool - University of Washington: Students' superpower: bringing LGBTQ comic books to light

Wednesday, May 16, 2018
By Jessi Loerch

 

“Representation matters. It’s a cliché, but it’s definitely true,” said Le Button.

Button and Aydin Kwan, both Information School Master of Library and Information Science students, have combined their academic knowledge with their personal interests in LGBTQ representation and comic books for their Capstone project. Together, they have created a database and website that will help readers, librarians and booksellers discover comics that tell a wide range of LGBTQ stories.

“For us, it’s very easy to find queer comics because we already speak the language of queer comics,” Kwan said. “But that’s not the way for everybody. For people who don’t already have access to queer comics, it can be hard to find representation. We are trying to make it easier for people who don’t already have fluency in queer comics.”

The Capstone project originally started as an assignment in their LIS 536 class, Metadata for Interactive Media. In their research, Button said, they discovered “there wasn’t really any centralized place to find comics that featured queer characters.” Button and Kwan wanted to fix that.

It quickly became clear, however, that their dreams for the project went beyond the scope of the class, so they continued the work with their Capstone project. Capstone gives students a chance to combine the skills they have learned throughout their iSchool education into a real-world project.

The students have carefully cataloged the comics in their database, where they include details on specific types of representation, including intersectional stories. For example, a reader could look for a comic featuring a lesbian character or a queer, disabled character. Kwan and Button have also included synopsis and content warnings; some of the comics have content warnings for homophobia, for example.

Populating the database with detailed information about each comic was a time-consuming process, but a task both Button and Kwan truly enjoyed. As comic aficionados, they were already familiar with many titles they wanted to include. To expand their list, they used social media, comic conventions and publishers such as Northwest Press, which publishes LGBTQ comics. Because they both already inhabit that world, collecting titles was easier for them.

The students don’t have time to include every LGBTQ comic out there, so when possible, they’re trying to include comics with representation that is the hardest to find, such as comics that feature people of color.

Button said that the iSchool has given him and Kwan the skills they need to make this project possible. Perhaps one of the most important skills, he said, was a strong focus on user-oriented design. They’ve worked carefully to ensure the website is easy to use and appealing to their audience. Test users have helped them to refine the site.

Kwan and Button praised their professors for giving them the room to focus on a topic they care about.

“It’s been great to be able to put this amount of time and effort into something that’s important and we’re passionate about and that’s fun to do,” Kwan said. “Capstone can be stressful and frustrating, but we get to read comics and it’s going to be something that helps a lot of people.”

“Working on this project has really clarified the use of my education here,” Kwan said. “I can really see that practical side.”

The two students worked with Geeks OUT, which produces Flame Con, the world’s largest LGBTQ comic convention. Nicole Gitau, president of Geeks OUT, advised Kwan and Button on the project.

She said that Kwan and Button have applied their iSchool training to a project that will make an impact at the exact right time. Comics are getting a lot of press, but many people don’t know where to start. She said the Queer Comics Database offers an easy starting point for those who want to learn about comics and diverse representation.

“For so many people, books are where they first see themselves,” Gitau said. “Comics can play an even greater role in self discovery, as so many of them are made for adolescents who are just starting to ask the big questions. An online tool that lets folks — old and young — find what speaks to them will make a real difference. And, as a former librarian, I can tell you that any resource that helps you cut through the noise and find the best book for your collection will be praised — and used often!”

Source: iSchool - University of Washington

hoodline: New pop-up mobile library aims to engage underserved neighborhoods

Tue. May 15, 2018
by Scott Morris

 Photo: Motiv Power Systems

Oakland’s newest library can go anywhere; on Friday, the city unveiled a customized vehicle that brings books, laptops, tablets, electronic charging stations and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Dubbed the Oakland Public Library Mobile Outreach Vehicle (MOVe), the vehicle also carries gaming and bike repair equipment and can be used as a center for educational activities, movie nights, story times or just quiet reading.

“One of our long-term goals is to better serve our communities by connecting with them where they are,” said interim Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak.

“The MOVe is a great way for us to reach underserved youth and improve library access for those who have little contact with city services,” Turbak said.

The bright blue van is a Ford E-450 equipped with an electric chassis from Foster City-based Motiv Power Systems.It was designed by Gyroscope, Inc., and fabricated by Sheet Metal Alchemist, both businesses based in Oakland.

Its side panels, which rise up to reveal the books and equipment available, are adorned with illustrations designed by the nonprofit youth art organization Dragon School and students from MetWest High School.
 
When all its panels are extended, the library is 21 feet long and nearly 15 feet wide.

 

 A 3D printer was one of many amenities on hand when the library stopped at CIty Hall Friday. | Photo: Motiv power systems

The mobile library’s first stop was outside of City Hall on Friday, where it was parked outside the front entrance for most of the day.

“The libraries are the public service that is enjoyed by everybody,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said outside City Hall on Friday. “No matter what part of the city you live in, no matter your age, your income, your language, everybody loves a library.”

