This new guide is a joint project of the students and faculty members of the Caribbean Studies Working Group and subject librarians in Geography Planning & Environment, Études françaises, English and History at Concordia University. It showcases Library resources as well as online tools and information related to the Caribbean region and its people, and adopts an interdisciplinary approach including—but not limited to—perspectives from the humanities and social sciences.

Consult the new Caribbean Studies subject guide.

Image: "Caymen girl playing guitar". (1948, April 14). Photograph No ZZZ 22781 H, Catalogue reference INF 10/98/5. Official Cayman Islands photographs compiled by Central Office of Information. The National Archives, London, UK.

The Chat With Us service will remain open until 7 p.m. The Vanier Library Circulation Desk will also remain open until 7 p.m.

Access all Library hours and contact information.

Please note: Sofia will be offline for scheduled maintenance from 11:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10, until 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 11.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Exhibition dates: April 1 – June 30, 2026

Webster Library
Sir George Williams Campus
J.W. McConnell Building, LB-2
1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W.

UKRAINE: NO FILTER brings together selected works from four projects —Books Destroyed by Russia, Unissued Diplomas, 4th Block: Chornobyl, and As For Now, It Is Quiet / Listen Live — to confront the cultural, environmental, and human cost of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Through material and photographic evidence, visual storytelling, and wartime audio recordings, the exhibition traces the targeting of Ukrainian life, inviting audiences to witness the impact of war and engage with the realities faced by those living through it.

UKRAINE: NO FILTER calls for uncompromising witnessing. Looking without a filter may be uncomfortable, but looking away would mean ignoring a system of violence that will only extend its reach unless it is firmly and collectively confronted.

Read more about the exhibition

Two upcoming events

Book talk by Dr. Adrian Ivakhiv
April 22, 2026, 5–7 p.m.
McGill University, Arts Building, Room 160
853 Sherbrooke Street West

What do climate change, genocide, and ecocide have to do with each other? Perspectives from the Russo-Ukrainian War
Conversation between Adrian Ivakhiv and curator Olya Zikrata
April 23, 2026, 12–2 p.m.
The SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation, Room LB-145
J.W. McConnell Building, Concordia University

Registration is free and all are welcome.

Visit the website for more information and to register.

B.Y.O.D. Stations

Do you prefer working from your own laptop but wish you could have a desktop display?

There are now more BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) stations at the Concordia Library with HDMI and USB-C connections.

Webster Library locations:

• 2nd floor: LB-245, LB-285
• 3rd floor: LB-345, LB-385
• 4th floor: LB-445, LB-485
• 5th floor: LB-545

Vanier Library location:

• 2nd floor: VL-2

Please note: Sofia will be offline for scheduled maintenance from 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, until 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 26.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

OpenAlex is a free, open index of research publications, designed to make scholarly discovery more accessible. It brings together data on hundreds of millions of scholarly works, along with information about authors, institutions, journals, and research topics. Its strength lies not just in scale, but in how these elements are connected. You can move from a single article to related works, explore an author’s full publication history, or trace how a concept is explored across disciplines.

OpenAlex can be useful for:

• Mapping a field: Identify key papers, authors, and major publications related to a topic or discipline.
• Exploring citation networks: Follow references forward and backward to understand scholarly conversations.
• Discovering interdisciplinary links: Surface relevant work outside a particular subject area.

OpenAlex can be used alongside Concordia Library’s subject-specific and multidisciplinary indexes and full-text databases to conduct literature reviews, scoping searches, and exploratory research.

Need more advice on scholarly literature? Ask Us!

Therapy dogs are at the Webster and Vanier Libraries this Winter semester, in collaboration with CU Wellness.

Did you know that petting an animal, even for 10 minutes, decreases stress and lowers cortisol levels?
Join the friendly, furry pets in the library on the following dates:

Webster Library, LB-237 Leisure Space

• Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 19, 2026, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Vanier Library, VL-101 (behind the Course Reserves room)

• Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The dogs are from the Imagine Therapy Dogs organization. To learn more, visit: www.imaginetherapydogs.org

We are particularly excited about our The Price is Wrong: Free or Low-Cost Alternatives in Higher Education game show meant for students, professors, librarians and staff. Learn about Concordia’s collaborations during open education month alongside local and global events in both French and English, including:

Local and Global Events

📆 March 2 – 6, 2026 | Open Education Global’s OEWeek2026

📆 Mars 2 – 26, 2026 | Mois de l’éducation ouverte en francophonie. A chance to practice your French and participate in the francophone OER community.

In collaboration with Concordia University Library’s OER Team

📆 March 17 | 10:00am – 11:00pm | Collaboration et partage autour de l’éducation ouverte en bibliothèque @ Virtual. Of interest to librarians and teaching specialists invested in open educational resource programs.

📆 March 18 | 3:00pm – 4:30pm | The Price is Wrong @ 4th Space. This event will be streamed; we encourage interested participants to come in person for the chance to win fun prizes  👀 Of interest to professors, students, librarians, and staff.

📆 March 27 | 10:00am – 12:00pm | Contemplative Pedagogy and Practices OER Launch with the Centre of Teaching and Learning @ SHIFT. Of interest to faculty members, learn how to leverage your open educational resources.

📆 March 31 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm |  Hunting for OER @ Webster Library

🤝 Let's reduce barriers to higher education together! Of interest to undergraduate students wanting to find low-cost textbook options while contributing to the learning community.

Apply for open-textbook grant funding

📆 March 2026 | Open-textbook grant submission period. Of interest to faculty members. Learn about existing projects and consider applying for an open textbook grant for the benefit of undergraduate students at Concordia. 

Please note: Sofia will be offline for scheduled maintenance from 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, until 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 19.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

La Liberté de Lire, C'est la Liberté de Savoir

From February 22 – 28, the Library will take part in Freedom to Read Week (FRW). Established in 1984, FRW is a Canadian event that celebrates intellectual freedom.

In a time when attempts to ban books have seen an unsettling increase, it is vitally important to defend the right of all to read, learn, and freely explore ideas. Often book challenges request the removal or restriction of access to books that centre issues of race, gender, sexuality, or politics.

At the Concordia Library, we provide access to diverse viewpoints and encourage resistance to censorship. We embrace our responsibility to support academic freedom and open inquiry and provide access to research without ideological restriction.

During Freedom to Read Week 2026 at Concordia, you can look forward to a host of information and engaging activities and events. These include:

Tuesday, February 24

J.A. DeSève Cinema, 6:30 p.m.: A film showing of The Librarians and panel discussion. Come see the thrilling and unsettling film about the efforts of public libraries to protect intellectual freedom despite threats to their livelihood, and sometime their personal freedom. The film will be followed by a discussion of censorship pressure by Montreal public and academic librarians. Register

Wednesday, February 25

Webster Library, 2 p.m.: Pop-up Banned Books Club. Join us for an informal discussion of banned and challenged books. Learn more

4TH SPACE: Unsilencing the Literary Landscape: A keynote and panel discussion featuring three writers and academics at the forefront of the issues of censorship and suppression.

Friday, February 27

Vanier Library, 2 p.m.: Pop-up Banned Books Club. Join us for an informal discussion of banned and challenged books. Learn more

Throughout the week

Visit the Webster and Vanier Libraries to view displays that include resources on intellectual freedom and censorship, from book bans to freedom of speech to censorship in art.

Looking for a quiet place to study? From January 26, Webster Library’s Silent Reading Room Spain, LB-545 becomes the tenth silent reading room open to all students. On the same floor, the LB-5 Dissertation Writers' Rooms (Iceland, Venezuela and Mali) remain reserved for graduate students.

Did you know? Webster Library also has a zero-noise room in LB-361: no talking, no typing!

Learn more about our study spaces.

This exhibition showcases print material collected and curated by community organizer, artist and graduate student in the Concordia History Department, Stefan Christoff. Activism in Print builds on Christoff’s research around creating routes for archiving the often ephemeral papers and materials created by community campaigns and grassroots activism in the city. The zines, posters and photographs selected embody three focus points of Montreal-based collective organizing: the interlinking of climate justice and Indigenous sovereignty, migrant and refugee rights, and the movement to support Palestinian freedom. All the selected materials are a part of a recently acquired special collection (CO47) housed in Concordia’s Special Collections and Archives.

Activism In Print takes place in collaboration with the Social Justice Centre at Concordia University, CKUT 90.3 FM and Raah Media Research Lab.

Please note: Sofia will be offline for scheduled maintenance from 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 15, until 12:15 a.m. on Friday, January 16.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Please note: Sofia will be offline for scheduled maintenance from 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, until 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 21.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Library's service and building hours have changed for December 19 through 23. Check our website before you visit. All Library services and buildings are closed from December 22 through January 4. Wishing you a restful winter break!

Due to unforeseen circumstances we are closing the Vanier Circulation desk at 6 pm today. Vanier Reference and Online Chat service will remain open until 7 p.m.

Normal service hours will return at 9 am tomorrow, December 16.

As part of our ongoing commitment to enhance the student experience and align resources with Concordia’s academic priorities, administration of the Grey Nuns Reading Room and its adjoining spaces will transition from the Library to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) on January 5, 2026.

Moving forward, the space will be a dedicated environment for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, designed to help them connect, share, work and learn together. This change underscores the supports available to those who choose to pursue advanced research and scholarship at Concordia, strengthening our recruitment efforts and current graduate community.

With this change, SGS will now have a consistent space to host its range of initiatives that contribute directly to graduate student success, including Thesis Boost and Mini-Boost events, Public Scholars and INDI program activities, Doctoral Peer Mentorship Program events, GradProSkills workshops and co-working sessions with scheduled focus periods.

SGS would like to recognize the Library’s outstanding stewardship of the historic Grey Nuns building, which has been ongoing since 2014. The Library staff who have maintained the space and supported countless student visitors for over a decade should be proud that their efforts and dedication created such a welcoming environment.

During the transition period from January to April 2026, the space will operate with reduced services. Additional information can be found on the SGS website, and more details about how to book rooms in the Grey Nuns facilities will be shared shortly.

Geoff Dover
Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
School of Graduate Studies

Amy Buckland
University Librarian
Concordia Library

Due to unforeseen circumstances we are closing the Vanier Circulation and Reference desks at 6 pm today. Chat service will also be closing at 6 pm.

Normal service hours will return at 9 am tomorrow, December 12.

The call for proposals has now closed.

Proposals are now being accepted for Concordia University's 24th annual Library Research Forum. This year's Research Forum will be a one-day event, with presentations taking place in person at Concordia University’s Loyola Campus on Friday, April 24, 2026.

Proposal deadline: January 26, 2026, by 9:00am EST. For more details about the event and how to submit a proposal, visit the Library Research Forum homepage.

Questions? Please contact the Forum Committee at lib-forum@concordia.ca

Vous êtes invités à soumettre une proposition pour le 24e Forum annuel de recherche de la Bibliothèque de l'Université Concordia. Le Forum de recherche de cette année aura un jour, avec présentations sur place au Campus Loyola de l’Université Concordia vendredi le 24 avril 2026.

Date limite pour les propositions : le 26 janvier à 2026 à 9h00 (HNE). Pour plus de détails sur l'événement et sur la façon de soumettre une proposition, consultez la page d'accueil du forum sur la recherche en bibliothéconomie.

Questions? Veuillez contacter le comité du forum au lib-forum@concordia.ca

The Library’s subscription to Scopus will end on January 1, 2026. We encourage faculty, researchers, and students to make full use of Scopus while access remains available through the end of this year.

Although Scopus will no longer be available, the Library continues to provide access to other multi-disciplinary databases, including Web of Science and a wide range of subject-specific databases to support your research and teaching needs.

To learn more about why Scopus is being discontinued and to explore alternative resources, visit: https://library.concordia.ca/about/collections/

For more help with using databases, Ask a Librarian!

Phishing emails trick you into revealing personal data or clicking malicious links.

Protect yourself:

1. Check the sender’s address carefully.
2. Hover over links before clicking.
3. When in doubt, report suspicious messages to help@concordia.ca

For more information about changing passwords, see Have you changed your Concordia password lately?.

The Library has launched a new series of five short modules called GenAI Quickstart for Students. The interactive modules are starting points for students to think about when and how to use GenAI in academic contexts (or not!). The topics are:

1. GenAI tools: when, which, and how
2. GenAI and learning
3. GenAI and graduate research
4. GenAI and academic integrity
5. GenAI and professor expectations

If you’re a student, visit the modules to explore the role AI tools might have in your academic life. If you’re a faculty or staff member, have a look, as these modules can support your students in thinking through their questions about AI.

Weak or reused passwords make it easy for hackers to access your accounts.

Protect yourself:

1. Never share your passwords.
2. Update them every 6 months.
3. Use a different one for every system.

For more information about changing passwords, see Have you changed your Concordia password lately?.

Cyber attackers can create fake Wi-Fi networks with names similar to real ones.

Protect yourself:

1. Always verify the exact network name (SSID).
2. Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi for sensitive work.
3. Use Concordia's official Wi-Fi named: "ConcordiaUniversity"

For more information about Concordia's wireless network, visit Concordia wireless network page.

Read the full article, "James Moore joins Concordia as associate university librarian for open scholarship".

Ransomware locks your files until you pay a ransom — but paying doesn’t guarantee recovery.

Protect yourself:

1. Keep regular backups of your important files.
2. Don't open unexpected attachments or links.
3. Report suspicious emails to the IT Service Desk.

For more information about cybersecurity, visit the Cybersecurity Hub page.

On the occasion of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, the Cinémathèque québécoise and the Concordia University Library are joining forces to explore the technical challenges related to the preservation and access of film and video collections.

The event will begin at 3:00 p.m. at Concordia’s 4th Space with a series of short presentations by specialists from both institutions, followed by a public discussion. Presentations will also be livestreamed on Zoom, allowing everyone to join the conversation.

At 6:30 p.m., the conversation will continue at the Cinémathèque with a free screening of the restored version of Belle Famille (1978) by Serge Giguère and Robert Tremblay, providing a unique opportunity to reflect collectively on the role of media formats and equipment in transmitting our audiovisual heritage.

Speakers:

• Pamela Caussy, Manager, Visual Collections Repository (VCR), Concordia University;
• Jessica Hébert, Head of Collections Documentation, Cinémathèque québécoise;
• Eva Létourneau, Film and Audiovisual Conservation Manager, Cinémathèque québécoise;
• Nicolas Martel, Head of Digital Preservation, Cinémathèque québécoise;
• Louis Pelletier, PhD in Communication from Concordia University and research professional at the Université de Montréal's Laboratoire CinéMédias;
• Haidee Wasson, Distinguished Research Professor, Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, Université Concordia.

For more information visit the 4th Space event page and the Cinémathèque québécoise webpage.

Organized by Concordia University Library and Cinémathèque québécoise

Update on Delivery Services and Interlibrary Loans

Please note that, while the strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has shifted to a rolling strike, Canada Post has resumed operations. As a result, Concordia Library is now able to restart delivery services for network loans and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) of physical materials (e.g. books).

However, please be aware that service may continue to be slower than usual due to ongoing disruptions in postal operations and processing backlogs.

If you no longer require the items you’ve requested, we kindly ask that you cancel those requests through your library account. You may also resubmit requests if needed.

For items held at other Quebec university libraries, you can now make requests via Sofia. Note that McGill University Libraries have cancelled some requests for materials located in their off-site storage facility. These materials are being moved to their downtown location and may be accessible there. We recommend verifying your requests in your library account and either re-requesting if a hold was removed or visiting in person and borrowing directly using your Concordia ID card.

We appreciate your patience as we work to restore full service.

"Behind the Scenes” event
The Open Educational Resources (OER) team will be hosting a panel conversation at the 4TH SPACE about what goes on “Behind the Scenes” in academia and the efforts open education and open access groups are putting toward making knowledge more accessible for everyone. Zo Kopyna, from the Library’s OER team, will be one of the panelists, in addition to participants from the Concordia University Press, McGill’s OER project, among others.

Behind the Scenes: Open Scholarship
A Collegial Workshop on Open Scholarship and Education Practices

October 24, 1 – 2:30 p.m.
4TH SPACE and Zoom
Also streaming live on the 4TH SPACE YouTube account

Display on LB-2
Until the end of October, you can find information about the OER Program and a selection of reading materials about Open Access and Open Education at the Webster Library beside the Ask Us! desk on LB-2. Feel free to grab informational pamphlets or a button to support Open Access.

Open Textbook grants
Professors, the submission period for grant applications is now open!

Grant types:

• Adopt Grants (up to $1,000) - Identify and adopt an existing open textbook
• Customize Grants (up to $5,000) - Identify and customize an existing open textbook

Submission deadline: November 30, 2025

Read more about Open Textbook grants at Concordia.

OER projects
Here are some recent titles we've added to the growing list of open textbooks in our catalogue.

• Introduction to Psychology, led by Professor Jayson San Miguel
• The Making of the Irish Landscape, Professor Katie Young
• Guide to Pressbooks at Concordia University created by the OER team, which will make designing future open textbooks easier!

Access the full Open Textbooks Catalogue.