Schaaf then cut a red ribbon on the new library and there were activities throughout the day, including games, a 3D printer demonstration and a Korean cooking workshop.

The mayor used the event as an opportunity to campaign for a measure on the June 5 ballot, Measure D, which would impose a $75 parcel tax for library services for the next 20 years.

The tax would provide about $10 million annually for library services. City officials have said that the tax would allow the library to extend branch hours and allow some part-time workers to become full-time employees.

Previous parcel tax measures became a stop-gap for library funding following the 2008 recession. The new parcel tax would alsoset new minimum allocations from the city’s general fund and require the city to increase the library’s budget if other non-emergency city services are expanded.

 Source: hoodline

CBC.ca: Thunder Bay library welcomes street outreach nurses

May 22, 2018 | By Amy Hadley

Shelley Aretz, a public health nurse with the Thunder Bay Public Library, opens a suitcase of supplies she's now using to serve clients at the Brodie Library in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Amy Hadley/CBC)

On Friday afternoons at the Brodie Resource Library in Thunder Bay, Ont., patrons can now take out books and access some forms of non-emergency health care in the same visit.

In a room tucked away at the back of the building, street outreach nurses are now setting up for several hours each week, offering services such as sexually transmitted infection testing, wound care, naloxone kit training and counselling.

"It's about meeting community needs," said Tina Tucker, the director of communities for the Thunder Bay Public Library, adding that people visiting the library are often in need of health or social services that librarians are not equipped to provide.

"I think it's an awesome way for us to be able to deliver a service that would be unexpected in libraries, but is helpful for the people that use us every day."

After noticing the health unit's outreach vehicle parked in the neighbourhood, Tucker said the library asked the nurses if they might like to set up shop inside.

"I thought it it was a great idea," said Shelley Aretz, a public health nurse with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

"We're happy to go wherever people are and meet them where they're at to offer services that are needed." 

They've already connected with some new clients by adding the library to their list of stops, she said.

It can be difficult for some clients to make their way to clinics, and that's why it's so important to bring health services out into the community, she added.

"It helps to improve health outcomes for a lot of people."

Hosting nurses is just one more way in which the public library is striving to become a true community hub, Tucker said, pointing to other programs and community partnerships that are expanding the range of services offered, including access to a social worker who now holds hours in two library branches.

The street outreach workers can be found on the second level of the Brodie library on Fridays, between 1 and 3:30 p.m.

Source: CBC.ca

CBC.ca: Thunder Bay Public Library adopts anti-racism focus

Concerns about racism came through 'loud and clear,' in community consultations, says library CEO


May 11, 2018 | CBC

John Pateman, CEO of the Thunder Bay Public Library,
says the job of libraries is to listen to, and respond to,
the needs of the community. (Thunder Bay Public Library)

What role should libraries play in our community today? The head of the Thunder Bay Public Library believes it should be about much more than books. And that's why one of the new focuses for the organization, is combatting racism. 9:14

John Pateman understands that it might take some time for people to wrap their heads around the idea of libraries fighting racism.

"I think people don't immediately get the connection between what a library does and racism," said Pateman, the CEO and Chief Librarian of the public library service in Thunder Bay, Ont. "They think of the library, often, still as a very traditional kind of service, traditional building, providing books and information."

This issue of racism has come through loud and clear

         - John Pateman, CEO, Thunder Bay Public Library

But to Pateman, libraries are about more than books and information. They're also about meeting the broader needs of the community.

And that's why, he said, as the Thunder Bay Public Library develops its next strategic plan, it's identified decolonization and anti-racism efforts as priorities.

Racism has made Thunder Bay the subject of national and even international headlines in recent years, said Pateman.

It also emerged as a frequent topic in community consultations held by the library, to get a better sense of what people hope for and worry about in the city.

"What we've found time and time again, in pretty much every conversation, doesn't matter who we've spoken to, what the demographic is ... is this issue of racism has come through loud and clear."   

All four branches of the Thunder Bay Public Library will soon have sections dedicated to Indigenous knowledge and history, said library CEO John Pateman. (wikimedia.org)

New partnerships, services

While they are taking a stronger stance, the focus on racism isn't actually a dramatic change for the library, he said, adding that the library's current five-year strategic plan, which expires at the end of this year, focused on social inclusion and diversity.

With those goals in mind, the library has already been taking steps to change its structure and practices.

One of the first steps was to appoint an Indigenous liaison worker, who in turn, put together an Indigenous advisory council which is guiding the library as it moves forward, said Pateman.

Library patrons will start to notice some more visible changes. All four branches will soon have "Indigenous knowledge centres" — dedicated sections filled with books relating to Indigenous knowledge and culture.

Highlighting books on Indigenous culture

The creation of these knowledge centres has also prompted the library to take a critical look at books in its collection; in particular, books about Indigenous people written by non-Indigenous people.