Nominate a course
Are you a Concordia student who would like to make your voice heard? Nominate a course for open education today. Let us know which of your classes would benefit from having an open, free-to-use textbook.

Vanier Library Circulation and Reference services will be closed from 12:00-5:00 pm on Tuesday, October 14. Services will reopen from 5:00-7:00 pm. The Library will be open for study.

Reminder, on Monday October 13th:

• Vanier and Webster libraries will be open for study, but there will be no services offered.
• Grey Nuns will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fall 2025 Hours (September 2 - December 23)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Due to scheduled maintenance, access to Sofia may experience brief interruptions on Thursday, October 2, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

How fast can you do a 100-piece puzzle?

Drop by the Circulation Desk at the Vanier Library (M-F, 9-5) to sign up for the October 2025 puzzle challenge, starting October 1.

The fastest puzzler(s) will win a recognition certificate, a Concordia tote bag, and a game!

The landmark installation, entitled Those that pass through, remain, return by artist and alumnus Charles Campbell is the first piece by a Black artist in Concordia’s public art collection as part of the Celebrating Black Presence at Concordia public art program. It will inhabit the Bishop Street entrance to the Henry F. Hall Building for three years.

Join us on Thursday, October 16 for the art opening and an engaging discussion between Campbell and curator Dominique Fontaine.

Event registration: Honouring Black Presence: vernissage and talk with artist and Concordia grad Charles Campbell | Events - Concordia University

More information about the artwork: Charles Campbell | Public art - Concordia University

You will find:

• Information on the skill levels used in Canada to assess French reading, speaking and comprehension ability.
• Library resources, including learning materials, books and audiobooks (language methods, graded readers, bilingual books, children’s books and more), music, movies, and online courses.
• Resources beyond Concordia such as Open Education Resources, public libraries’ collections, and local podcasts.
• Suggestions to experience Quebec culture through art, games, expressions, and local cooking.

Overall, the guide participates in the University’s commitment to encourage French learning across campus by presenting resources that will support you in your journey to learn Quebec and Canadian French and culture.

Take Concordia’s guided tour of a selection of its public artworks located on Loyola campus.

Sept. 26: in-person tours are offered in English and French.

For more information see Guided tour of Concordia University's public art collection.

This guide is an introduction to concepts of Indigenous data sovereignty, expansive citation practices, and resources related to the guiding principles, frameworks and practices within these subject areas for the Concordia community. Check out this new guide to find recommended expansive citation guides, books and articles.

Visit the guide now

The Library has an important role in supporting our community's ongoing literacy—whether that's simply a love of reading or emerging literacies like data and AI literacy. International Literacy Day is also a good reminder of the important interdisciplinary work taking place at Concordia and around the world in support of global literacy.

—Megan Fitzgibbons, Associate University Librarian, Planning and Community Engagement

AI literacy: A new literacy frontier

As part of the Library's commitment to information literacy and digital capabilities, we support AI literacy across campus. See our new web page on AI Literacy, which includes links to:

• AI learning modules (quick topic overviews, critical looks at AI topics, and a special series for faculty);
• A new guide on How to acknowledge AI use in academic assignments, research publications, and in the workplace;
• Web pages with contenton  Academic AI tools for working with scholarly literature and data, as well as specialized learning and writing tools; and
• A list of upcoming general workshops on AI and related topics.

Recommended reads: Literacy

The Concordia Library would like to commemorate International Literacy Day by providing a list of recommended reads on this topic from our collections.

Ashley, S. (2020). News literacy and democracy. Routledge. (Ebook)

Breuer, E. O., Lindgren, E., Stavans, A., & van Steendam, E. (2021). Multilingual literacy. Multilingual Matters. (Ebook)

Cohn, J. (2021). Skim, dive, surface: teaching digital reading. West Virginia University Press. (Ebook)

Freire, P., & Macedo, D. P. (1987). Literacy: reading the word & the world. Routledge. (Print book)

Hoydis, J., Bartosch, R., & Gurr, J. M. (2023). Climate change literacy. Cambridge University Press. (Ebook)

Kong, S. C., & Abelson, H. (2022). Computational thinking education in K-12 : artificial intelligence literacy and physical computing. The MIT Press. (Ebook)

Lee, C., Bailey, C., Burnett, C., & Rowsell, J. (2022). Unsettling literacies: directions for literacy research in precarious times. Springer. (Ebook)

Leung, B. T. H. (2019). Transferring information literacy practices. Springer. (Ebook)

Mallette, M. H., & Duke, N. K. (2021). Literacy research methodologies (Third edition). The Guilford Press. (Ebook)

Mills, K., Unsworth, L., & Scholes, L. (2023). Literacy for digital futures: mind, body, text. Routledge. (Ebook)

Narey, M., & Kerry-Moran, K. J. (2021). Sense-making: problematizing constructs of literacy for 21st century education. Springer. (Ebook)

Rothoni, A. (2019). Teenagers' everyday literacy practices in English: beyond the classroom. Palgrave Macmillan. (Ebook)

Veach, G. (2018). Teaching information literacy and writing studies. Volume 1, First-year composition courses. Purdue University Press. (Ebook)

Veach, G. (2019). Teaching information literacy and writing studies. Volume 2, Upper-level and graduate courses. Purdue University Press. (Ebook)

Due to scheduled maintenance, access to My Account in Sofia may experience brief interruptions from Thursday, September 4, 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m., Friday, September 5.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Did you know that over 9400 students attended an instructional session offered by the Library in the 2024-25 academic year?  

The Library is collaborating with FutureBound to give workshops for undergraduates and recent alumni this fall.

1. Arduino 101
Monday, September 8, 2 – 4 p.m.
Thursday, September 11, 2 – 4 p.m.
Try the Arduino microcontroller and get an intro to electronics prototyping and programming for beginners.

2. Thinking Critically about AI Tools
Thursday, September 25, 1 – 3 p.m.
It will cover popular AI tools and how they work. You’ll have a chance to experiment with AI tools, evaluate them, and try different prompts.

3. Design for 3D printing
Wednesday, September 24, 2 – 4 p.m.
Thursday, October 9, 2 – 4 p.m.
Learn how to design models to print with the Technology Sandbox’s 3D printers.

4. GPT Unplugged: Hands-On Experience with Local Large Language Models
Monday, November 17, 2 – 4 p.m.
You’ll learn how to use open-source software to download and run AI models on your computer to analyze your documents.

5. Telling Stories with Data
Wednesday, November 19, 1 – 2:30 p.m.
This workshop will cover data visualization techniques and how to avoid bias, with a demonstration of Tableau – a popular visualization software.

FutureBound is Concordia’s skill development program for undergraduates and recent alumni. Register today to save your spot.

Graduate students can pick up valuable skills for their coursework and research projects by attending a Library workshop through GradProSkills.  During the fall term there are 10 workshops offered. Gain knowledge from librarians and library professionals on topics from Linux to library skills and resources, research in the visual arts, researching Indigenous topics, finding primary sources, and expert advice on managing references and notes for your thesis.

Librarians have been teaching GradProSkills workshops since the program was created in 2011, and last year we taught 47 GradProSkills workshops reaching a total of 604 graduate students. Several of the GradProSkills workshops offered by the Library are also open to undergraduate students, faculty, and staff.

The Technology Sandbox is offering workshops on topics from 3D printing to virtual reality and Arduino – no previous knowledge required. Drop in for the FAT club (Fibre Arts and Technology) every Tuesday afternoon for fun knitting and crocheting.

Use your Concordia ID card at the Loans desk at Webster Library or the Circulation Desk at Vanier Library to borrow equipment & books. You can also use it at the self-checkout machine to borrow books.

Between 11 p.m. - 7 a.m., and on University holidays, a security guard may ask to see your ID card while you’re in the Library.

For a brief introduction to services, facilities and collections at the Library, see the one-page Library Guide for New Students. It includes videos, lots of links and a list of all the basics you need to know about your Library.

Both the Webster Library and the Vanier Library are open 24/7 for study during the fall term. The Grey Nuns Reading Room and Group Study Rooms are open Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Fridays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. See Locations and Hours for detailed opening hours, including services and special holiday hours.

Join the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Webster Library for a 20-minute guided tour of the key spaces and services that are here to support your learning and research.

Guided tours of the Webster Library are scheduled from Monday, August 25 – Friday, September 5:

• Monday* – Thursday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Friday at 2 pm.

No registration required! These Webster Library tours depart from the Ask Us! desk near the Library's entrance (LB-2).

Join us at the EXPLORE CU Services Fair on September 17 from 12 to 3 p.m. where the Library will have a booth along with other Concordia services.

*Except Monday, September 1 (Labour Day).

DPrint is upgrading to a new print management system platform this week. The new platform (PaperCut) will allow you to add funds to your DPrint account, submit and track print jobs, view your print history, access WebPrint to print your files, and check the balance in your account — all in one place, and through an improved interface.

As part of the upgrade process, DPrint services will be offline on both campuses as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, August 27. DPrint expects the new platform to be available as of Thursday, August 28. Please visit the DPrint news update for more information about this upgrade.

As of August 21, 2025, full-text eBooks on the Ebook Central platform will now be downloaded in both EPUB and PDF formats on their new Reader App.

The Ebook Central platform will no longer be using Adobe Digital Editions. Users can continue to read online, download chapters, and manage their bookshelf as usual in the Ebook Central online reader.

For Ebook Central eBooks that are currently in your Adobe Digital Editions bookshelf, while their loans remain active, the books will appear in both Adobe Digital Editions and in the new Ebook Central Reader App. They will remain available in Adobe Digital Editions until the loans expire.

Please refer to the following Library webpage for download instructions: https://library.concordia.ca/help/using/ebooks.php

As of August 21, 2025, any new loans will only be available in the Ebook Central Reader App.

Happy Labour Day!

Please note that both Libraries will be closed from 9 p.m. on Sunday, August 31, until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 2.

Also, opening hours are changing as of September 2. Make sure to check out the fall hours before heading over to the Library!

For more information on our study and service point hours visit our Locations & Hours page.

The Webster Library presents Exuberant Botanica by Aaron McIntosh, Associate Professor in Studio Arts. The artist’s work is presented in the Library vitrines alongside a selection of botanical texts, illustrations, and herbal manuscripts.

Visit the Webster Library Exhibitions page for more information.

At this time of deep structural change for the University, the Concordia Library has been given the mandate to make significant reductions to its operating budget for the 2025/26 academic year. We are undertaking a thorough review of our spending on services and collections, with a view to prioritizing the teaching, learning, and research needs of the University.

In response to ongoing budget pressures, the Library has to make difficult decisions regarding our licensed resource subscriptions. The Library Collections Cancellations page provides the rationale for the cancellations, an overview of the collection review process and includes an initial list of the resources that will be cancelled in the coming months along with suggested alternatives. Further items will be added to the list as decisions are made.

For more details, including resource cancellations, please see the Library Collections Cancellations.

Concordia’s Open Science Working Group initiated the 1st Canadian Conference on Open Science and Open Scholarship to take place on October 9–10, 2025, hosted by Concordia University and partner institutions. Our conference and conference call are an invitation to research institutions, students, developers, publishers, university administrators, non-profit organizations, and artists/creators to map the present and chart the future of open science and open scholarship in Canada.

Let us work together to advance open, transparent, and collaborative research.

Learn about our conference and call for contributors.
Abstract submission deadline: June 30, 2025, by the end of the day in your local time zone.

As of July 2, 2025 Concordia’s EBSCOhost subscription databases have migrated to an updated interface, which offers new ways to refine, save and share search results.

What's new?

• Personalized Dashboards
• Modern Results List
• Upgraded Citation Capabilities
• Expanded Sharing Options
• Enhanced Search
• Improved Detailed Article Experience
• And More

The new platform is already available, try it now!

Links to individual databases are available via Databases by Subject, with the "Try the new EBSCOhost interface now!" label.

Existing permalinks to the current interface will redirect to the new interface on July 2nd.

See EBSCO support for detailed information on how to navigate the new platform.

Users who have created a MyEBSCO account with saved items, including articles and searches, and use custom folders: Consult How can I access my classic user interfaces MyEBSCO data from EBSCO’S new user interfaces?
Users will have to migrate custom folder information by December 31, 2025.

Due to planned mainentance, certain Library systems will experience intermittent outages at the following times:

It’s a big year for anniversaries at Concordia. As the university celebrates its 50th, the Vanier Library is marking 60 years.

Read the story to learn more.

Cruising Crusading: Ecosexual Manoeuvre as Melancological Decor
Morris Fox

PhD studio-based Exam Showcase, Visualization Studio, LB 310, Nov. 5th, 1 - 4 p.m.

For graduate students only. Please register through GradProSkills.

Do you wish the process of writing your thesis or next research paper was going a little faster? Do you sometimes feel unfocused, frustrated or alone in the writing process? You probably need a boost... a thesis boost.

Concordia’s 3-day Thesis Boost Writing Retreat is back at Loyola Campus in November 2024. This highly-appreciated retreat is tailored for graduate students who are in the middle to late stages of preparing their thesis or writing an academic article. Bringing together advisors from the Library, Student Success Centre, Campus Wellness, and School of Graduate Studies, this retreat provides a supportive and motivating environment where you will accelerate your writing process.

Throughout the event, you'll benefit from dedicated writing time and optional workshops focused on improving your writing strategies and productivity. Concordia University’s librarians and writing assistants will be available to provide personalized guidance and strategies tailored to your specific situation. Plus, you’ll connect with peers who are experiencing similar challenges.

Join us to break free from isolation, connect with fellow graduate students, and develop productive writing habits. Take a significant step towards completing your thesis!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Participants should have begun writing their thesis or paper before participating in this event.

Learning Objectives

In this workshop, students will:

• Identify common challenges faced during thesis or paper writing process and potential solutions to these challenges.
• Analyze their own writing habits and detect areas for improvement in productivity and efficiency.
• Assess their own writing progress and discover strategies for overcoming setbacks.

Leaders Information

This retreat is led by the numerous trainers and advisors from the School of Graduate Studies, Concordia Library, Student Success Centre and Campus Wellness.

B.Y.O.D. Stations

Do you prefer working from your own laptop but wish you could have a desktop display?

Now you can! Introducing the B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Device) stations.

Currently there are stations in Webster Library in LB-285 and LB-245 and on VL-2 at Vanier Library.

Therapy dogs are at the Vanier Library again this Fall semester, in partnership with the Concordia Health & Wellness Zen Dens. They will be visiting the Vanier Library on:

Thursday, October 10th, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, October 30th, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The events will be held behind the course reserves room on the ground floor. Hope to see you there!

With the advent of Generative AI tools comes the rapid increase of AI-generated misinformation. It is important to note that false, misleading, manipulated, or deceptive information are not new phenomena.

The following learning kits created by Concordia Library talk about the fundamentals of information disorder and practical tips in combatting misinformation and disinformation:

Misinformation and Disinformation

Recognize some of the complexities in how misinformation and disinformation can be propagated in academic information and popular media in this learning module [Estimated time: 15 minutes]

Mastering Information Evaluation

Critical thinking requires thoughtful engagement with information, and there are various strategies and approaches that can help you become more effective in evaluating sources and claims. [Estimated time: 20 minutes]

Source Evaluation and Fact-Checking

Do this interactive activity to apply your fact-checking skills. The SIFT (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims) method is introduced here. [Estimated: 15 minutes]

AI Deepfakes

This unit goes into the capabilities and the risks of AI image and video generators. The Quick Quiz at the end tests your skills in detecting deepfakes. [Estimated time: 10 minutes]

Feel like taking a deep dive? Here are some recommended readings from the Library:

Deepfakes

From celebrity porn and political satire to movie mash-ups and disinformation campaigns, this book explores themes of trust and consent as face-swapping software becomes more common. Meikle argues that deepfake videos allow for a new perspective on the taken-for-granted nature of contemporary media, in which our capacity to remix and share content increasingly conflicts with our capacity to trust.

Counterfact: Fake news and misinformation in the digital information age

For as long as there has been a press, fake news has played a role in the disruption of how factual information is shared among people. Misinformation goes back even further, spreading through the use of lies and rumors, spoken or written, for various political and social purposes. This book examines in detail a comprehensive model for fake news that might be used to help predict and neutralize its negative effects, as well as examine the traits that contribute to a person's susceptibility to falling for false stories, conspiracies, and other misinformation.

Democracy and truth: A short history

In this lively and illuminating book, historian Sophia Rosenfeld explores a longstanding and largely unspoken tension at the heart of democracy between the supposed wisdom of the crowd and the need for information to be vetted and evaluated by a learned elite made up of trusted experts. What we are witnessing now, under the pressure of populism, is the unraveling of the detente between these competing aspects of democratic culture.

Reminder, on Monday October 14th:

• Vanier and Webster libraries will be open for study, but there will be no services offered.
• Grey Nuns will be closed.

Fall 2024 Hours (September 3 - December 17)

Happy Thanksgiving!

October is Canadian Library Month! During this month, libraries and library partners across Canada raise awareness of the valuable role libraries play in Canadians' lives.