"This in itself has created discussion and debates about what is sitting on our shelves," Pateman said. "How much of it is settler, colonial material, effectively, and how much is authentic material?"

Another change is underway at the Waverley Library, where Anishinabek Employment and Training Services — an organization that provides employment training and assistance to Indigenous people — will occupy the lower floor of the library building. The two organizations will work together and share resources, he said.

All examples of how libraries can further their role as inclusive community hubs, as well as places to borrow books, Pateman said.

Source: CBC.ca

Ontario.ca: Ontario Making the Largest Investment in Public Libraries in a Generation

Province Boosting Access to Technology, Digital Library Resources

May 4, 2018 | Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Ontario is making the largest investment in public libraries in a generation, and improving access to technology, digital services and training opportunities at public libraries in towns, cities and Indigenous communities across the province.

Daiene Vernile, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, was at the Kitchener Public Library today to announce new support for Ontario's libraries through the 2018 Budget.

A new provincial Digital Public Library will be created that will make digital library services such as e-books, audiobooks, digital databases and learning resources available for free to people across Ontario, regardless of where they live. In total, 300 public libraries across the province will be supported, including those in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

In addition the province is also boosting annual funding for libraries by $51 million over three years, to ensure that public libraries can continue to be essential spaces for people to access cultural experiences, technology and community life. These new investments will support libraries across Ontario as they continue to respond to the needs of their residents with innovative services, no matter the size of the community.

Investing in libraries is part of the government's plan to support care, create opportunity and make life more affordable during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes free prescription drugs for everyone under 25, and 65 or over, through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, and free preschool child care from 2 ½ to kindergarten.

Quick Facts

• Ontario is investing $28 million over three years to create a provincial Digital Public Library.
• Ontario’s 2018 budget will also invest $51 million over three years in annual increases to public library operating funding.
• The Digital Public Library will be phased in and available provincewide within three years.
• Ontario is home to 300 public libraries, including 46 First Nations libraries that serve over 99 per cent of the population.
• This funding supports Ontario’s Culture Strategy and the commitment to support Ontario’s public and First Nation libraries as essential spaces for people to access cultural experiences, technology and community life.

Source: Ontario.ca

To keep people happy … keep some books

By Saskia Leferink

24 January, 2018 

At the 2017 Dutch Contact Day last October, we heard how staff at the library of the Free University of Amsterdam is going to renovate their library space. One request students made? Surprisingly (perhaps), they wanted books around them. Not just because of the information that physical books provide, but because of the atmosphere and comfort they provide. So, the library kept the books as part of their renovation.

This may seem counterintuitive in our digital world as more and more of our experiences happen online. And it raises a few questions: What role does the physical library play in a digital world? And what makes people still want to come to this place?

Joren van Dijk, a well-known environmental psychologist, helped Contact Day attendees explore and address this fascinating topic. What he told us, based on his research, is that physical space is still very important. In fact, for libraries, it’s crucial if we want to become or remain that special “Third Place” where people gather to engage, meet, and learn in an ambiance that promotes both conversation and quiet relaxation.

What design elements help create all of those feelings? Nature, flexible space, and … books.

Physical space still matters

The theme for the 13th annual OCLC Contact Day in the Netherlands was “Third Places: Experience is environment.” I had the honor to host more than 300 members from across the country who came together in Rotterdam for one day to discuss how we can make our libraries “the places to be.”

Clearly, in today’s world, the library competes with other places, such as restaurants, cafés, concert halls, and parks to name a few, to be the preferred Third Place, where people let down their guard, relax, be themselves, develop new friendships, and deepen existing ones.

The concept of Third Places was first coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in the early 1990s in his book, The Great Good Place. It’s a space where people meet to unwind, discuss, and talk about things that matter to them, their neighborhood, and their community. It’s a space distinct both from the work environment where communication and interaction can be functional, stereotyped, and superficial and distinct from the domestic space of home and family life.

Third Places provide opportunities for a community to develop and retain a sense of cohesion and identity. They are about sociability, not isolation.

At Contact Day, Joren stressed the role of the physical facility, whether we are conscious of it or not, in shaping experiences. He studies how the physical environment influences the behavior and perception of people. And he challenged us to think about how we can improve the library experience for our users and how we can make our libraries more attractive.

  

Improve your space with these three tips

If you are considering a remodel of your library space, or building a completely new facility, Joren suggests these three things.

• Involve end users in the design. By involving people from your community in the design process, you can respond better to their diverse needs and wishes. Participation in the design process can also increase the involvement of end users at the library; the library transitions from a library to their library. 

• Bring the outdoors in. Nature impacts people, and research shows that seeing or experiencing nature results in vastly improved concentration. That can be nice views of nature, nature in the building, or even images of nature. Because of nature, people can study better and are refreshed in the process. 