#LibrariesForLife #BibliosPourLaVie

The Library is back at Concordia's Services Fair this week.

When: September 25, 12:00pm-3:00 pm
Where: EV Atrium

Come visit us at our table in the EV Atrium, and learn about all the services available throughout your first year at Concordia (and all the way to graduation!) from student clubs to on-campus resources.

No registration is necessary, just drop by.

Use your Concordia ID card at the Loans desk at Webster Library or the Circulation Desk at Vanier Library to borrow equipment & books. You can also use it at the self-checkout machine to borrow books.

Between 11 p.m. - 7 a.m., and on University holidays, a security guard may ask to see your ID card while you’re in the Library.

Starting this week, 11 anatomical models are available for loan at Vanier Library.

You can find them in Sofia by keyword searching anatomical models and limiting to “object” as a format.

Some information about the models, they are:

• Kept behind the Circulation Desk
• In library use only, can be borrowed for 3 hours at a time and are due at closing if the 3 hours are at the end of the day
• Available only to Concordia Community users (i.e. current students, faculty and staff)

Note that in Sofia each record links to an image of the model (just click on “Access Online”).

Feeling overwhelmed or intrigued with all the news about Generative AI? Looking for something that is quick but in-depth to get you started?

Check out these 4 AI learning kits created by Concordia Library:

• ChatGPT & generative AI
  Learn about the power of ChatGPT and some suggested uses, as well as the pitfalls and other ethical concerns. [Estimated time: 15 minutes]
  
• Machine learning
  Want to dive a little deeper? Find out how can computers “learn” to solve problems in this quick unit on machine learning. [Estimated time: 15 minutes]
  
• AI Deepfakes
  Interested in how AI can deceive? This quick module on AI deepfakes goes into the capabilities and the risks of AI image and video generators. [Estimated time: 15 minutes]
  
• Algorithmic effects
  When you search for information online, have you ever wondered how algorithms shape your search results? This activity on algorithmic effects shows you examples. [Estimated time: 15 minutes]
  

If you want to learn together in a group, we have the following workshops coming up in the Library:

Happy Labour Day!

Please note that both Libraries will be closed starting at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 1, until 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 3.

Also, opening hours are changing as of September 3rd. Make sure to check out the fall hours before heading over to the Library!

For more information on our study and service point hours visit our Locations & Hours page.

Welcome to the Library: Here’s what you need to know

For a brief introduction to services, facilities, and collections at the Library, see the one-page Library Guide for New Students. It includes videos, lots of links, and a list of all the basics you need to know about your Library.

There are guided tours of the Webster Library scheduled this week. Join our friendly and knowledgeable Library staff for a 20-minute guided tour of the key spaces and services available to support your learning and research.

No registration required! This tour departs from the Ask Us! desk near the Library's entrance (LB-2) on these dates and times:

Opening soon!

We are pleased to announce that the Grey Nuns Library space will be opening again for the fall/Winter semesters as of 9 am on September 3rd!

A reminder that no outdoor footwear is allowed in the Reading Room, so bring your cozy slippers or socks.

See you soon!

See the Grey Nun's schedule

After a brief closure for inventory, we are pleased to announce that the Technology Sandbox is reopening during it's regular scheduled hours as of Monday, August 26th!

See the Technology Sandbox schedule

Summer hours in effect from June 10 until September 2, 2024. See Locations & hours for more details.

Early Summer 2024 Hours (June 10 – August 16)
Early Summer Final Exams 2024 Hours (June 20 – June 26)
Late Summer 2024 Hours (August 17 – September 2)

Webster Library LB-2 vitrines

In celebration of Pride month, this exhibition showcases art and photography books, biographies, memoirs, literary and historical works by and about gay artists and authors. Books in the collection reflect changing attitudes over the last century both within and without the gay community.

The exhibition will be on display in the Webster Library vitrines on LB-2 from June 3 to September 5, 2024.

Webster Library, vitrines on LB-2

The Webster Library is pleased to present "Me, Myself, and AI: Is This My Voice," an exhibition showcasing the works and reflections of design and computation arts students of the fall 2023 course DART491 discursive design studies. Located in the vitrine on the library's first floor, the exhibition presents a collection of student works that explore questions that arise from confronting creative self-expression with automation and artificial intelligence.

The exhibition "Me, Myself, and AI: Is This My Voice" showcases the works of students who attended the course DART491, Discursive Design Studies, in the fall semester of 2023. In this course, students explored the potential and limits of generative AI while developing their artist statements, confronting what mattered to them and their creativity with generative AI's tendency to hallucinate, confabulate, and produce 'BS' as per Harry Frankfurt's terminology, navigating the fine line between the automated, the genuine, the absurd and machine-generated happy accidents.

Throughout the semester, students explored various topics related to AI and beyond, including authenticity, authorship, spirituality, inclusion, sustainability, design justice, and identity. Reflections, conversations, and threads of computations ran in parallel using ChatGPT, Dalle, or Stable Diffusion, articulating responses with the help of creatively prompting generative AI tools. The resulting works are a unique blend of human enquiry and curiosity and machine-generated output, questioning the potential and limitations of AI in creative fields like art and design.

From these diverse topics, two overarching perspectives emerged, represented by the background images in the vitrines: On the right, a critical view of the corporate infrastructure providing generative AI tools, and on the left, the personal experience of navigating or passively being exposed to this new reality. Interestingly, humour often guided the exploration in these uncharted territories, adding a light-hearted touch to confronting questions about our individual and collective futures. All works, including students' reflections, can also be viewed on the digital counter.

With these works, the students prompt the viewers of this exhibition to ponder how the next generation of creatives may navigate opportunities and risks and what it means to develop one's voice and have it heard in the age of AI.

Curated by Florian Grond, Assistant Professor of Design and Computation Arts, and Shadi Roozie, TA and graduating student of the Master of Design program.

We invite you to discover the virtual exhibition “Shrines for Our Times: The Sacred Gaze & Unmanageable Woes” featuring audiovisual works made by students from the course Religion and the Arts in South and Southeast Asia (RELI 347). The works in this exhibition emphasize the visualizations and practices of religions’ aesthetic traditions in this region over time and space, and centre frameworks that are underrepresented in Western institutions.

The exhibition is accessible until the end of August 2024.

Before there was Concordia University (founded 1974), there was Loyola College (1896-1974) and Sir George Williams University (SGWU) (1926-1974).

Here is a Library Orientation video made by SGWU's Instructional Media Office. 

The video mentions closed stacks, a coat check, a card catalogue and other remnants of the past including a time when the Library was housed in the Norris Building on Drummond and Ste-Catherine Streets.

Watch the video on YouTube.

More information about the video.

We invite you to discover Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Language Week) Exhibition at the Webster Library Audio Stairwell. Seachtain na gaeilge is the annual international festival held each March promoting Irish language and culture. Irish, or Gaeilge, is the indigenous language of the island of Ireland, a member of the Celtic family of Indo-European languages, and not to be confused with the variety of English widely spoken on the island.

This exhibition presents a selection of Irish-language sound recordings from the collections of Concordia University Library. In addition to sound recordings, the library also has a growing collection of print and electronic Irish-language resources discoverable through Sofia, the Library’s discovery tool.

Curated by Christopher Carr, Irish Studies Librarian

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Dr Máirtín Coilféir and Dean Farrell of the School of Irish Studies for their assistance with this exhibition.

Read more about the exhibition, including a list of tracks.

​The call for applications for the Black History Archives Student Residency in Special Collections is now open. This 8-week paid research and discovery-focused residency is open to Concordia students at all levels with an interest in learning about and working with the Black History and community archives preserved by the Library’s Special Collections. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to learn about archives and primary source research; to discover archival resources in a variety of areas, with particular emphasis on the Black History and community archives preserved by the Library’s Special Collections; and to prepare a research or creative project based on their research. Applicants must be pursing undergraduate or graduate studies in any Concordia faculty (full or part-time), be enrolled at the time of application, and be registered with the The NouLa Centre for Black Students. More information about the program and how to apply.

Photograph pertains to Betty Riley and the Black Youth Television Workshop. Photograph by Leon Lewellyn, [197-]. Concordia University Library, Special Collections, Leon Llewellyn fonds, F032-02-882

For the Winter 2024 installment of the Indigenous Authors in the Spotlight series, Indigenous Student Librarian Rudi Aker has curated a list of 12 works from Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ authors, spanning across genres, to explore contemporary Indigiqueer perspectives.

The Library is pleased to launch the new Web Archiving Subject Guide!

Web archiving is the "process of collecting portions of the World Wide Web, preserving the collections in an archival format, and then serving the archives for access and use.”

This emerging guide serves to support the use of web archives in research and empower the Concordia community to preserve web-based content. The guide includes tools and resources for creating web archives and developing preservable websites, a list of significant web archive collections, and a curated list of educational and scholarly resources to learn more about web archiving.

The guide also highlights web archiving initiatives at Concordia, including collections developed by the Library and Records Management and Archives (RMA) and the Library's Web Archiving Policy.

If you have any questions or feedback on the content of the guide or if you have suggestions for additional resources or content, please contact Sarah Lake, Digital Preservation Librarian.

Webster Library, vitrines, discovery counter and display cases on LB-2

After an initial exhibition featuring documents from the Leon Llewellyn fonds (F032) located in Special Collections, documents from Concordia's Records and Managements Archives and the archives of Dr. Esmeralda Thornhill, Harambec continues its mandate of flame keeping with a second commemorative exhibit to honor the legacy of Black Feminist organizing here in Montreal.

Displayed at Concordia's Webster Library from February 7, 2024, to May 1, 2024, the exhibition highlights the various efforts of Montreal Black Women's organizing, from the second half of the 20th century until today. The exhibition features archived material from women active in these groups, as well as from other community groups, which highlight and underline various intersections of Black women's struggles. Black women in Montreal, both French- and English-speaking, have been at the frontline of multiple solidarity movements and initiatives from internationalism in denouncing the apartheid in South Africa to decrying police killings and medical racism and demanding recognition of Black lesbian scholarship and culture.

This exhibition also features various commemorative objects, coming directly from the personal collections of women active in community organizing across decades and sectors. Through a dialogue between archives representing some of these mobilizations, as well as the initiatives put forward by Black feminist and women's groups today, including Harambec, this second exhibition demonstrates that the Black Feminist flame has been passed, and is still burning.

This public education initiative responds to multiple recommendations included in the President's Task Force on Anti-Black Racism Final Report and aligns with the University's desire to repair and build relationships with Black communities. It is a direct response to the institutional erasure of Black Women's contributions (in and outside the University) and marks the continuity of Black Feminist organizing and Harambec's commitment to the path our elders so courageously paved.

This exhibition is curated by Samia Dumais, archivist at Harambec, and Marlihan Lopez, cofounder of Harambec, with the special collaboration of Maguy Metellus, Black feminist organizer.

Are you considering library school?

Concordia Library, in collaboration with McGill University and Université de Montréal, is offering a First Nations, Métis or Inuit student a two-year paid position at the Webster or Vanier Library.

Submit your application by March 1, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Image: Studio portrait of Laura Holton sitting in a chair. Photo: unknown. Archives of Ontario. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

The tri-university Indigenous Student Librarian Program, now in its seventh year, has brought yet another Master of Information Studies student to work at the Concordia Library. Continue reading.

More than 20 apps, including Photoshop, Acrobat Pro, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and more are now accessible to current students, faculty and staff at Concordia through the Library. Find a computer with Creative Cloud installed in the following places:

• LB-285 - Webster Library, Ireland Reading Room (16 workstations)
• LB-314 - Webster Library, Visualization Studio (1 workstation)
• VL-101 - Vanier Library (4 workstations)
• LB-211 - Webster Library Technology Sandbox (4 on-site computers and 15 laptops that can be borrowed)

Look for the Adobe Creative Cloud sticker on the workstation.

There are a few steps needed in order to use the software, see the full details on the How to access Adobe Creative Cloud at the Library.

Do you need technical assistance for issues related to your devices, Concordia Wi-Fi, apps, software or other information technology? The Concordia Library's IT Team is offering help at the Webster Library's Ask Us! desk on LB-2 next to the entrance.

Monday to Friday

1 – 5 p.m.

Until February 2

In September 2023, we answered close to 400 questions on topics from printing to Wi-Fi to specialized software. We're happy to help!

January 11 - 30, 2024
Webster Library vitrines on LB-2

Concordia University Press and the Concordia University Library are pleased to showcase the 2023 AUPresses Book, Jacket, and Journal Show, representing the best book design by university press publishers.

Concordia University Press is honoured to have three of its books included in this year’s show: Arthur Erickson on Learning Systems and Liz Magor’s Subject to Change: Writings and Interviews are both included in the Scholarly Typographic category, and Lauren Beck’s Canada’s Place Names and How to Change Them is included in the Book Covers category. Our congratulations to designers Sean Yendrys, Scott Ponik, and Sébastien Aubin, OTAMI-. As a relatively new publisher, with our first book, Ken Lum’s Everything is Relevant: Writings on Art and Life, 1991-2018 (also a Scholarly Typographic winner) appearing in 2020, we are proud to be included among the best design in our industry and among our esteemed peers.

If you would like to flip through these books, please visit us on 31 January from 3 to 5 pm at the 4th Space. We will be releasing these books from their display cases and hosting a free and public event. Join us for a discussion about excellence in book design with award-winning designers and publishing colleagues from McGill-Queen’s University Press.

For more information on the AUPresses, the annual design show’s winners, and its jury members, please visit: https://design.up.hcommons.org/. For more information on Concordia University Press titles, please visit: concordia.ca/press

Find out more about the How to Get Published Speaker Series.

Read the article to learn more.

Wednesday, December 27 to Friday, December 29: 12 – 6 p.m.

Wednesday, January 3 to Friday, January 5: 12 – 6 p.m.

The Grey Nuns Reading Room and Group Study Rooms as well as all services (Loans/Circulation desks, Ask Us/Reference desks, Chat with Us, Technology Sandbox, and Special Collections) will be closed from Saturday, December 23, 2023, to Sunday, January 7, 2024. Group study rooms are not available to be booked during this time period.

The building and service hours for the winter 2024 term are also available now on the website.

See the hours webpages for more details:

• Webster Library hours
• Vanier Library hours
• Grey Nuns Reading Room and Group Study Room hours

Nominations are now being invited.

In making a nomination, please use the Nomination Form.

Completed forms must be submitted to lina.guerra@concordia.ca by Wednesday, December 13, 2023.

Students, faculty, staff, and members of the public alike, may submit a nomination.

We have raised over $123,500 to support Concordia University’s Centre for the Arts in Human Development (CAHD), Concordia Student Emergency and Food Fund, Library Staff in Support of Students Bursary, and other charitable organizations.

When: Friday, December 15, 2023 at 6:45 p.m.

Register for the Zoom Auction: https://tinyurl.com/Auction34

Meeting ID: 898 8034 1832

Passcode: 565167

There will be door and raffle prizes to be won as well. Raffle tickets are $3 each, or 2 for $5, or 10 for $20. Tickets can be purchased from our committee members. See pictures of prizes posted on our Facebook page.

Absentee Bidding: Please contact a committee member if you are unable to attend the Auction but have seen something(s) on which you would like to bid. A committee member would be happy to be your avatar.

Faye Corbin – Faye.Corbin@concordia.ca
Helen Eng – Helen.Eng@concordia.ca
Cynthia George – Cynthia.George@concordia.ca
Elizabeth McDonald - Elizabeth.Mcdonald@concordia.ca
Dereje Taye – Dereje.Taye@concordia.ca
Nadia Pecora – Nadia.Pecora@concordia.ca

Research data can be archived and preserved locally and also shared in a data repository, depending on funder or journal requirements.

If you choose to share your data, Concordia researchers have access to Borealis, the Canadian Dataverse Repository. This general-purpose repository provides a bilingual, secure environment for the deposit and sharing of your research data. Borealis accepts a wide variety of file formats and provides you with a unique identifier (DOI) for your datasets. It also gives you the ability to track your data’s usage via view and download counts. Benefits to using Borealis instead of other generalist repositories include Borealis being free for Concordia researchers to use, and the data being stored on Canadian servers.

You can explore Concordia’s instance of Dataverse here: https://borealisdata.ca/dataverse/concordia and find out more about Research Data Management best practices by checking out the Library’s Research Data Management Guide.

More information on the Concordia IT Services website.

Photo by Umberto on Unsplash

This event will support the current exhibition held at the Webster Library “The Life and Works of Karl Polanyi”

Event moderated by Marguerite Mendell, Director of the Karl Polanyi Institute of Political Economy, and Ana Gomez, Coordinator.

Read the article in the Concordia News

Read the article in the Concordia News

See the guide: Setting up Google Scholar to find Library resources.

Here are some books from our collection about Google and search engines.

Understanding search engines (2023)

Invisible search and online search engines: the ubiquity of search in everyday life (2019)

Google for Jobs: how Google revolutionizes the job market and you benefit in recruiting (2021)

From Gutenberg to Google: The history of our future (2019)

Along came Google: a history of library digitization (2021)

Algorithms of oppression: how search engines reinforce racism (2018)

The joy of search: a Google insider’s guide to going beyond the basics (2019)

The googlization of everything (and why we should worry) (2012)

Query understanding for search engines (2020)

Learning Google Analytics (2022)

Deep learning for search (2019)

Software engineering at Google: Lessons learned from programming over time (2020)

Webster Library, vitrines and Discovery Counter on LB-2

Curated by: Marguerite Mendell and Ana Gomez

This exhibition showcases a selection of publications, archival material, photographs, and illustrations on "The Life and Work of Karl Polanyi," recognized as one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. Polanyi's influence continues to grow across all disciplines within the social sciences and humanities. As the complex 21st century unfolds, it is often referred to as Polanyi's century, both to understand the roots of today's crises and to chart urgently needed new pathways.

We have selected several photos of Karl Polanyi's illustrious family, including his brother, philosopher Michael Polanyi, his sister, historian Laura Polanyi, his daughter Kari Polanyi Levitt, among others. Photographs capture Polanyi's life in Hungary, Austria, England, the United States and Canada. Publications in this exhibition are both by and on Karl Polanyi.

Choosing what to include was a challenge as Karl Polanyi's work documents key moments in the history of the 20th century as well as influential writings in economic anthropology in the 1950's until his death in 1964. However, throughout his writings, both academic and as an observer of world events, Polanyi's intellectual journey was an ongoing theoretical inquiry into the world in which he lived to better understand the forces that dominate society.

The exhibition introduces the Karl Polanyi Institute of Political Economy, located here at Concordia University and the Karl Polanyi Digital Archive which is displayed here as well. The Institute is the repository of the Karl Polanyi Archive. We hope this exhibition will inspire students, faculty, visitors, and users of the Concordia library to discover the Institute and to learn more about Karl Polanyi's legacy.

Under the aegis of Harambec and thanks to the contribution of Dr. Esmeralda’s Thornhill’s personal Archival Collection, we are pleased to share the tenure of a commemorative exhibit to honour the legacy of Black Feminist organizing here in Montreal.

Displayed at Concordia’s Webster Library from October 17 to December 20, 2023, the exhibition contains some authentic documents culled from the private Collection of Dr. Esmeralda M.A Thornhill as well as documents from Concordia Special Collections and Records Managements and Archives. This exhibition brings to public light the obscure evidence of Black Women’s key societal contributions to Montreal, Quebec, and Canada in the education sector. The exhibition was curated by Harambec’s archivist Samia Dumais, with the support of co-founder Marlihan Lopez and interdisciplinary artist Po B. K. Lomami. The exhibition, located on the second floor of Webster Library, can be visited during opening hours.

In the context of Concordia, this public education initiative responds to multiple recommendations included in the President’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism Final Report and aligns with the University’s desire to repair and build relationships with Black communities. It is a direct response to the institutional erasure of Black Feminist contributions (in and outside the University), and marks the continuity of Black Feminist organizing and Harambec’s commitment to the path our elders so courageously paved.

An operating system (OS) is the software that directly manages a computer’s hardware and resources like memory, processing (CPU) and storage. You’re probably already using either Microsoft Windows or Apple macOS on your laptop (and Android or iOS on your mobile device), but have you ever tried Linux (pronounced LINN-ucks)? It’s different from Windows and Apple in many ways – primarily because it is a collection of open-source systems. “Open source” means that means that it is customizable and free to download and reuse – unlike proprietary systems like Windows or macOS. Come play around with Linux at the Technology Sandbox by either using it on a Raspberry Pi or installing it on your laptop (using a virtual machine (VM)). Sign up for our workshop on Wednesday, October 18 (3 – 5 p.m.) where Sean Cooney, Technology Sandbox Technician, cover different Linux versions (distros), how to install Linux, navigating files and using the command line. We’re here to guide you and show you all Linux has to offer.

Workshop: Introduction to Linux

Udemy: Linux for Beginners

Ebook: Linux all-in-one

Borrow: Raspberry Pi kit

Udemy: Complete Linux Training Course to Get Your Dream IT Job 2023

Ebook: Raspberry Pi cookbook: Software and hardware problems and solutions (2022)

Ebook: Learning modern Linux (2022)

Ebook: Practical Linux system administration (2023)

Ebook: Efficient Linux at the command line: Boost your command line skills (2022)

Ebook: CompTIA Linux+ practice tests: Exam XK0-005 (2022)

Print book: Rebel code: The inside story of Linux and the open source revolution (2001)

Ebook: For fun and profit: A history of the free and open source software revolution (2017)

Your professor says you need to search for articles, and that they must be scholarly or peer reviewed. But what is an article?

Check out the Finding Articles section of the Library Research Skills Tutorial to learn everything you need to get started doing research with articles. It covers information:

• How to find appropriate articles that your professor will approve
• How to search for articles on a topic
• How to know if your article is scholarly or peer reviewd?
• How to find the full text of an article?
• What to do if you can’t access the full text
• How to find a specific article from a citation

This module includes short instructional videos on how to search in databases for articles, how to use Google Scholar, and explanations of peer-reviewed/scholarly articles.

• Workshop: Thinking Critically about AI Tools (Oct. 19, 1 - 2:30 p.m.)
• Quick Thing for Digital Knowledge: ChatGPT & Generative AI
• Udemy: ChatGPT For Beginners: Smart Tips For ChatGPT Prompts
• Udemy: ChatGPT Complete Guide: Learn Midjourney, ChatGPT 4 & More
• O’Reilly: Quick Start Guide to Large Language Models: Strategies and Best Practices for using ChatGPT and Other LLMs (October 2023)
• Ebook: What are ChatGPT and its Friends? : opportunities, costs, and risks for large language models
• Ebook: Generative AI with Python and TensorFlow 2: Harness the power of generative models to create images, text and music
• Ebook: The AI-powered workplace: How artificial intelligence, data, and messaging platforms are defining the future of work
• Ebook: Natural language processing projects: Build next-generation NLP applications using AI techniques
• Ebook: Exploring deepfakes: Deploy powerful AI techniques for face replacement and more with this comprehensive guide
• Ebook: GPT-3: The ultimate guide to building NLP products with OpenAI API
• Browzine: Artificial intelligence journals

Your professor says you need to search for articles, and that they must be scholarly or peer reviewed. But what is an article?

Check out the Finding Articles section of the Library Research Skills Tutorial to learn everything you need to get started doing research with articles. It covers information:

• How to find appropriate articles that your professor will approve
• How to search for articles on a topic
• How to know if your article is scholarly or peer reviewd?
• How to find the full text of an article?
• What to do if you can’t access the full text
• How to find a specific article from a citation

This module includes short instructional videos on how to search in databases for articles, how to use Google Scholar, and explanations of peer-reviewed/scholarly articles.

Workshop: GradProSkills - Introduction to OpenRefine

Udemy: Data Quality Masterclass - The Complete Course

Udemy: Excel: Data cleaning and analysis techniques

Ebook: SQL for data science: data cleaning, wrangling and analytics with relational databases

Ebook: Practical python data wrangling and data quality

Ebook: Data cleaning and exploration with machine learning

The second largest Library building is the Vanier Library on the Loyola campus. This location has three floors and most of the print book collections for science and psychology. It’s just a short 20-minute shuttle bus ride from the downtown campus or a 25-minute ride on the 105 Sherbrooke bus from the Vendôme metro station (orange line). You can also take the 90 St-Jacques bus or the 102 Somerled bus to get there. It’s the perfect place for you to escape the downtown noise and crowds and get some serious studying done. It receives an average of 1333 visits per day during the fall and winter terms. The Vanier Library has quiet areas bathed in natural light from large windows overlooking beautiful trees. The Vanier Library even has treadmill and stationary bike workstations and a listening station for playing vinyl records from the collection.

Open as of Tuesday, October 10 this year, the Grey Nuns Reading Room & Group Study Rooms is a marvel to see. Located at 1190 Guy Street, a 5-minute walk from the Webster Library, it is a study space in a former chapel with original architectural features and artworks. It receives an average of 340 visits per day during the fall and winter terms. It’s open only to the Concordia community, so remember to bring your Concordia ID card so you can get in. Because it is a designated heritage building, we need to do everything we can to protect its beauty. Please remove your shoes before entering the Reading Room.

• Find appropriate information sources for university-level assignments
• analyze and evaluate these information sources
• manage sources effectively for academic success.

For example, in the Search Basics section, you’ll discover the best search techniques for finding books and articles, as well as what to do if a search produces too few or too many results.

In the Finding Articles section, you’ll learn about the different types of articles and the peer review process and explore how to identify, search for, select, access and evaluate articles.

Be sure to also check out the sections on reading, writing, citing, and notes to discover strategies for efficient reading and organized note-taking, as well as guides on writing specific types of documents and citing your sources appropriately.

Whether you’re a new or returning student, we recommend having a quick look through the tutorial now to get off to an effective start, and reviewing any relevant sections again later in the semester to brush up your skills as you work through your assignments.

Remember that you can always get further advice on finding and evaluating information through the Ask a Librarian service.

• Use in the Sandbox: HTC Vive VR headset
• Workshop: VR Bootcamp Part 1 (Mon. Sept. 25, 3 – 5 p.m.)
• Workshop: VR Bootcamp Part 2 (Mon. Oct. 2, 3 – 5 p.m.)
• Borrow from the Sandbox: Kinect (motion sensing input device that can also work as a 3D scanner)
• Borrow from the Sandbox: Sony Playstation VR
• Udemy: Metaverse Masterclass: Learn Everything about the Metaverse!
• Udemy: Augmented Reality in Depth 101
• Udemy: Introduction to Web AR development
• Udemy: A Beginner's Guide to Augmented Reality with Unity
• Quick Thing for Digital Knowledge: Web 3.0 and the metaverse
• Ebook: Unity virtual reality development with VRTK4 : a no-coding approach to developing immersive VR experiences, games, & apps (2022)

Workshops

Join Melissa Rivosecchi at 2 p.m. on Monday, September 18, to learn the basics in Design for 3D Printing, and if you’re eager for more Sean Cooney is teaching 3D Modelling 102: OpenSCAD at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 5. We also suggest checking out ebooks and courses in the library collection that can take your understanding of 3D printing and modelling to the next level.

• 3D printers available in the Sandbox
• 3D printing guide
• Wikibook: OpenSCAD user manual
• Ebook: 3D Printing with SketchUP
• Ebook: Getting Started with 3D Printing
• Udemy: Complete Blender Creator: Learn 3D Modelling for Beginners
• Udemy: 3D Printing Start to Finish with TINKERCAD & CURA Software

They have also created a guide on the Library’s website: Systematic Reviews and Other Knowledge Syntheses. It includes advice and resources on the entire process.

How to get started - Includes definitions and types of reviews, how to plan your review or knowledge synthesis project and what resources are available (websites, books and ebooks).

Searching - Which databases you can use to identify published literature on your topic, from Scopus to Web of Science. It also covers tips on advanced searching and controlled vocabulary, testing searches, sentinel articles, filters/HEDGES, grey literature, and how to document your search process with logs and reporting.

Managing and reporting – After you’ve finalized your search and run it in your chosen databases, you’ll learn how to export and manage your citations and perform de-duplication and screening of sources. Software for screening and managing your citations are covered, as well as quality assessment and meta-analysis. Instructions for how to write the methods section for your paper and fill in your PRISMA flowchart are also covered.

The guide lists free online resources and open access articles for understanding aspects of systematic reviews. Here are some additional recommended resources from the Library’s collections:

• Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (print book)
• Doing a systematic review: a student's guide (print book)
• Systematic approaches to a successful literature review (print book)
• An introduction to systematic reviews (print book)
• Doing your literature Review: traditional and systematic techniques (print book)
• Systematic reviews and meta-analysis (ebook)
• Principles and practice of systematic reviews and meta-analysis (ebook)
• Systematic reviews in the social sciences: a practical guide (print book)
• Systematic Reviews in Educational Research: Methodology, Perspectives and Application (ebook)
• Systematic reviews to answer health care questions (print book)
• Literature reviews: modern methods for investigating scientific and technical knowledge (ebook)
• Conducting systematic reviews in sport, exercise, and physical activity (ebook)

Monday to Friday

10 a.m. – 12 p.m. & 1 – 5 p.m.

Until September 29

In September 2022, we answered close to 400 questions on topics from printing to Wi-Fi to specialized software. We're happy to help!

Did you know that over 8000 students attended an instructional session offered by the Library in the 2022-23 academic year?

The Technology Sandbox is offering workshops on topics from 3D printing to virtual reality and Arduino—no previous knowledge required. Drop in for the FAT club (Fibre Arts and Technology) every Tuesday afternoon for fun knitting and crocheting.

Expand your skills and thinking with our workshops open to everyone on topics like evaluating generative AI tools, data storytelling, and citing sources, and managing your references in Zotero. You can also explore topics like web archiving, algorithmic bias, using Creative Commons licences, navigating technical information sources in engineering, and researching Indigenous topics.

Graduate students can pick up valuable skills for their coursework and research projects by attending a Library workshop through GradProSkills. During the fall term there are 16 workshops offered. Gain knowledge from librarians on topics from advanced search and systematic reviews to OpenRefine software and expert advice on managing references and notes for your thesis. Librarians have been teaching GradProSkills workshops since the program was created in 2011.

There are guided tours of the Webster Library scheduled this week. Join the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Webster Library for a 20-minute guided tour of the key spaces and services that are here to support your learning and research.

No registration required! This tour departs from the Ask Us desk near the Library's entrance (LB-2) on these dates and times.

Tuesday, September 5
11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Wednesday, September 6
11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Thursday, September 7
11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Friday, September 8
2 p.m.

Read the full article in the Concordia news: Concordia welcomes Amy Buckland as university librarian

Webster Library, vitrines on LB-2

Curated by: Erika Adams

Lasting Impressions showcases a selection of fine art prints produced over the last two decades through a special editions program within Concordia University's Print Media Department. Founded in the 1990s by Judy Garfin and Cheryl Kolak, this program fosters creative, collaborative and pedagogical opportunities for visiting artists, Master Printers and students.

This exhibition includes works by artists Geneviève Cadieux, Anne Carson, Pierre Dorion, Betty Goodwin, Pascal Grandmaison, Emily Hermant, Ed Pien and Roland Poulin and produced with Master Printers and artists Erika Adams, Chris Armijo, Brandon Gunn, Matthew Letzelter and Mikael Petraccia. Lasting Impressions is curated by Erika Adams, who is the current Director of this special editions program.

The Vanier Library is unaffected by this work and will remain open with regular weekend hours (10 a.m. – 9 p.m.). The Grey Nuns Reading Room and Group Study Rooms are closed until September 5, 2023. ]]> announcements 2 Jun 2023 10:44:00 EDT 2023-06-09 14:00:00 https://library.concordia.ca/about/news/#guid=https://library.concordia.ca/about/news/#i2_Jun_2023_10:44:00_EDT https://library.concordia.ca/about/news/#i2_Jun_2023_10:44:00_EDT Due to scheduled maintenance, the Library's streaming platform Medial may experience interruptions on Friday, June 9, from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Monday, May 22, 2023
National Patriots' Day / Journée nationale des Patriotes

Gabor Szilasi, Photos chez l'imprimeur, 1966. Fonds Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, Office du film du Québec, BAnQ Vieux-Montréal, Montréal. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

The Library is organizing a thought-provoking art history conference on October 13 on the subject of the printed image since the 1880s.

A call for papers is open and applicants can submit contributions in French and English that address any aspect of mass-produced visual materials as well as the diverse industrial or manual processes that enable their production.

Submission deadline: July 15

Eligible applicants: undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty

Submit proposals to stephanie.hornstein@concordia.ca

This study day aims to gather researchers around the subject of the printed image since the 1880s. With particular attention to material bibliography and production techniques, we seek to better understand how illustrations contribute to the formation of meaning and discourses within different contexts from illustrated newspapers to etiquette manuals, from scientific journals to children’s books.

Straddling the disciplines of literary studies, art history, bibliography, and library sciences, the field of illustrated print culture is a privileged inroad to social history. We are inspired by the foundational work of Richard Benson’s The Printed Picture (MoMA, 2008) as well as recent scholarly interest in vernacular media, such as Sarah Mirseyedi and Gerry Beegan’s important contributions on the development of photomechanical reproduction and Thierry Gervais’ edited volume The “Public” Life of Photographs (The MIT Press, 2016). Heeding the call of rare books specialist Roger Gaskell, who has identified the need to develop a “bibliography of images,” we invite contributions in French and English that address any aspect of mass-produced visual materials as well as the diverse industrial or manual processes that enabled their production.

Organizing committee:

• Stéphanie Hornstein, PhD candidate, Department of Art History, Concordia University and Concordia Library’s Researcher-in-Residence 2022-2023.
• Michel Hardy-Vallée, PhD (art history), Visiting scholar, Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art, Concordia University.