• Offer a range of spaces. The way a physical space meets the needs of individuals in specific user groups is key. Some space should be designed for social interaction to support group meetings and brainstorming. Some space needs to be designed for people who like to work in silence. Be careful not to ignore the needs of user groups or to place conflicting functions side by side.

Environment is part of who we are

Although we live in a technology-driven, digital world, physical space remains core to the human experience. People long for community and places to go for solace, comfort, reflection, and joy.

As Joren told us, the environment will influence how users experience your library, both the physical and the digital. By carefully designing our space and delivering the services users need, libraries can maintain and grow their role and increase their relevance as community hubs.

Source: OCLC

Forbes.com: How Libraries Are Reinventing Themselves To Fight Fake News

By Ryan Holmes
April 10, 2018

When I was in grade five, the librarian at my school saw my passion for tech and encouraged me to enter a district-wide programming contest. Against the odds, I took home top prize, an Apple IIc personal computer—an unbelievable luxury for a kid in the mid ‘80s. It was a turning point for me and the start of a lifelong love of tech, all stemming from that encouragement from my librarian.

April 10th marks National Library Workers Day, a holiday set aside during National Library Week to recognize people like my elementary school librarian, Mr. Adamson. I know what you’re thinking—in an age when you can look anything up on Google, have librarians gone the way of pay phones, fax machines and encyclopedia sets? A recent article in USA Today went so far as to assert that librarians will be extinct by 2030. I sincerely hope not.

The reality is that being a librarian goes well beyond checking out books. One of the most important parts of the job is teaching information literacy. The American Library Association defines information literacy as the ability to “locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information.” Yes, this sounds dry. But in today’s age of fake news, knowing where to turn for reliable data—and being able to distinguish between objective and biased sources—might just be one of the most important skills of our time. It’s also one that’s sorely lacking.

The high price of information overload

The online revolution of the last 20 years has made our lives better in countless ways. But it has inundated us with information as never before. We’re flooded with news and commentary every time we look at our phones—much of it algorithmically slanted to confirm our existing biases. Without a critical framework to evaluate the reliability of all this information and to assess its underlying agenda, it’s easy to get disoriented and to reach mistaken, even dangerous conclusions.

I’m acutely aware of this coming from the social media world. A majority of US adults now get their news in real time from social media feeds, according to The Pew Research Center. The challenge is, of course, that these are largely uncurated spaces. There’s no gatekeeper on Facebook or Twitter vetting what shows up on your news feed for accuracy or objectivity. What you see is dictated largely by what your connections have clicked on and engaged with or who has paid to put an ad in your stream. It’s becoming little different with television and newspaper news media, many of which have abandoned their once objective platforms to support their own bias.

In the absence of a critical eye, falsehoods can, and do, thrive. And the consequences are very real. During the 2016 U.S. election cycle, Russian specialists spread slanted and patently false stories via hundreds of social media accounts, all in an effort to undermine the democratic process. By many accounts, they succeeded. And this is unlikely to be an isolated incident. The use of bots, trolls and paid ads to deliberately disseminate misinformation has become a new reality. 

Fighting back with information literacy

Part of our response to this challenge has to be technological—more robust algorithms and smarter tools to sniff out manipulation. Part of the responsibility rests with the social networks themselves to better police their content, partners and advertisers. But, for now and for the foreseeable future, solving this problem depends in large part on boosting our own media savvy. And that’s where the discussion turns back to librarians and the role of information literacy. 

To date, some of the best, grassroots responses to the tide of fake and misleading news have come from the library community. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions put together a handy “How To Spot Fake News” infographic, which has been translated into 37 languages and used around the world. Librarians at Indiana University East developed an interactive fake news website, complete with tips on fact-checking and a deconstruction of an article about “hollow earth.” In webinars and slide decks, librarians are fighting back against misinformation.

In the years ahead, it’s not hard to see the role of librarian evolving further. What’s needed—more than just a pamphlet or a set of guidelines—is a sustained, comprehensive effort to train a new generation in media and information literacy for the social media era. This isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s an urgent and ongoing need—something that should be integrated into primary- and secondary-school curriculums everywhere. And librarians—alongside encouraging and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders—can be at the forefront of this charge.

In some ways, it’s hard to imagine a more important calling right now. I’ll end with a statistic that’s both depressing and a needed call to action. A recent study by the Stanford History Education Group at Stanford University looked at 7,000 college, middle and high school student answers to questions about online information. The study’s conclusion: “Overall, young people’s ability to reason about the information on the Internet can be summed up in one word: bleak.” Fewer than 20% of middle school students were even able to distinguish between “sponsored content” and a real news story—let alone assess underlying bias.

In the 1800s, the public library was considered a vital force for strengthening democracy. Today, librarians are poised to play no less critical a role—helping tomorrow’s leaders navigate an ever swelling sea of information, discerning the hard truth from convincing lies. This is a vocation worth celebrating and fighting for. To all the librarians, and to Mr. Adamson in particular, Happy National Library Workers Day.