See full call for papers

Appel de communication: L'image mise en page: Journée d'étude sur la culture de l'imprimé illustré

L’objectif de cette journée d’étude est de rassembler des chercheurs autour du sujet de l’image imprimée depuis la décennie 1880. Portant une attention particulière à la bibliographie matérielle et aux techniques de production, nous tenterons de mieux comprendre comment les images imprimées contribuent aux formations discursives et de sens à travers une variété de contextes, des journaux illustrés aux manuels d’étiquette; des revues scientifiques aux livres pour enfants.

Chevauchant les disciplines des études littéraires, de l’histoire de l’art, de la bibliographie et de bibliothéconomie, le champ de la culture de l’imprimé illustré constitue une voie privilégiée vers l’histoire sociale. Nous sommes inspirés par le travail fondateur de Richard Benson dans The Printed Picture (MoMA, 2008) et par les récentes études sur les médias vernaculaires, tels que ceux de Sarah Mirseyedi et Gerry Beegan sur le développement des procédés photomécaniques et l’ouvrage dirigé par Thierry Gervais The “Public” Life of Photographs (The MIT Press, 2016). Faisant nôtre l’impératif du spécialiste en livres rares Roger Gaskelle de développer une « bibliographie des images », nous invitons les contributions tant en français qu’en anglais qui abordent un aspect pertinent des publications illustrées de masse ainsi que les divers procédés industriels ou manuels qui rendent leur production possible.

Le comité organisateur:

• Stéphanie Hornstein, candidate au doctorat, Département d’histoire de l’art, Université Concordia, et Chercheure en résidence, Bibliothèque de l’Université Concordia.
• Michel Hardy-Vallée, Ph. D. (histoire de l’art), Chercheur invité, Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art, Université Concordia

Consultez l'appel au complet

Reopening on
Tuesday, September 5 at 9 a.m.

Entry is free.

More details:
https://storytelling.concordia.ca/projects-item/16509/ ​​

Schedule:
Monday to Friday: 16:00-19:00
Saturday: 11:00-17:00 (Sunday closed)

Location:
Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling (COHDS) and Acts of Listening Lab,
Concordia University - Library Building- 10th floor – Room LB-1042
1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd W.
Métro Guy-Concordia

This exhibition is being held on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory.

Du 28 avril au 18 mai, le CHORN-COHDS et le ALLab vont accueillir l’exposition « Cartographies de la mémoire – Atlas des récits de vie rwandais ». Cette exposition propose une immersion dans le monde des cartes mémorielles. À travers la mise en cartes de 21 récits de vie de Rwandais et Rwandaises ayant quitté leur pays d’origine pour venir s’installer au Canada, cette exposition nous transporte de Kigali à Montréal en passant par Bujumbura, Bukavu, Louvain ou Ottawa. Plus qu’un périple géographique, ces cartes originales nous invitent surtout à prendre un moment pour écouter ces récits riches et inspirants dans lesquels se mêlent des souvenirs d’enfance, de famille, d’amitié, d’exil, de génocide et de résistance.

Entrée libre et gratuite

Plus de détails:
https://storytelling.concordia.ca/projects-item/16509/ ​​

Horaire:
Lundi au vendredi: 16:00-19:00
Samedi: 11:00-17:00 (Dimanche: fermé)

Lieu:
Centre d’Histoire Orale et de Récits Numérisés (CHORN) et Acts of Listening Lab (ALLab)
Université Concordia – Library Building – 10e étage – Salle LB-1042
1400 Blvd de Maisonneuve Blvd O.
Métro Guy-Concordia

Cette exposition est présentée en territoire Kanien’kehá:ka, lequel n’a jamais été cédé.

Day: Thursday, April 13, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: Visualization Studio (LB-314), Webster Library

The Concordia Library is open for study 24/7 over the Easter weekend (Friday, April 7 through Monday, April 10). Loans & Returns/Circulation, Reference/Ask Us and online chat are open on Saturday only, but closed on Friday, Sunday and Monday. All regular service hours resume on Tuesday, April 11.

(Photo by Sebastian Staines on Unsplash)

Webster Library, vitrines on LB-2

​​Taking place at the Concordia University Webster Library and FOFA Art Gallery on unceded Kanien'kehá:ka traditional territory, re* is part of the Worlding Public Cultures 2023 Tiohtià:ke/Montreal colloquium.

​​Curated by Manar Abo Touk, Lorraine Doucet Sisto, and Varda Nisar, the Library will shocase the work of artist Amin Rehman.

​​re* allows for the possibilities to unlearn and relearn the diverse world-making practices that continue to exist and thrive, despite colonial attempts to eradicate them under the guise of progress.

​​The exhibition is conceived as a critical and collective reflection on the themes of worlding and world-making. We understand world-making as an endeavor that creates life, cosmos, heaven and earth; a sacred act contributing to the pluriversality of modes of being; a practice that has always guarded itself against the worlding desires of colonial, heteronormative and patriarchal modes of being.

​​re* offers a counterpoint to colonial histories and archival practices. The artworks included in the exhibition reimagine and redefine ideas around time, space, land and languages. The works of artists rudi aker, Pansee Atta, Amin Rehman, and Swapnaa Tamhane foreground different possibilities for reclaiming languages and histories, resisting and refuting imposed geographies, and reframing pasts and futures.

Date: Thursday, March 23
Time: 8pm
Location: Visualization Studio, Webster Library, LB-314

Free, professional 10-minute chair massages will be provided again for all Concordia students on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Webster and Vanier Library.

Days:Tuesday April 11, Tuesday April 18, Thursday April 13, and Thursday April 20
Time: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location at Webster: LB-209 (behind the Technology Sandbox)
Location at Vanier: VL-1 (behind the Course Reserve room)

This program is a part of the Leisure and Wellness initiative which is made possible by the Library Services Fund and it strives to promote well-being on campus.

The project is a collaboration between Concordia University, the Goldman-Sonnenfeldt School for Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in Be’er Sheva, Israel, and Siemens Canada. At Concordia, Ursula Eicker (founder and co-director of Concordia’s Next-Generation Cities Institute), Mohammed Ouf (Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering) and Mazdak Nik-Bakht (Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering) are leading the research.

Siemens Canada will install the occupancy and air quality sensors throughout LB-3 in the Webster Library in order to track occupancy and energy consumption. The Webster Library will become a “Living Lab” that will be used to create innovative solutions for future urban sustainability.

The work to install the sensors will begin during the week of February 6 and will continue throughout the winter semester. It may be necessary to temporarily close some parts of LB-3 throughout the coming weeks and months in order to complete the installation work. Work will be scheduled to minimize disruption to Webster Library users.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during the installation period and apologize for any disruption or inconvenience.

For more information, please see this Concordia news story: Major donor energizes climate-change research with gift to Concordia and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Image: Dr. Walter Rodney Speaks the Truth (1968). C025-041, folder 20. Alfie Roberts and Patricia Cambridge collection. Concordia University Library, Special Collections.

The Library’s Quick Things for Digital Knowledge is a starting point for learning about emerging topics in our current data-rich and technology-driven world. This is not deep or difficult learning – it is broad, exploratory learning; trying something new in a simple way. Our topics so far include generative AI, Web 3.0 and the metaverse, data visualization, security and privacy, and more.

You can spend as much time or as little as you’d like, but it will usually take 20–30 minutes to review the information and complete the activities for each Quick Thing. If you’re inspired to learn more, you can continue with the recommended resources for additional reading, videos, podcasts, or longer online courses.

If you’re an undergraduate student, you can complete a reflection form after reviewing the content and completing the activities for one of the Quick Things to have it count as one activity towards your Communication and Digital Capabilities certificate.

This year's plenary speaker will be leading national and international expert on copyright and information policy, Victoria Owen, Information Policy Scholar-Practitioner at the University of Toronto. Victoria will be speaking on accessibility in an international context.

Proposal deadline: January 27, 2023. Visit the Library Research Forum webpages for more details about the event and how to submit a proposal.

Questions? Please contact the Forum Committee at lib-forum@concordia.ca

Library Research Forum Committee 2022-2023: Larry Deck, Aeron MacHattie, Pat Riva, Christine Smith (Chair)

Photograph of children and Maxsween, Karate instructor, taken at the NDG Black Community Centre. Photographed by Leon Llewellyn [1970s]. Leon Llewellyn fonds, F032-02-1040, Concordia University Library, Special Collections. Reproduced with permission.

The Library is pleased to launch the new Black Studies Subject Guide. This guide brings together information about diverse resources - including journals, databases, and archival materials - that support research in Black Studies at Concordia. This guide is interdisciplinary and was designed to support research in this area broadly. Importantly, this guide is iterative and will evolve as new resources are created and made available either through the Library’s collection or other publicly accessible avenues.

The Black Studies Subject Guide is accessible to members of the Concordia community and the general public under Subject & course guides (interdisciplinary) and linked directly from the Special Collections webpage.

The Black Studies Subject Guide was created at the request of and in collaboration with the Subcommittee for Faculty Development, Research, Library and Supports of the President’s Task Force on Anti-black Racism.

If you have any comments or feedback on the content of the guide or if you have suggestions for additional resources, please contact us.

The upcoming residency period is from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024. The dates are flexible; proposals which include alternative start dates and those of different duration will also be considered.

Researchers and practitioners from library and information studies, as well as other disciplines (e.g., anthropology, computer science, education, informatics, media studies, sociology) are welcome to apply.

Deadline to apply: March 17, 2023 by 5:00 PM EDT.

More information about how to apply for the Researcher-in-Residence Program.

Kusakabe Kimbei, "We Decide to Have Our Photographs Taken in Japanese Costume," in Charles M. Taylor's Vacation Days in Hawaii and Japan (Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1898), 151. Halftone reproduction.

Since the inception of photography in the 1830s, the medium has been entwined with histories of writing and travel. It was not until the 1880s, however, that photographs could be viably reproduced in books thanks to the implementation of the halftone printing process.

Featuring historic material from Concordia, McGill, and the Université de Montréal's library collections, this exhibition explores the impact of this printing technology on travelogues that describe the so-called Orient. What the books gathered here show is how photography was employed to illustrate and confirm a Western view of Asia and the Middle East as exotic destinations. A common feature of middle-class bookshelves, these mass-produced objects were hugely influential in shaping modern perceptions of actual places. Their compelling combination of romantic rhetoric and photographic realism would also prove to be a particularly enduring aspect of popular culture, paving the way for today's highly mediated tourist industry.

This exhibition will be on display in the Webster Library vitrines on LB-2 from January 31st to March 22nd.

Concordians reflect on library’s history and share hopes for the future.

The Concordia Library's IT Team is offering help at the Webster Library's Ask Us! desk on LB-2 next to the entrance.

Monday to Friday, from January 9 to 31

12 – 3 p.m.

• Decolonial Toolbox: Resources for the Concordia Community assembles all videos, podcasts, websites and books described in the Decolonial Toolbox, a collaboratively-produced learning guide from the Office of Community Engagement and local Montreal organizations.
• Inuit Authors lists and expands on the sources in Inuit Testimony, Critique & Practice, the latest edition of our Indigenous Authors in the Spotlight series.

The Zotero libraries can be searched, browsed or sorted in various ways, and the links should lead directly to Concordia-subscribed resources whenever relevant. The shared libraries also allow you to automatically export ready-made bibliographies in all kinds of formats – whether you have a Zotero account or not.

To learn more - and maybe even get started on creating your own Zotero group libraries - see our Zotero instruction page or watch our calendar for upcoming Zotero workshops.

Concordia Library, in collaboration with McGill University and Université de Montréal, is offering a First Nations, Métis or Inuit student a two-year paid position at the Webster or Vanier Library.

Read the news story.

Submit your application by February 10, 2023 at 5 p.m.

Songez-vous à poursuivre vos études en bibliothéconomie?

Le Programme à l’intention d’un étudiant autochtone en bibliothéconomie pourrait vous intéresser.

Lisez l'article sur le programme pour en savoir plus.

This workshop is designed for faculty and other researchers from all disciplines. This is an introductory-level workshop, and no prior knowledge or technical skills are needed. Participants are encouraged to create a free account with Conifer ahead of the workshop at https://conifer.rhizome.org/.

This workshop is led by Sarah Lake, Digital Preservation Librarian at Concordia University Library.

The workshop will be offered twice over Zoom:

• Tuesday January 10, 2023, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm [Register online]
• Thursday January 19, 2023, 2:00 – 4:00 pm [Register online]

Our Leisure and Wellness Collection is available at both of our Library locations, with dedicated spaces on Webster Library's 3rd floor and Vanier Library's 1st floor.

Whether you want to relax between classes with a colouring book, join your friends for a game of Scrabble, or find a new fantasy book to check out, the space is yours to use how you want. Learn more, by visiting our Leisure Reading Guide.

It's time to nominate a Library staff member for the Freda Otchere Staff Recognition Award.

Don't let excellence go unnoticed - fill in the nomination form today!

Nominations accepted until Wednesday, December 14.

We have raised over $123,500 to support Concordia University’s Centre for the Arts in Human Development (CAHD), Concordia Student Emergency and Food Fund, Library Staff in Support of Students Bursary, and other charitable organizations and Women’s centers in Montreal.

When: Friday, December 9, 2022 at 7:00 pm

Where:Via ZOOM https://bit.ly/christmasauction2022

Preview auction items: https://www.facebook.com/CUlibauction

There will be door and raffle prizes to be won as well. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 2 for $8 and can be purchased from our committee members. See pictures of prizes posted on our Facebook page and in various departments in the Library.

Absentee Bidding - Please contact a committee member if you are unable to attend the Auction but have seen something(s) on which you would like to bid. A committee member would be happy to be your avatar.

Helen Eng – Helen.Eng@concordia.ca
Nadia Pecora – Nadia.Pecora@concordia.ca
Karin Hilker-Karin.Hilker@concordia.ca
Cynthia George - Cynthia.George@concordia.ca
Elizabeth McDonald -Elizabeth.McDonald@concordia.ca

Feel free to bring your slippers or cozy socks; and bring a plastic bag for your boots or shoes it you want to keep them with you.

Our Leisure and Wellness Collection is available at both of our Library locations, with dedicated spaces on Webster Library's 3rd floor and Vanier Library's 1st floor.

Whether you want to relax between classes with a colouring book, join your friends for a game of Scrabble, or find a new fantasy book to check out, the space is yours to use how you want. Learn more, by visiting our Leisure Reading Guide.

The platform is known as ORCID, which stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID. An ORCID iD is a unique, persistent identifier assigned to an individual researcher to distinguish them from others — and it’s free. This digital research identifier connects others with their work and ensures that the author’s publications, data sets, grants, performances and other types of research contributions are correctly attributed.

Want to know more?

• Read the Concordia NOW article
• Attend a workshop: ORCID: Your bibliography, Your profile
  • November 15, 10 - 11 a.m. (Webster Library, SGW Campus)
  • November 16, 2 - 3 p.m. (Vanier Library, Loyola Campus)

Volunteers needed to give feedback on a learning resource.

Earn a $25 Amazon gift card for 45 minutes of your time.

Sign up today!

100 Years of Black Community Activism: The Intersecting Histories of the NCC and La Maison d’Haïti highlights the connections between two important community centres serving Montreal's Black communities: the Negro Community Center (NCC) and La Maison d'Haïti.

Through photographs and documents taken from the Black History and community archives preserved in Concordia University Library's Special Collections and the archives of La Maison d'Haïti, this exhibition provides insight into the educational and cultural programming offered by both organizations.

This exhibition will run until the end of December in the Webster Library vitrines on LB-2.

Please note that your Concordia ID card is required to access the space.

Find out more, including the opening hours.

We highly recommend  the The Decolonial Toolbox! The result of a multi-year collaboration between the Office of Community Engagement and local organizatons Mikana and the Montreal Indigenous Community NETWORK, this tool offers the public a self-directed learning pathway with carefully-selected and accessible resources, produced by Indigenous peoples and organizations, promoting Indigenous expertise.

As for library resources, take a look at our Pîkiskwêtân Companion Resource Guides, including Indigenous Education in Canada and Working with Indigenous Communities, as well as our most recent guide, Indigenous Health & Wellness. Or browse our Indigenous Authors in the Spotlight series, featuring the just-released Inuit Testimony, Critique & Practice. Huge kudos and congratulations to Chloe Belair Morin and Sarah Monnier, recent graduates of our Indigenous Student Librarian program, for authoring and curating both the recommended resources and latest spotlight.

The fair will take place October 25, 2022, from 2-6 pm at 4TH Space

Submission deadline: October 3, 2022

Call for Submissions

We are looking to host six to eight science-fair style booths on the theme of Open for Climate Justice in an interactive environment broadcast live from Concordia University’s 4TH Space.

Open for Climate Justice is the 2022 theme of International Open Access Week.

In collaboration with 4TH Space, Concordia University Library encourages scholars to participate in a week of global events that explore climate justice through forms of open scholarship and education: open access publishing, open science, open data, open source, and open educational resources. With openness in mind, what does it mean for climate justice work to connect and collaborate with open movements? How can climate justice research and educational work benefit from the open movements’ emphasis on the right to share and access data, information, and knowledge equitably?