Source: Forbes.com

GlobalNews.com: We will wait and see’ says Vancouver Mayor on policy banning librarians from giving naloxone

By Jeremy Lye and Simon Little
March 20, 2018

Vancouver’s mayor is staying non-committal about the prospect of city library staff using naloxone to reverse overdoses.

The drug has been responsible for saving countless lives amid B.C.’s opioid overdose crisis, however some city staff have been told they are not to administer it.

Librarians have been told instead to call 911 if they find someone they suspect is overdosing — but according to the city, that’s over safety concerns.

On Monday, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said the “next steps in terms of staff training and policy around naloxone” required further study.

“We will wait and see the outcome of that review,” he said.

Vancouver police and firefighters were some of the first in North America to be equipped with the drug, and Robertson pointed to their specialized training.

“With the rest of city staff, it’s still a process of training and determining exactly… the incidents of overdose are far fewer for those, the rest of city staff,” he said.

“We have quite a few front-line workers on the streets and first responders that obviously are trained for this.”

More than 1,400 people died of suspected drug overdoses in B.C. last year. In January this year, overdoses killed British Columbians at a rate of about four per day.

Vancouver saw the largest proportion of those fatal overdoses, with 33 recorded in the first month of the year.

Source: GlobalNews.com

Kelowna Capital News: Kelowna librarians, city staff, preparing to help in OD crisis

By Kathy Michaels
March 28, 2018

Librarians aren’t the first people who come to mind when discussions about the overdose crisis arise, but they’re among those who have had to adapt to the change it’s created.

Just a year ago there was an overdose in one of the Okanagan Regional Libraries, said Michael Utko, the Okanagan Regional Library’s communications manager, and it’s had an effect.

“The situation was handled well, but the potential for a death was there,” said Utko, adding that it, plus the stories from libraries in high drug traffic cities around North America, have sparked change.

“While we don’t have anything finalized, equipping staff with naloxone kits to help with overdoses and other incidents is being considered…It’s not going to be mandated, but if we do it, it will be person to person, librarian to librarian ”

Kelowna’s library won’t be the first place to implement such training measures.

In larger high drug traffic cities librarians have become unlikely frontline workers in the opioid crisis, roaming from bathrooms to the stacks looking for men or women exhibiting the telltale signs of an overdose—ranging from paleness and shortness of breath to unconsciousness.

The reason for this unlikely scenario is simply that libraries are open to the public and welcome people of all walks.

The job of bylaw officers has shifted for a similar reason.

Lance Kayfish, risk manager for the City of Kelowna said that all their bylaw services staff have had the training to administer the life saving substance—though it’s also not mandated training.

“We started having that conversation awhile ago,” Kayfish said. “There is interest by some and there is some concern and apprehension by others, also.”

Some of those who have taken the chance to educate themselves on using the naloxone kits have had the opportunity to put their training to use.

“I do know that we have been administering naloxone on more than one occasion,” said Kayfish.

Kayfish, himself, has taken the training, noting that it’s not as though there isn’t ample access to services in the downtown if he were to come across an overdose—it’s simply a reflection of the times.

Source: Kelowna Capital News

CBC: Good news, bad news as libraries remain open but underfunded, say librarians

April 4, 2018

N.L. Library Association says statement by minister on budget day was not expected

A budget announcement that not a single branch of the public libraries would be closed was welcome, albeit surprising, news for Newfoundland and Labrador librarians.

But allocating $11.3 million for the next year means libraries are still underfunded, says Kate Shore, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association.

This was great news to hear that it's officially off the table now.- Kate Shore

"We were not expecting that," Shore said of Education Minister Dale Kirby's announcement that no libraries would close.

At the budget lock-in last week, Kirby said everything would be "status quo" for the province's public libraries. In 2016, the Liberal government announced it would be closing 54 branches.

After public outcry, the province put a hold on that plan in favour of a consultant's review by EY, which was completed in 2017 and recommended some branches close, others be consolidated, and a system of regional boards be put in place to run them.

Kirby said at the 2018 budget announcement that the report was shelved and the operating budget for the provincial libraries would stay the same.

But Shore said that doesn't necessarily take into account the changing costs of library materials.

"When he says status quo, it's back to its pre-2016 budget. But when you take inflation it's not really any kind of increase and you can see that we're definitely still in need of more money," she told CBC's On The Go.

For example, Shore pointed to the fluctuating American exchange rate.

"We buy books, that's one of the things that happens with operating budgets, and if you're talking about major change, books are gonna be more expensive so it means less bang for your buck, really," she said.

"Luckily we no longer have the 10 per cent extra tax on books, so that's one of the greatest things that did come out this year. But those kinds of things really do take a toll on the budget, where that money could be appropriated in other places."

Librarians Not Only Ones Surprised

Despite Kirby calling library closures a "dead issue," Shore said none of the librarians and library staff she's spoken to, herself included, knew about this announcement in advance.