Details

While not limited to the sciences, we welcome proposals that respond to these questions through a science-fair style booth that demonstrates, experiments, showcases, or encourages interaction. Proposals across disciplines and academic units in the humanities, fine arts, social sciences, computer science and engineering, business, and librarianship are welcome. Projects can be teaching, learning, research, or creative works, either complete or in progress. While we encourage submissions addressing these overarching questions, the focus can lean toward climate justice, open movement(s), or both.

Please submit a statement of interest to oer@concordia.ca with the subject line "open for climate justice." Submissions can lean either towards the open access OR climate justice themes. We welcome individual and group proposals from faculty members, research teams, undergraduate classes, and graduate students.

The submission deadline is October 3, 2022

As you get back into the swing of things, now is definitely not the time to lose your computer. With that in mind, it's important to be especially aware of your surroundings and watch your belongings at all times. The Concordia Security team shares the basics of theft prevention.

Go to the Library guide for new students

The Concordia Library's IT Team is offering help at the Webster Library's Ask Us! desk on LB-2 next to the entrance.

Monday to Friday, until September 30

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

1 – 5 p.m.

Read the full article.

Read the full article.

PETITE ENVELOPPE URBAINE: An Exhibition of Exhibitions in Envelopes

June 30 – August 31
Vanier Library, display cases on VL-1
Curated by Dana Isaac, Black History Archives Student in Residence

The Vanier Library is proud to present Black Women in Canada: Filling a Role, Finding a Role, curated by Dana Isaac, Concordia University Library’s first Black History Archives Student in Residence. This exhibition highlights the progress of Black women across Canada in the 20th century. By aiding their communities through initiatives that strived to create more equality, Black women saw a need to be filled, all while navigating their own identity as well.

Report of The Second National Congress of Black Women (1974)
Negro Community Centre/Charles H. Este Cultural Centre fonds (F013)
HA04224, folder 34

With a unique set of issues facing the Montreal Black community in the 20th century, Women’s groups such as The Colored Women’s Club of Montreal held forums and created specific programs that served to meet the needs of everyone in the Black Community.

The first National Congress of Black Women took place 1973, organized by members of the Canadian Negro Women’s Association. The second National Congress was held by the Coloured Women’s Club, led by chairman Maisie Dash, who was also chairperson of the N.D.G Black Community Association. These discussions brought together Black women of all ages to discuss problems both local and national.

Vera Jackson, former president of the board of directors of the Negro Community center helped organize the November 1974 Congress, and ran as an Independent Candidate in CDN/Outremont. Individual figures in the community also set out to create the changes they felt were needed, becoming activists themselves as a result of their interest. Betty Riley’s “Black Is!” program was first televised on Cable T.V.L., in 1971, as a response to the lack of minority representation on Television. In 1973, she formed the Black Youth Television Workshop, providing hands-on technical experience to those aged 16-25. In 1974, her success with both programs led her to join the Black Community Council of Quebec, and a year later “Black Community Communications Media” was formed. In 1977, she led the first national Black Media Conference, and that same year, “Black Speaks,” a radio program, was formed.

Betty Riley and the Black Youth Television Workshop
Photographed by Leon Llewellyn, [1970s]
Leon Llewellyn fonds (F032)
F032-02-884

Angela Davis’s 1974 visit to Montreal included speeches at the N.D.G Black Cultural Centre and McGill University, marking the end of her cross Canada Tour. Pictured on the cover of Spear magazine in Toronto, her arrival to Montreal subsequent welcome by members of the Coloured Women’s Club, and Betty Riley, were also photographed.

The struggles of Black women were not only discussed at forums across Canada, but also communicated in publications, such as Homemaker’s Magazine, Contrast, and Focus Umoja. An image taken from “Sisters Under the Skin: Confronting Race & Sex” serves as a visual representation of the struggle between Black and white feminist ideologies and actions, detailed in the newspaper article.

Other local events in Montreal celebrated the Black women in exhibitions as artists, creators, and forces that were changing media at the time, in collaboration with educational institutions and members of the Black Community Council of Quebec.

Text by Dana Isaac.

Related links

• Special Collections
• Archives and Special Collections Shared Catalogue

Interlibrary Loans

The former interlibrary platform (Colombo) has been retired and, going forward, all new requests for materials held outside of the Quebec network will be handled through Sofia – from searching to requesting. This means that new interlibrary loan requests will be tracked in your Sofia "My Account". You will continue to receive email notifications when your item is available for pickup or download. More information is available on the Interlibrary Loans webpage.

Article/Chapter Scan & Deliver

Book chapter and journal article scans from Concordia's print collection can also now be requested and tracked in Sofia. Look for the "Chapter Scan" button. Use this button for journal article, as well as book chapter, scans. More information is available on the Article/Chapter Scan & Deliver webpage.

See the User guide for the Sofia Discovery tool for more information on:

• Requesting books
• Requesting articles
• Requesting chapters
• Monitoring and managing requests

On June 23, Scholars Portal Dataverse is becoming Borealis, the Canadian Dataverse Repository / le dépôt Dataverse canadien. This new name reflects Borealis’s identity as a national service connecting Canadian researchers, and comes after consultation with research data management librarians and specialists across the country.

Concordia University Dataverse is hosted on Borealis. The name and appearance of the repository are changing, but the core service remains the same. Borealis is still the place where you can store, share, publish and discover research data, and the Library’s Research Data Team will continue to provide support.

Borealis is a bilingual, multidisciplinary, secure, Canadian research data repository, supported by academic libraries and research institutions across Canada. Borealis supports open discovery, management, sharing, and preservation of Canadian research data.

The new website will launch on June 23 at borealisdata.ca. All links to the current Scholars Portal Dataverse site will be redirected to the new site.

For more information, see the Scholars Portal team's FAQ .

For the most up-to-date news, follow the Borealis team on Twitter at BorealisData.

If you have any questions about this transition or want to learn more about depositing your research data, contact: lib-research.data@concordia.ca.

Inbal Ben-Asher Gitler: Architectural Culture in British Mandate Palestine, 1917-1947 (Edinburgh University Press, 2020).

View the full event details here.

The 2022 Concordia Library Research Forum took place on April 26 & 27.

The Planning Committee would like to thank all presenters, attendees, and volunteers for making the Research Forum an engaging and thought-provoking event!

Webster Library, Audio Stairwell and display cases on LB-2

Image: Riso-printed record cover, Art and Design by Leila Gillespie-Cloutier

The Library is pleased to present unique sound-oriented and creative works that emerged from the international SpokenWeb symposium Listening, Sound, Agency organized and hosted as a virtual conference by the Concordia University SpokenWeb team.

Entering the Webster Library through the Audio Stairwell one will hear selections from the thirteen compositions contributed to the Soundworks project played in their original stereo versions, and in digitized versions of mono lathe cut vinyl records. Also on display in the Library are the full set of Riso-printed record covers, and examples of the limited run vinyl records. The sound project was produced by Angus Tarnawsky (PhD, Communication), Deanna Fong (Postdoctoral Fellow in English and History) and Jason Camlot (Professor, English). Art and Design by Leila Gillespie-Cloutier (SpokenWeb Graphic Designer & Webmaster). The exhibition also includes a selection of pages from Quotes: Transcriptions On Listening, Sound, Agency, an experimental citational book of scholarship that excerpts phrases, sentences, and paragraphs from the entire roster of papers and performances presented at the 2021 online SpokenWeb symposium. The Quotes curators are fourth year PhD candidate Klara du Plessis and recent MA graduate Emma Telaro.

Also on display are selected pages from Quotes: Transcriptions On Listening, Sound, Agency, an experimental citational book of scholarship that excerpts phrases, sentences, and paragraphs from the entire roster of papers and performances presented at the 2021 online SpokenWeb symposium. The fragments compiled and rearranged in this book made from transcriptions are taken out of context, but recontextualized to deliberately foreground dialogue, overlap, shared intellectual and creative concerns, and an overall sense of community and collectivity predicated on innovative modes of listening. Quotes’ curators are fourth year PhD candidate Klara du Plessis and recent MA graduate Emma Telaro.

Learn more about & listen to some of the Soundworks: https://spokenweb.ca/spokenweb-sounds-listening-sound-agency-soundworks/

Curated by Jason Camlot, Klara du Plessis, Deanna Fong, Leila Gillespie, Angus Tarnawsky, and Emma Telaro.

If Concordia Library does not have the book you want (or if it has already been checked out) you can easily request it from one of the Quebec university libraries that has it, and it will be sent to Concordia’s Vanier or Webster Libraries (your choice) for pick-up.

We hope this will be an easier way to access the books you need instead of going in-person to other university libraries in Quebec or having to leave the Sofia Discovery tool and enter the book information into COLOMBO (our Interlibrary Loans service) to borrow books available across the Quebec network. Instead, you can now search for, request and track these requests through the Sofia Discovery tool.

More information about requesting books from across the BCI network is available on the User guide for the Sofia Discovery tool.

The time to receive the book is expected to be approximately the same amount of time as an interlibrary loan item ordered from a BCI library, usually up to a week.

Currently, these materials may be picked up at the Loans/Circulation desks at either Webster or Vanier Library.

The Concordia Library is open for study 24/7 over the Easter weekend (Friday, April 15 through Monday, April 18). Loans & Returns/Circulation, Reference/Ask Us and online chat are open on Saturday only, but closed on Friday, Sunday and Monday. All regular service hours resume on Tuesday, April 19.

(Photo by Sebastian Staines on Unsplash)

Photograph by B. J. Déry of Myron Sutton and the Canadian Ambassadors at the Gatineau Country Club in Aylmer, Quebec, [1930s], Myron Sutton fonds (P019-02-11)

The call for applications for the first iteration of the Black History Archives Student Residency in Special Collections is now open. This 8-week paid research and discovery-focused residency is open to Concordia students at all levels with an interest in learning about and working with the Black History and community archives preserved by the Library's Special Collections. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to learn about archives and primary source research; to discover archival resources in a variety of areas, with particular emphasis on the Black History and community archives preserved by the Library's Special Collections; and to prepare a research or creative project based on their research. Instruction and mentorship will be provided to the student resident. Applicants must be pursing undergraduate or graduate studies in any Concordia faculty (full or part-time), be enrolled at the time of application, and be registered with the Black Perspectives Office. For more information about the program and how to apply, visit https://library.concordia.ca/about/jobs/archives-student-residency.php.

The Forum will take place on April 26 and 27, 2022, and will be completely virtual. Register now for two afternoons of exciting presentations and posters. We look forward to seeing you there.

Researchers and practitioners from library and information studies, as well as other disciplines (e.g., anthropology, computer science, education, informatics, media studies, sociology) are welcome to apply.

Deadline to apply: March 25.

More information about how to apply for the Researcher-in-Residence Program.

The former alternative weekly plays an important role in Montreal's cultural and media history. Former Hour columnist and editor Richard Burnett (BA 88) reports on how Concordia Library's Special Collections became the home of the alternative weekly's archives.

SGW Student Coffee House, ca 1970 [1135-03-1989]

In 2024, Concordia University will celebrate its 50th anniversary. To mark this occasion, the History of Concordia's Editorial Committee invites chapter or short text proposals for an edited book project that will chart Concordia's past and reflect on its present and future. The multiple voices brought together will provide an opportunity to explore the diverse perspectives that have made Concordia the innovative university we know today.

The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2022.

About the History of Concordia Book Project

Call for Proposals / Appel de propositions

Take a moment with this month's featured image for Black History month – a photograph by Marlena Goldberg and the accompanying text “Where They Stood: A Historical Account of the Evolution of Black-Anglo Montreal” by Ayana Monuma, History Book Project Youth Animator, Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC) and Sara DeMelo-Zare, Project Coordinator, Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC).

See Where They Stood: A Historical Account of the Evolution of Black-Anglo Montreal.

If you would like your art or writing featured in the series, see our call for submissions.

Photograph by Artexte

January 10 – March 31, 2022
Webster Library, vitrines and display cases on LB-2
Curated by Hélène Brousseau and Jessica Hébert, with assistance from Alessandra Iavarone

We invite you to discover the exhibition Print on the Move, Print Remembered, Projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE Project (2001-2005) that features zines, documents and ephemera from the Projet MOBILIVRE-BOOKMOBILE Project special collection of Artexte.

The project was a volunteer-run initiative, including several Concordia graduates, aimed at expanding the visibility and access to independent publications by way of a travelling exhibition of zines and artists' books that visited communities across North America.

The Webster Library exhibition provides a glimpse into the do-it-yourself spirit of self-publishing, community building and print culture of the early 2000s.

Instructions for borrowing equipment from the Technology Sandbox

All equipment available to borrow

No registration required.

Each day at 2 p.m. from Monday, January 10 to Friday, January 14.

Zoom link: https://bit.ly/CUlibtour

This year's plenary session will be a conversation with David James Hudson, an award-winning writer, a library and information studies scholar, and an associate librarian at University of Guelph.

Read more...

All users will need to create new library accounts and/or guest accounts at either Webster Library (downtown campus) or Vanier Library (Loyola campus).

How to create a Library account (for borrowing items)

How to create a Guest account (for access to desktop computers, note that proof of address will be required for access to library computers.)

We ask that you return any material you may have from before library closures. If not on hold, these items can be checked out to your newly created library account. More information about library privileges.

This Concordia Vanier Library exhibition highlights some of the technologies we as consumers of mass media may have interacted with over the last decades for entertainment, school, employment or information.

A few of the machines and formats are no longer usable or available, whereas others are experiencing a revival as people rediscover and collect them. In fact, some of the machines are still available in the Library and the associated media formats can be signed out or used onsite.

As most information and entertainment becomes available through the internet, some people begin to experience nostalgia or interest in discovering the tactile physicality of the old media with its warmer, more inviting special sounds and visuals. Since some of these older media formats have never been uploaded to the internet, enjoying them in their original format is a fun way to turn back the clock and be immersed in media of a specific time period.

Researching media formats on the internet will uncover many websites and groups that are dedicated to collecting and enjoying these various retro formats.

Libraries and museums also offer a place to experience and enjoy many of the old media formats while they are still viable and with us, as not all of it may end up in the cloud.

Our Fall 2021 spotlight shines on authors writing their own stories through prose, poetry or other forms of autobiographical expression(s), and on Elders telling their stories through oral history interviews. We feature authors and collaborators from numerous nations and communities: Inuit, Innu, Huron Wendat, Ojibwe, Nehiyawak Cree, Métis, Sto:lo, Nlaka'pamux, Nisga'a and more.

Indigenous Authors in the Spotlight fall 2021 edition: Memoirs and Life Stories.

During the outage, links to electronic resources from Sofia will not be available. Database use should not be affected and can be accessed via the Databases by Subject page.

Need a space to attend a remote class on campus? You are welcome to use the Library's non-silent study spaces. Bring your own laptop, headset and microphone or borrow these from the Library's Loans/Circulation desk with your Concordia ID card. A new fleet of headsets with microphones have also been added to our technology loans, courtesy of the Library Services Fund. We also have plenty of electrical outlets to keep you charged through your class.

Not sure which spaces are suitable for talking? Just Ask Us – in person or before you come.

Please remember that procedural masks must be worn at all times in the Library, even while talking into a microphone.

Read the full story here.

Looking to pick up a few new skills that will make your time at university easier? The Library offers a variety of online and in-person workshops starting in mid-September and continuing into November.

Are you new to academic libraries? Join us for a 20-minute Webster Library tour and register for our “Researching in the Library” workshop to learn the basics and all the skills you’ll need to get started with your academic projects.

Wanting to learn new things with technology? Try out a Technology Sandbox workshop! Make sure to register soon because these workshops are quite popular. Everyone is invited and no prior experience is necessary. Learn about everything from Arduino to 3D Modelling and Virtual Reality.

The Library has partnered with GradProSkills again this year to offer 23 workshops for graduate students – from technology workshops on data mining, Linux, VR, open data, Excel and OpenRefine, to workshops with subject-specialist librarians for Engineering/Computer Science, Visual Arts, and Business and more. See all Library workshop with GradProSkills.

We look forward to seeing you in one of our workshops. As always, if you have any questions about using the library, research, citing or finding resources, please contact us through our Ask a Librarian service.

We are happy to announce that the Concordia Library fully reopened on August 16. This means that you have access to all the floors of the Library during opening hours. There will be no need to make an appointment to browse the bookshelves or use the microfilms at the Webster and Vanier Library. We still ask you to respect safety measures and wear a procedural mask at all times in the Library, even while seated.

We will also resume our Library services in person for students, staff and faculty, meaning that you can visit the Course Reserves room, ask questions at the Ask Us! and Information Desks, use the computers, have access to printers and scanners, borrow laptops and books at the Loans & Returns Desk and book group study rooms at the Webster and Vanier Library. Unfortunately, the Grey Nuns Reading Room and Group Study Rooms will remain closed. There will also be no more contactless book pickup on LB-1, but patrons can still make place holds and pick up items in the Course Reserves Room.

Services for our external community are currently limited to onsite browsing and use of materials, as we focus on reopening services for our students first. Our system needs some work for external borrowing, computer logins, etc. Thank you for your patience.