"I don't think that message actually really was out there because the message last year after it (the report) came out was they kept saying, we'll wait until the review to see what happens," Shore said.

"We assumed that those kind of changes would take over a gradual amount of time, because it does take planning, so we just assumed, OK, well, we're gonna hear more. But we never did."

CBC News has asked Kirby's department for comment.

Shore and the Newfoundland and Labrador Libraries Association weren't the only ones surprised by Kirby's announcement.

The Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador in a release last week said things were "ominously quiet" after the EY review was done.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees' Dawn Lahey said in a release that it was wonderful news to hear no branches would close, but added "members have been working in a very difficult situation, wondering every day whether or not they will have a job tomorrow."

"It's unfortunate that it took so long for the government to make it clear that they are committed to library services for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador," Lahey said in a release.

All of those groups were, however, happy with the announcement overall.

"It was great to hear officially that the 54 libraries are not gonna be closed," said Shore, who feels it will eliminate uncertainty for library workers and patrons.

"This was great news to hear that it's officially off the table now."

Source: CBC.ca

The Star: DIY dudes are crafting a cultural shift

Brandie Weikle talks to a growing cohort of men — dads included — who are embracing handicrafts such as knitting, sewing and cross-stitch. 

 

March 22nd, 2018
By: Brandie Weikle

Shawn Cantelon picked up knitting about five years ago. His wife, a skilled, longtime knitter, would always have a project on the go while the couple watched television together.

“One day I just said, ‘Teach me to do this. I want to see if I can knit a row.’ By the end of the row I was addicted,” said the Toronto dad of two, including a 10-year-old son who has just begun to knit himself. Since then he’s completed about 15 projects including sweaters, stuffed animals, hats and a felted bag for his mother.

The meditative aspects of the craft — knitting’s much-loved way of bringing quiet to the mind — are what got him hooked, Cantelon said. “It’s this repetitive motion that’s almost like, if you’re religious, doing the rosary.”

Plus, it makes him feel productive during downtime. “Now if I just sit and watch television it’s a waste of time. Whereas if I’m making a sweater, it’s a great use of time.”

Cantelon is part of growing cohort of men — dads included — who are embracing handicrafts such as knitting, sewing and cross-stitch that, at least in recent times, our culture has considered the domain of women. Witness a men’s knitting magazine, men’s knitting groups, images of bearded dudes knitting on Instagram, all helping to counter limiting stereotypes about what is and isn’t a “typical” male pastime and to demonstrate broader definitions of masculinity for their sons.

Interestingly, knitting has a storied history dominated by men. While accounts vary, many believe it originated in Egypt in the 11th Century. Guilds of male knitters found employment in Europe until the industrial era mechanized production, and the handicrafts became a hobby mostly practised by women.

The handicrafting industry folk I spoke to for this story say there are a few different factors influencing a recent increase in interest from men. In addition to the stress-relieving aspect, it’s connected to the broader “maker movement,” a trend that’s made all things do-it-yourself popular again. This is in part an antidote to our tech-connected lives where few of us produce anything more than a lot of email over the course of a day, but also out of increased interest in self-sufficiency.

Additionally, we’ve come to understand the impact of fast-fashion in recent years, which is helping us to place greater value on having fewer, well-made items that will last, rather than a lot of disposable stuff to wear. Finally, men are simply pushing back against traditional gender norms.

Cantelon, who has been knitting since his son was 5, says “it’s as commonplace that his dad knits as it is that he plays hockey.”

Yet Cantelon says he’s observed something interesting in his own approach to his knitting pastime. “I’m still a closeted knitter. I wouldn’t go to a café and knit and I wouldn’t do it on the subway. I find that strange because I consider myself a feminist. I think it’s stupid that I feel this way, but it’s there and I can’t deny it.” (Cantelon was OK with being “outed” as a knitter in this column.)

But in Ottawa, therapist Matthew Rippeyoung — a single dad to two teen boys — is a proud public knitter. His experience knitting in shared spaces has been nothing but positive, he says.

“In public it’s a great filter. People who are going to be hateful are not going to come up to the guy who is knitting,” says Rippeyoung, who has a track-record of confronting social norms. Though now divorced, he and his former wife combined their last names when they got married.

Rippeyoung started knitting about a decade ago as a way to connect with his then mother-in-law, and later even joined one of those old-school knitting and sewing circles known as a “stitch and b----.”

“I was the only man and it was mostly my wife’s friends, but problems got solved, let me tell you.” Much in the same way kids will talk more freely in the car while they can avoid eye contact, he says, it’s a little safer to open up about some of the trickier stuff when everyone’s gaze is on a pair of knitting needles.

Mike Reynolds took up cross-stitch in January after making a New Year’s resolution to learn something new. Reynolds, an Ottawa dad who blogs about raising girls and attends a women’s and gender studies program in his spare time, had noticed that a lot of feminist art he admired was created in the cross-stitch community.