We look forward to seeing you in the Library!

March 2021 - February 2022

Virtual exhibition

The Take a Moment for Representation: An Anti-Racism Series asks reader-viewers to take moment to pause and explore how images and texts have a role to play in the fight for a more inclusive and just society. The series encourages un-interrupted moments for solidarity with the BLM movement, for self-reflection on systemic racism, and for making space for Black representation. Take a moment with this month's featured image—a still from the short film Deep Rooted Love by Ava Marucci Campbell, Concordia student and Library Virtual Sandbox Assistant—and eponymous poem by Lana Kashkosh.

See Deep Rooted Love.

If you would like your art or writing featured in the series, see our call for submissions.

Sofia, ​Concordia’s library catalogue is evolving! As of Monday, July 19, the Library will introduce a new interface to the Sofia Discovery Tool. This new interface is more user-friendly and offers several improvements:

• New Access Options area to assist in locating items quickly
• Improved ergonomics for smoother navigation
• Optimal reordering of information in records
• Underlined search terms in results
• New icon for the Ask a librarian chat service
• Improved accessibility for the visually impaired

If you have any questions about the new Sofia interface, the Ask a Librarian service will be available to help. The Library website, and other support materials will be updated accordingly during the months of July and August.

Launched in January 2021 and held throughout the year with great success, the Pîkiskwêtân Learning Series is an ongoing set of decolonizing and anti-racist Indigenous awareness training and professional development workshops. It is intended for members of the Concordia community who wish to build cultural competence and gain the necessary skills and knowledge to work effectively with members of the Indigenous community and provide culturally safe services and programs to Indigenous students

Also starting June 14, access to the following services will be available by appointment: library bookshelves, microform and microform readers, and the Visualization Studio. Find out how to book an appointment.

Note that public computers will be available for use without reservation in the LB-245 and LB-285 reading rooms at the Webster Library and on the ground floor of the Vanier Library.

We recommend that instructors make their requests to place material on reserve as soon as possible to ensure that items will be processed in time for the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester. Log into Course Reserves online to get started.

For information (including videos) on how to put in a print or online request, please visit our Course Reserves page for instructors.

For frequently asked questions, you may consult our FAQ page for instructors.

Should you have any further questions, please write to: library.reserves@concordia.ca

March 2021-February 2022

Virtual exhibition

It has been a year after the murder of George Floyd. The weight of this tragedy alongside historic, subsequent, and ongoing police brutalities prompted from trans-institutional systemic racism can still be acutely felt. Through acts of mindfulness in solidarity with the Black Lives Matters (BLM) movement, let us be part of the change towards a better future here at Concordia University, here in Canada.

The Take a Moment for Representation: An Anti-Racism Series asks reader-viewers to take moment to pause and explore how images and texts have a role to play in the fight for a more inclusive and just society. The series encourages un-interrupted moments for solidarity with the BLM movement, for self-reflection on systemic racism, and for making space for Black representation.

Take a moment with this month's featured image with text by Dereje Taye, Reference Assistant, and Rachel Harris, Librarian, and reflect with us on the legacy of systemic racism faced by Canadian sleeping car porters and Black communities across the railway network.

See the most recent featured image “George,” Who?

"A CN Porter Assisting Two Children Board a Train." n.d. Black and white photograph. Canadian Science and Technology Museum Collection, Image No.: CN005805. (Photograph courtesy of © Canada Science and Technology Museum Archives). (Source)

If you would like your art or writing featured in the series, see our call for submissions.

Also, the Library will be closed on Thursday, July 1 and Friday, July 2 for Canada Day.

Ken Lum's book can be accessed through the Library catalogue. All Concordia University Press books are available in Open Access.

Access to electronic resources may be unavailable on Tuesday, May 11 from 8 am until 10 am to allow for a necessary maintenance operation. We apologize for this inconvenience.

The online Course Reserves system will be unavailable on Monday, May 10 from 8 am until 1 pm to allow for a necessary maintenance operation. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Archivematica Camp is intended to provide a space for anyone interested in, or currently using, Archivematica to come together, learn about the platform from other users, and share their experiences.

Link to register

Learn more about Archivematica Camps.

Virtual exhibition

Caught within the constant flow of hundreds and thousands of images that characterize our digital age, let us take a moment to pause. The Take a Moment for Representation: An Anti-Racism Series encourages un-interrupted moments for solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, for self-reflection on systemic racism, and for making space for Black representation.

Take a moment with this month's featured image by artist and alumna Anna Jane McIntyre. See her Game Face (Now You Know).

If you would like your art or writing featured in the series, see our call for submissions here.

The Forum will take place on April 27 and 28, 2021, and will be completely virtual. Register now for two days of exciting presentations and posters. We look forward to seeing you there.

Image: Lynne Bowker, © Concordia University.

Read more about how Lynne Bowker builds on her university mandate with a 5-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant.

Image: Eva (2020), by Adad Hannah.

Adad Hannah's Social Distancing Portraits (2020 - ongoing) were created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and evoke poignant moments of everyday life surrounded by a world in turmoil. This selection includes twenty short videos, and each one is accompanied by an original music composition. They are presented in the Audio Stairwell of the Webster Library, but may also be experienced on the webpage for the Audio Stairwell.

About

Please note that the Textbook Bursary Program is no longer available and no further applications are being accepted. The maximum number of bursaries were awarded until the program funds were depleted.

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) and Concordia University are aware of the financial challenges that some undergraduate students have been experiencing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Members of the Library Services Fund Committee created the Textbook Bursary Program to help support undergraduate students who have been facing financial challenges during the winter 2021 academic term. The bursary was intended to help undergraduate students with the cost of textbooks.

As the Library’s course reserves rooms are currently closed, print items from the course reserves collection cannot be borrowed at this time.

The Library worked in collaboration with the Financial Aid & Awards Office to manage the program. The bursary provided one-time assistance of $250 for the purchase of textbooks or e-textbooks.

Program Dates:

Please note that the Textbook Bursary Program is no longer available and no further applications are being accepted. All applicants who were awarded the bursary have been notified by the Financial Aid & Awards Office.

Bursaries were distributed on a first come, first served basis.

The Concordia Library is hosting a virtual exhibition entitled "Take a Moment for Representation: An Anti-Racism Series". In this 2020-2021 library exhibition series we will present one impactful image per month and an accompanying original text to be featured online. We are looking for collaborators (Concordia students, faculty, staff or alumni from diverse backgrounds) to select an image compliant with copyright that speaks to how Black people have mattered in the past, matter in the present, and will continue to matter in the future.

Call for submissions

The Spectrum Research Repository will be unavailable on Thursday, January 21 from 7 am until 12 midnight to allow for a necessary maintenance operation. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Interlibrary loan pickup is available until Wednesday, December 23 at 4:30 p.m.

The following services will also be unavailable during the holiday period (December 24 - January 10):

• Contactless Book Pickup
• Article/Chapter Scan/Deliver
• Ask a Librarian (including Zoom with a Librarian)

All services will resume as usual on Monday, January 11.

Happy holidays!

The consultation event dates and times are November 13 at 9 a.m. and November 27 at 3:30 p.m. To register for one (1) of the consultations, send an email with your preferred date and time to lib-admin@concordia.ca.

Individuals who cannot attend either session are invited to send their feedback and comments regarding the changes to: lib-admin@concordia.ca.

Quebec university libraries are proud to reaffirm their support to Open Access and to let the public know more about the initiatives they deploy in favour of making access to knowledge available to everyone!

Within the actual market of academic publishing, research mainly relies on public funding. Renowned scientists and their dedicated teams carry out research. However, the output of research is ceded to commercial publishers. Commercial publishers keep the research output behind a paywall: university libraries must buy back content, at a high price, and taxpayers do not have access to this knowledge. Open Access is the concept of making knowledge freely available, on the web, to whomever may need it. For more than fifteen years, Quebec university libraries have multiplied their initiatives in support of Open Access.

In particular, Quebec university libraries make their community aware of the actual market of academic publishing; they train their community in finding Open Access articles and in publishing in Open Access. Quebec university libraries use their repositories to preserve and grant free access to theses, dissertations, articles, pre-publications, geographic plans, photographs and electronic archives. Quebec university libraries play their role in managing research data with the objective of providing it through Open Access. They collaborate with publishers and authors willing to open access to their content (journals and books). Quebec university libraries provide sustainable financial support of the more promising Open Access initiatives that publish open content. They are a reliable partner for academic institutions that explore ways to provide all their research output in Open Access.

Much progress has been made these last years to increase access to research findings. Proud partners of academic administrators, Canadian and international academic libraries, the tri-council funding agencies, research centres and institutes, elected representatives, publishers and authors, Quebec university libraries invite as many people as possible to act in favour of accelerating open access to knowledge.

The Directors of the Quebec University Libraries

• Bishop's University: http://eprints.ubishops.ca/
• Concordia University – Spectrum: https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca
• École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) – Espace ÉTS: http://espace2.etsmtl.ca/
• École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP) – Espace ENAP: http://espace.enap.ca/
• Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) – Espace INRS: http://espace.inrs.ca/
• McGill University – eScholarship: https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/
• Polytechnique Montréal – PolyPublie: https://publications.polymtl.ca/
• Télé-université (Université du Québec) (TELUQ) – R-Libre: http://r-libre.teluq.ca/
• Université Laval – Corpus^UL: https://corpus.ulaval.ca/
• Université de Sherbrooke – Savoirs UdeS: https://savoirs.usherbrooke.ca/
• Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) – Constellation: https://constellation.uqac.ca/
• Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) – Archipel: https://archipel.uqam.ca/
• Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) – Cognitio: http://depot-e.uqtr.ca/
• Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) – Sémaphore: http://semaphore.uqar.ca/
• Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) – Depositum: http://depositum.uqat.ca/
• Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO): http://di.uqo.ca/
• University of Montreal – Papyrus: https://papyrus.bib.umontreal.ca/

Note: Due to COVID-19, events are aimed at graduate students through GradProSkills.

Read the news article about this new position.

Although Library computer workstations are currently inaccessible, students can now access software they would normally use at the Library through a cloud-based virtualization service that replicates the computers at the Library.

The service is available for active students, faculty and staff. A VPN connection is not required.

More information about the Desktop as a Service pilot project.

Library study space booking is intended as an emergency service for those without the conditions for silent study at home. Only seating for individual study is available at this time.

Read the news article about the study space booking service.

Book a study space

When you conduct a search in Concordia's Sofia Discovery tool, the results will identify whether the item is available from your library, and if not, which other universities have an available copy. On the search results page, you will be able to make an Interlibrary Loan request by clicking on the Request via Interlibrary Loans button.

Note that the delay to receive your requested item may be longer than usual due to COVID-19. More information about Interlibrary Loan services at Concordia.

Beginning this summer, the Sofia Discovery tool will offer faculty and students new efficient and user-friendly features.

These are:

• Shared Services Platform (SSP) Sofia launching July 15
• Shared research data platform: Dataverse
• Shared geospatial datasets: Géoindex

The SSP, or shared catalogue and search tool, will go live this Wednesday, July 15 and replace our current search interface.

For more information on the project, read the news story or visit our partnership page.

Read more about the Open Educational Resources Guide

Access the OER by Discipline Resource Guide

We are moving to a new system on July 15, so save your reading history today!

To do so, follow the instructions for exporting your reading history.

Erasure of systemic racism unfortunately will not happen overnight. "COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous and immigrant communities as a result of racism, xenophobia and inequality" (anti-racism resources). Moreover, racism is embedded within all institutions of power and privilege, including universities and academic libraries. As Concordia President Graham Carr states, "There is much more to do to create a more just society and brighter future for all through education."

Concordia Library is committed to fostering inclusivity within the larger fight against systemic racism. Inclusivity can take many shapes, from instructors who work with the Black histories available in the Library’s archival fonds (e.g., NCC fonds), to anti-bias Wikipedia training, to collaborative Living History exhibitions with the Black Community Resource Centre. The Library is grateful to past BIPOC collaborators and is determined to do more in the future to further incorporate issues of racial injustice and to promote the work of BIPOC researchers, students, and artists.

The Library welcomes suggestions from Concordia students, faculty, and staff about how the Library can support anti-racist action. Some concrete actions for members of our community to support anti-racism include:

• Suggest a purchase and help build a more inclusive collection
• Propose an exhibition for greater visibility
• Explore black history in our special collections
• Invite a librarian to your classroom or research group to talk about bias and research tools (including Wikipedia)
• Consult the Library’s guide on Understanding Anti-Black & Systemic Racism
• Educate yourself on resilience projects, including Black Lives Matter and the BIPOC Project
• Share your suggestions

Libraries across North America have a role to play by upholding the educational pillars of democracy, which requires the shared work of dismantling white supremacy in all its manifestations.

The award recognizes Riva's national and international accomplishments on behalf of Canadian academic libraries and universities in the development of bibliographic standards and the conceptual modelling of bibliographic information.

Please join us in congratulating Concordia Library's Pat Riva!

Read the full story on the Concordia website.

These are:

• Shared catalogue coming in summer 2020
• Shared research data platform: Dataverse
• Shared geospatial datasets: Géoindex

The shared catalogue will go live in summer 2020 and replace our current search interface.

For more information on the project, read the news story or visit our partnership page.

If you are a graduate student or faculty member and think this may impact your work, please read the information on our Open Access Author Fund page in full to determine whether you meet the eligibility requirements for reimbursement from the Fund.

If you submitted your request for reimbursement as a hard copy between March 1 and March 13, you must resubmit your request electronically to ensure that your application gets processed.

• General information about the disease from quality sources;
• Where to find COVID-19 data for Québec, Canada and the world;
• Where and how to find data and articles in databases; and
• Resources and funding opportunities for researchers.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the CTL staff have not been working alone. A group of dedicated Concordia Library team members have been collaborating with the CTL to make the transition to online courses a reality.

Please do not come to the library to return your materials. Keep any books and equipment with you until the Library re-opens.

Join us for Electrickery: Intro to electronics in the Technology Sandbox

Speakers: Jasia Stuart, Coordinator - Digital Technology, Concordia University Library
Sean Cooney, Techniology Sandbox Technician, Concordia University Library

Why do I have to use this resistor with this component? Which battery can I power my project with? How do I know where the problem in my circuit it? Starting to work with electronics can be confusing; this introductory session designed to give you the essential knowledge and skills to get started faster. We will also cover the basics of reading a circuit diagram and using a multimeter to troubleshoot.

Electronics material provided for the workshop. A laptop will help you follow along with the activities, if you don't have one sign one out from the loans and returns desk. No prior electronics experience required!

Open to everyone. 120 minutes.

Thursday, March 26, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Webster Library, LB-205

Register

Leading the initiative are Concordia Library's Dianne Cmor, Associate University Librarian for Teaching & Learning, and Chloe Lei, Open Educational Resources Librarian.

Read the full story here.

Inaugural researcher-in-residence Emily Kopley builds on her university mandate with a 2019 Silvers Grant for Work in Progress

Get the full story here.

Concordia Library Wikipedian in Residence Amber Berson will be teaching hands-on workshops open to all.

Tuesday, February 25
2 to 4 p.m.
Webster Library Seminar Room, LB-362

Thursday, March 12
3 to 5 p.m.
Webster Library Multifunctional Room, LB-322

Register

Image: Atelier Art+Féminisme ayant eu lieu à Artexte à Montréal by Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Art%2BFeminisme_at_Artexte_(2019)_02.jpg

The fellowship has been awarded for Mr. Little to conduct a study of the personal library of John Buchan (aka Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada from 1935 to 1940 and best-selling thriller writer), which is located at Queen’s University.

“The Bernard Amtmann Fellowship is offered in memory of Bernard Amtmann (1907-1979), the noted bookseller and specialist in Canadiana. The Fellowship is offered every three years to support the work of a scholar in one of Mr. Amtmann’s principal areas of interest: Canadiana, book collecting, bookselling, and bibliography.”

Please see the Bibliographical Society of Canada website for more information on the fellowship.

Start that podcast! Project a movie on your wall. Get a 360 view of your surroundings. The possibilities are endless.

We are asking for a time commitment of 90 to 120 minutes. Participants will be compensated with a $40 gift card of their choice to either Amazon, Pharmaprix, Metro grocery store or Concordia Bookstore.

To apply to participate or for more information about the project, please visit the User Navigation Project page.

Tuesdays
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Vanier Library, 1st floor

Wednesdays
1 to 4 p.m.
Webster Library, 3rd floor, to the right of the elevators

See the call for applications for details. Deadline March 20, 2020 by 5 p.m.

Tuesday, February 18
12 to 2 p.m.
Vanier Library, outside VL-101

Several pet therapy dogs from the Blue Ribbon Canine Centre will be on hand to help students de-stress and relax through touching and petting.

Check out the Facebook event page for more information.

Featuring Antoine Provencher, Arash Famiilirani, Chris Di Lalla, Gabriel Gustafsson, James Lewis-Healey, Arturo Hidalgo, Justin Stratti, Kasey Pocius, Landon Kerouac, Liam Mansfield, Mark Belsky, Michael Arcidiacono, Morgan Caswell, Noah Berdowski, Pat Murdoch, Riccardo Vanja Sturno, Santiago Garcia Cueves, Tarek El Hout, Tristan Huber, William Wattley, and Aidan Baker (visuals).

A great addition to Library services provided by the Library Services Fund, to which all undergraduate students contribute 1$ per credit, the lamps can now be borrowed for a 1-day loan from both Vanier and Webster Libraries.

Look no further! Come to a Library workshop to start your term off right with research basics and other handy tips.

See the complete Library workshop schedule.

STAMPED! is an exhibition of found books that have been covered with stamped images. Each student enrolled in the Studio Arts Collage & Collision Special Topics course designed a personalized rubber stamp with an image of their choice, then made a papier mâché handle for each one.

Register for one of our many offerings and learn to program your first Twitter bot, design your own stickers or finally learn what 3D printing is all about.

Register for a workshop.

Can't seem to print?

Our IT staff is here for you!

Stop by our pop-up help desk, near the Ask Us! desk at Webster Library:
Till Friday, January 17th
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
3 to 4 p.m.

Curated by Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC)

Concordia Library is proud to present Living History: 100 Years of Black History, Culture and Heritage, an exhibition curated by the Black Community Resource Centre.

Black immigrants have made significant cultural, artistic and social contributions to present-day Montreal. However, this history is often overlooked and rarely told. With the support of Canadian Heritage, the BCRC’s Living History: 100 Years of Black History, Culture and Heritage highlights some of the many contributions of Montreal's English-speaking Black community through the creation of 15 memoryscapes of locations, events, organizations and people of significance to the Anglo-Black population. These oral histories not only provide access to collective memories of the past, but also preserve these stories for generations to come.

The exhibition will run until the end of February, in recognition of Black History Month.

Join us for the first Concordia Library Speaker Series public lecture of the year.

Suzanne Sauvage, President and Chief Executive Officer of the McCord Museum will be presenting "A major project for Montréal: A new museum open to the city and the world."

Thursday, February 20
4:30 to 6 p.m.
Webster Library Seminar Room, LB-362

Register

Going Digital: Wikipedia exhibition
December 10 – January 17, 2020
4TH SPACE, LB building, corner of De Maisonneuve and Mackay

As part of the Going Digital programming that runs in Concordia’s 4th Space until January 17, 2020, there is an exhibition on Wikipedia.

When Wikipedia began in 2001 it didn’t predict the rapid growth, and worldwide interest that it has garnered.

This exhibition presents a timeline of Wikipedia – using period computers to present the historical arc of the platform. There is also a modern-day editing station and a web-based workshop for contributing to Wikipedia. Remember, Wikipedia can be edited by anyone!

The exhibition is open to everyone, including the public, and is free. 4th Space is located on LB-1 and is open from Monday-Friday from 10-6.

• Shared catalogue
• Shared research data platform
• Shared geospatial datasets

The shared catalogue will go live in June 2020.

Learn more about this initiative.

For the third year in a row, Concordia Library, in collaboration with McGill University and Université de Montréal, is offering a First Nations, Métis or Inuit student a two-year paid position at the Webster or Vanier Library.

Read the news story.

Submit your application by February 14, 2020 at 5 p.m.

Songez-vous à poursuivre vos études en bibliothéconomie?

Le Programme à l’intention d’un étudiant autochtone en bibliothéconomie pourrait vous intéresser.

Lisez l'article sur le programme pour en savoir plus.

It's time to nominate a Library staff member for the Freda Otchere Staff Recognition Award.

Don't let excellence go unnoticed - fill in the nomination form today!

Nominations accepted until Monday, December 16.

Thursday, December 12
12 to 2 p.m.
J.A. De Sève Cinema, LB-125

Get a preview of some of the items for sale on the auction's Facebook page.

(Image: Piece of Cake by Pete, public domain, https://flic.kr/p/i5vXiG)

Join Rachel Black and Wikipedian in Residence Amber Berson in 4TH SPACE to get an inside look at the community-grown platform:

• WikiData 101 with Rachel Black
  Friday, December 6
  11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  4TH SPACE, J.W. McConnell Building


• Wikipedia 101 Training: How to read and write Wikipedia articles
  Monday, December 9
  11 a.m. to 1 p.m
  4TH SPACE, J.W. McConnell Building

Image: Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon 2016 19 by Valérie Tremblay Blouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Art%2BFeminism_Wikipedia_Edit-a-thon_2016_19.JPG

Wednesday, November 27
12 to 2 p.m.
Vanier Library, Loyola campus study area adjacent to VL-101

Tuesday, December 3
12 to 2 p.m.
Vanier Library, Loyola campus study area adjacent to VL-101

Several pet therapy dogs from the Blue Ribbon Canine Centre will be on hand to help students de-stress and relax through touching and petting.

Here are some notable differences in the new style guide:

• Student papers will no longer need to include a running head. Only page numbers are required in the header.
• For in-text citations of works with three or more authors, include the name of only the first author plus "et al." in every citation (even the first citation)
• Most references will no longer require a retrieval date.
• For citations in the reference list, there is no need to include database information for works obtained from most academic research databases or platforms
• For citations in the reference list, include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version, and format the DOI as a URL (for example: https://doi.org/xxxxx)
• For citations in the reference list, publisher location for books and book chapters are no longer included.

Need help with your APA citations? Don’t hesitate to Ask a Librarian!

Free activity open to Concordia students and employees, and the general public.

Places are limited (maximum 20 participants).
Please register in advance.
To register, email: BDpressMontreal@gmail.com
Workshop given in English. Lunch is not provided.

Facilitated by long-time zine-makers and Expozine exhibitors Jenny Lin and Eloisa Aquino of B&D Press, this workshop will introduce zine-making to first-time zine-makers, or expand the skills of those who have made zines before. Taking place just a few days before Expozine 2019, the workshop begins with a presentation of the huge zine exhibit, Zine Scene: 20 Years of ARCMTL, at the Webster Library until December 17th, 2019. The presentation will include an overview of the types of content that are typical to the world of zines, as well as a look at the range of styles of design, printing and production methods that can be used in zine-making.

After a brief lunch break, participants will be able to work on their own zine projects or contribute content towards a collective zine, with assistance from the workshop leaders.

There will be a scanner and black and white printer on site, as well as materials for collage, cut and paste, binding and stapling material – participants need only bring their ideas and enthusiasm!

This activity is part of Expozine 2019 (November 16 - 17), organized by the non-profit organization Arcmtl and conducted in partnership with Concordia University.

Look no further. The Grey Nuns Reading and Group Study Rooms is just a short walk away and reserved for the exclusive use of Concordia students.

So next time you're roaming for a place to study, head down to Guy Street just below Sainte-Catherine and bask in the peace and quiet of this renovated chapel. If you've got headphones, you can even listen to what the organ sounds like (scroll to the bottom of the page)!

• Grey Nuns Reading and Group Study Rooms
  1190 Guy St.

Don't forget your student ID! You'll need it to get in.

Pour se ressourcer - ou simplement admirer - cette salle de lecture est à vous de septembre à mai.

A consortium of 220+ organizations recognizes Walsh for his ‘expertise, enthusiasm and substantial positive impact’ in the field

Learn about his open source tool Bulk Reviewer, developed at Harvard's Library Innovation Lab.

Read the full story here.

Value of grants will be dependent on the nature of the project. Generally, 2 types of grants are available for this round:

• Adopt (up to $1,000) - Identify and adopt an existing open textbook with minor changes if needed
• Customize (up to $5,000) - Identify and customize an existing open textbook (e.g. add/remove content, provide local examples)

Deadline: November 18, 2019

For more information, please visit Concordia University OER Grants.

This is your opportunity to ask leading researchers about your hopes, dreams, fears or anything else related to AI.

The Concordia Digital Strategy initiative in collaboration with the Office of Research wants to foster a community conversation about Artificial Intelligence (AI). We're collecting your questions and asking researchers for their responses.

Submit your questions to this form.

Learn about the scholarly book publishing process, from proposal to publication with this talk by Concordia University Press.

Interested in Wikipedia? Then our round-table discussion on translation and open access is for you.

Writing your thesis? Be sure to take the GradProSkills workshop Copyright and your thesis.

See the full Open Access Week schedule.

• October 21-27
  Webster and Vanier Library

This discussion will cover current issues related to translation and open-access in relationship to Wikipedia and Wikimedia.

Due to capacity limits, priority will be given to members of the Concordia community. Please register below and a confirmation will be sent prior to the event date.

Wednesday, October 23
6 to 8 p.m.
Webster Library Multifunctional Room, LB-322
Register

Image: Atelier Art+Féminisme ayant eu lieu à Artexte à Montréal by Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Art%2BFeminisme_at_Artexte_(2019)_02.jpg

Loans desks and other services closed, so please make sure to return laptops during service hours.

Library hours

Zine Scene: Twenty Years of ARCMTL is an exhibition of zines and artists’ books drawn from the extensive collections of ARCMTL (Archive Montreal) – the Montreal-based, non-profit organization that promotes and presents independent culture. Jenny Lin and Eloisa Aquino, curators of the exhibition, have organized an eclectic selection of works organized by theme that highlight “… a wide array of subjects, covering personal / autobiographical (perzines), health, subcultures (e.g. punk, vegan), politics (e.g. antifascist, feminist, queer) and often using a variety of languages and expressions, from poetry to visual art, photographs, comics, fiction and essays.”

The exhibition coincides with two annual events: the artists’ book fair VOLUME 2 MTL (Oct. 1-6, 2019) and the zine and alternative press fair Expozine 2019 (Nov. 16-17, 2019).

The Webster Library is pleased to hold a related event in conjunction with Zine Scene: Twenty Years of ARCMTL:

Curators’ & artists’ talk
by Jenny Lin and Eloisa Aquino with legendary Canadian visual and correspondence artist Anna Banana
October 3, 2019
3 – 5 p.m.
Webster Library, LB-362

Send us a postcard all about your experiences navigating the Library. Mail it in any blue mailbox at the Library!

Keep track of our user navigation project here.

• Tuesday, October 8
  12 to 2 p.m.
  Vanier Library, Loyola campus study area adjacent to VL-101

Several pet therapy dogs from the Blue Ribbon Canine Centre will be on hand at Vanier Library to help students de-stress and relax through touching and petting.

They offer multiple visions of dystopias, utopias as well as contemporary realisms and futurisms. Our short list highlights mostly books of fiction, some of which we just recently discovered and ordered, and others dating back more than 20 years.

Discover the full list of titles here.

"Learning Spaces around the World: Trends and Challenges"

John Augeri, Program Director
Paris Île-de-France Digital University and Visiting Scholar at the Sophia University (Tokyo)

Monday, October 21
4:15 to 5:30 p.m.
Seminar Room, LB-362

Register

Tuesdays
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Vanier Library, 1st floor

Wednesdays
1 to 4 p.m.
Webster Library, 3rd floor (near LB-331 Office of the University Library)

Joseph Blumer, collector, honed his interest in rare books and manuscripts over many years. His interest and keen eye has resulted in the development of an extensive collection composed of over 270 items, which he generously donated to Concordia University Library’s Special Collections in 2017 and 2018.

Comprising a diverse array of literary and historical materials dating from the late 15th century to the early 20th century, the Blumer Collection of Rare Books and Manuscripts contains items of interest to researchers and readers across the disciplines.

The Library is proud to present an exhibition of selections from the Blumer Collection of Rare Books and Manuscripts Blumer Collection of Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Materials from the collection are available for consultation in the Special Collections Reading Room, located in the Vanier Library on the Loyola Campus (VL-121).

This event approaches code as thought and through this movement, it seeks to create emerging and ephemeral audiovisual relations that unfold in the interplay of code, voice, and language.

With Rodrigo Velasco

Friday, September 27, 6 to 7 p.m.
Visualization Studio, LB-314

Details

Join Concordia Library Researcher-in-residence Lynne Bowker to learn some tips and find answers to questions such as:

• What free online machine translation systems are out there? (More than you think!)
• Do they all produce similar results? (No, they don’t! Find one that works for your needs.)
• What happens to the text that I copy or type into a machine translation system? Does it just disappear when I close the window? (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.)
• How can I make my text more “translation-friendly”? (Hint: garbage in, garbage out.)
• How reliable are translations produced by machines? (Caveat emptor: there’s no such thing as a free lunch…)

Tuesday, September 24
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Register

Monday, September 30
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Register

Sign up for one of our workshops.

Image: Greg Shield on Unsplash

Discover other great library services you didn't know existed here.

This exhibition in the Webster Library vitrines is a small sample of the students’ final projects, as well as work produced during workshops and class assignments.

We invite you to browse the 2019 Convergence course exhibition catalogue which features the final projects of all students at www.convergenceinitiative.org.

Atrium of the Vanier Library
Wednesday and Thursday, September 18-19
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Read 16 easy ways to get connected.

Visit this stunning study space from September to May for some quiet work or book a study room.

Grey Nuns Reading Room hours and location.

From researching the visual arts to getting introduced to web archiving, there's something for every grad student.

Register here.

If you need to print, please visit a Concordia Print Store at the following locations:

Take a break from our downtown library and head downstairs for some popcorn and fantastical viewing.

Meet Lynne Bowker, the newest Concordia Library researcher-in-residence.

Amber Berson will foster digital literacy and informed engagement with the site on campus.

Read about Concordia's first Wikipedian-in-residence.

Both libraries will be closed on Monday, July 1st, for Canada Day.

See all Library hours.

By Noemi Lachance, Public History Intern, Special Collections

It is almost Canada Day. In Quebec, it is well known that the first of July is considered by many to be Moving Day, the time when (many) people move to a new apartment or to a new house. For many other Canadians, this is a day to celebrate Canada’s Confederation, which came to be on July 1st, 1867. On Canada Day, the flag is high and Canadians are proud to celebrate the birth of their nation. But what if I tell you that the Canadian flag that we now know is quite young and had not always been that way? The red and white flag with a maple leaf at its centre was adopted in 1965, but many designs were created before the famous two-coloured flag was chosen.

As Alistair B. Fraser claims, “Canada waited nearly a century [after the Confederation] to establish its national flag” (1). The Canadian flag underwent many transformations over the years following the Confederation. From Confederation to the Statute of Westminster in 1931, all the Canadian flags “were directed at merely establishing a Canadian beachhead upon a British flag” (2). However, in the 1930s Frank McDonagh stated that a change in the constitutional position of Canada prompted a contest for an official design for the Canadian flag, which occured in 1937 (3). The national colours of Canada were already thought of “when King George V granted arms to the country in 1921” (4). Red was the traditional colour of the English, and the white represented the French, and according to Fraser, those colours can be traced back to the 19th century. John Matheson, a Canadian lawyer (1917-2013), designed the flag we know today, drawing the famous red maple leaf in the middle. The leaf had been suggested to be on the Canadian arms back in 1919 as a symbol for the country. The flag was adopted on February 15th, 1965.

One interesting design that many of us might be unfamiliar with comes from John Loye, a historian born in Montreal in 1880. In the 1940s when Canada pushed to adopt a national flag, Loye came up with his own idea of how the Canadian flag should look, as seen in the John Loye fonds at Concordia Library’s Special Collections (5).

Loye explains his choice of design and colours in this 1949 model. For Loye, the colour purple was meant to represent Quebec, the French part of Canada; the colour red represented the English. The diamond shape signified that Canada, as Loye wrote, was the land of promise. Finally, the famous maple leaf, a symbol of Canada, resided in the middle of the white diamond. Loye also mentioned that the maple leaf could be replaced by the national symbol of each provinces and territories to make it so all provinces and territories have the same flag, but different symbols to represent every part of Canada.

What you see above is the coloured version of Loye’s design, and below a draft showcasing his ideas. It is unknown if Loye intended to take part in the contest (the search for a design of a flag for Canada) and show the design, but the product is nonetheless interesting. We would have liked to know why Loye decided on the colour purple to represent the French, but one thing is sure; the Canadian flag would look very different from the one we have today. The design of the present-day flag was made by John Matheson, who was the chief advisor to Lester Pearson concerning the search for a national Canadian flag.

References

1. Alistair B. Fraser, “A Canadian Flag for Canada,” Journal of Canadian Studies 25, no.4 (winter 1990-1991): 64, accessed June 3, 2019 https://muse.jhu.edu/article/674096/pdf.
2. Ibid., 73.
3. Ibid., 74.
4. Ibid., 76.
5. John Loye fonds, P072. Concordia University Library, Special Collections, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Our new batch of workshops is here.

Learn how to make a cat selfie machine or your first Twitter bot. Get an intro to the operating system Linux or learn some tips for keeping your online presence private.

Sign up for a workshop.

Both libraries will be closed on Monday, June 24th for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day.

See all Library hours.

Take a look at these poolside picks from Concordia students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Image: Concordia University

Waterways: Asian Indigenous Relations in Contemporary Art is a series of exhibitions at Concordia University that brings together Indigenous, Asian Indigenous and Asian diaspora artists to the island of Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal) to exchange knowledge on Asian Indigenous Relations in contemporary art.

On display are works