Armed with a feminist pattern book given to him by his wife, he got started stitching figures of iconic women and girls. “The first one I did was a Michelle Obama piece. It took me a long time but it only took 30 minutes for me to realize that I’d become obsessed with it.”

Today Reynolds is stitching one little pixilated person per day, ranging from Anne of Green Gables to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and from Marie Curie to Black Panther characters Shuri and Okoye. For him the practice of cross-stitching in restaurants or the curling rink is intentional.

“When I started to cross-stitch I didn’t want to hide away in my bedroom and not let anyone know that I was doing it,” he said. “I wanted to make sure to show that this is part of my masculinity and I don’t feel less like a man because I do it.”

Reynolds thinks the trend toward men embracing handicrafts is a sign of more liberal thinking.
“I’m hopeful that these kinds of things are happening more because people are realizing how ridiculous that notion is that only person X would do activity Y.

In the 10 years since she opened the Workroom, a studio space where people rent sewing machines, take classes and enjoy shared community around the handicrafts, Karyn Valino says she’s noticed an increased interest in learning to make things, and men are a part of that.

“We do definitely get a fairly good range of men who come to take the classes from various backgrounds,” Valino said. “Some really get into quilting, which is really interesting. One young man took a beginner clothing class because he’s very interested in making clothing for his daughters, which I thought was very sweet.”

Jonathon Leonard, manager of Romni Wools, a Toronto knitting institution that’s been around for four decades, says he’s seen a steady increase in men visiting his family’s two stores. It addition to more tolerant views of acceptable activities for guys, Leonard thinks it’s partly a sign of our connected times.

“The further we go with technology there’s more of an interest in getting back to basics and a distraction from all of that, when you can just focus on knitting for a period of time and not look at your phone or social media.”

He says he’s encouraged by the number of boys picking up knitting through school programs, adding that he thinks there’s “less of a stigma” than there once was.

However, in some environments Leonard does turn a few heads when he takes out his knitting.
“I still get a funny look if I pick up a pair of knitting needles to relieve stress while I’m watching the hockey playoffs at the pub. It’s funny but, especially in crunch time and being a Leafs fan, you need some kind of stress relief.”

Source: The Toronto Star

CBC News: 'Slippery slope': Opposition mounts to Canadian media's plan to block piracy websites

Critics fear the plan could lead to rampant internet censorship

 

February 18th, 2018

By Sophia Harris

Opposition is mounting to a media coalition's plan to block Canadians from accessing piracy websites. 

Many people fear that the plan — backed by big players such as Bell, Rogers, and CBC — could lead to rampant internet censorship.

"It starts with 'blocking piracy' and ends with corporations blocking information that opposes their goals and viewpoints," wrote Thomas Herr from Barrie, Ont., in a submission to the CRTC on the issue.

He's one of more than 5,000 Canadians who has submitted an opinion on the piracy site blocking plan to the CRTC after the broadcast regulator invited comments.

Many submissions express deep concern about the proposal.

"The start of a slippery slope," wrote Charlotte Bush from Richmond Hill, Ont. 

"Abuse of the system is inevitable," said Renaud Bissonnette from Laval, Que.  


The submissions started flowing in after the coalition of more than 30 members — including media companies, unions and creative industry associations — submitted their request to the CRTC on Jan. 28. 

They propose that the CRTC create an independent agency to identify blatant piracy websites that internet providers would then be required to block their customers from accessing.

The coalition, which calls itself FairPlay, says Canada needs to take action to stop the scourge of piracy sites that are threatening the country's cultural industries.

But many Canadians fear FairPlay's plan threatens the concept of a free and open internet.
"People are scared," said Laura Tribe with Vancouver-based consumer advocacy group, Open Media.

The organization has posted its own online page where Canadians can add their name to a submission Open Media will send to the CRTC opposing FairPlay's plan.

More than 16,000 people have signed on so far.

"The biggest thing that we're seeing is people who are not in any way in favour of piracy, but just concerned about how grossly overreaching this proposal is," said Tribe.

"It opens the door for this to become a lobbying game around what people can and can't see."

Shan Chandrasekar heads up the Asian Television Network (ATN), which is spearheading FairPlay's efforts. He said Canadians need to understand the seriousness of the piracy problem and shouldn't fear the collation's proposal.

"To go after blatant piracy sites is, in our opinion, an extraordinarily simple, common-sense approach," said Chandrasekar, president of ATN, Canada's largest South Asian broadcaster.

He said his company has lost close to $4 million in revenue over the past five years, and he blames the decline on lost subscribers who have turned to piracy.

Chandrasekar says piracy has become a much bigger threat largely due to the recent popularity of Android boxes. When hooked up to a TV, they allow people to easily stream pirated shows and movies from the internet for free.

Many box users are also paying underground operators $15 a month or even less for a subscription to more than 1,000 pirated live channels from around the world.

"It's no longer a program that's being pirated on YouTube. That doesn't bother us," he said. "The entire 24/7 channels, the linear channels are now pirated."

Chandrasekar said FairPlay's proposal focuses on blocking "only extreme blatant piracy sites" and that the CRTC would ensure that all the rules are followed.

"The CRTC, in my opinion, is an extremely responsible body. They would definitely do their necessary due diligence."

He also said anyone who opposes a blocked site would be able to make their case to the Federal Court of Appeal.

"There is judicial oversight."

But Open Media's Tribe argues the opportunity to contest a blocked site comes only after the decision has been made.

"What they are calling judicial oversight is actually an appeal mechanism well after the fact," she said. "We don't think that's fair."

Tribe also questions the plan's effectiveness because, in the past, when piracy sites have been shut down, new ones pop up in their place.

"It's not hard for people to build a new website," she said.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre will also be making a submission to the CRTC opposing FairPlay's plan. 

Executive director John Lawford suggested a better solution would be to offer what Canadians want: inexpensive, accessible streaming services as opposed to pricey, multi-channel cable packages.

"If that's the new business model that keeps people from pirating, then why not change your business model into that?" he said.

But Chandrasekar argues there's no model that could win over the pirates who are offering content for free or for a minimal cost.

"You cannot compete with the pirates because they have no expenditure," he said. "They are not paying licence fees, they are not paying Canadian wages."

The debate and submissions to the CRTC will likely continue as Canadians have until March 29 to comment.​

Source: CBC News

Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Rewriting Canada’s memory banks: Archivists ’decolonize’ collections

February 19, 2017

By: Bob Weber

A Government of Canada sign sits in front of a Library and Archives Canada building next to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on November 25, 2014. Reconciliation is rewriting Canada's memory banks as archivists across the country work to make their collections more open to and sensitive towards Indigenous people. Library and Archives Canada is leading the way with a $12-million project to hire Aboriginal archivists to work in First Nations communities and to give more control over materials gathered there to the people who created them. ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Reconciliation is rewriting Canada’s memory banks as archivists across the country work to make their collections more open to and sensitive towards Indigenous people.

Library and Archives Canada is leading the way with a $12-million project to hire Aboriginal archivists to work in First Nations communities and to give more control over materials gathered there to the people who created them.

“It’s huge,” said Camille Callison, Indigenous service librarian at the University of Manitoba.

“It’s like the biggest thing happening right now. A lot of people are making changes.”

Several recommendations in the report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission urged libraries and archives to rethink their work in light of Indigenous people.

“Archives are instruments of bureaucracy, instruments of power,” said Greg Bak, a historian and archivist at the University of Manitoba.

“The archives become one way in which colonial views of relationships tend to be fixed and preserved.”

The national archives, for example, hold reams of residential school records. Few, said Bak, speak of the children who died there.

That institution is hiring seven Indigenous archivists to fan out across the country. They are to find out what materials are held locally and to record fresh oral history, said Johanna Smith, director of public services.

“That is brand-new for (Library and Archives Canada) to do,” she said.

“There’s definitely interest out there. When we talk about this, every time there’s a community that says, ‘Hey, we’ve got a freezer full of tapes that really need help.”‘

Instead of being centralized in Ottawa, materials could remain in their community. So would the copyright — a big shift and a step toward recognizing the concept of “cultural copyright.”

Currently, a recording belongs to the person who made it.

“The rights of that individual who was recorded are not as clear,” Smith said.

“It’s about saying how can we connect those dots a little bit differently to put some agency back in the hands of the individual whose voice was recorded. It’s a community sense of belonging to that object. A community sense of privacy, also.”

Staff are also poring over old records to find those of interest to First Nations.

“Our holdings are vast,” said Smith. “We’re going to do some targeted research and … we’re going to Indigenous archivists to do that research, to identify collections that could be digitized.”

Other projects are also underway.

The Association of Canadian Archivists with 125 institutional members offers a scholarship for Indigenous archivists and has set up a working group to share best practices and to figure out how to best address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.

“There’s no manual to follow,” said director Jo-Anne McCutcheon.

“Every community is different. Settler-Indigenous contact happened differently, so it’s complicated.”

Archivists in Manitoba are reworking the old U.S. Library of Congress subject headings, the access points to any collection.

“They call Indigenous spirituality things like shamanism — the really antiquated terms we don’t use any longer,” said Callison.

Edmonton’s city archivists are rewriting catalogue descriptions so they don’t repeat offensive language contained in the documents they refer to.

“It’s growing on an annual basis,” said Raymond Frogner, archivist for the National Truth and Reconciliation Centre in Winnipeg. “It’s definitely gaining a lot of momentum.”

Archives aren’t necessarily neutral, Frogner said. Archivists and those who use them have to work to ensure everyone’s experience is reflected in the stories told

“We are what we choose to remember, but we also are what we choose to forget.”

— Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix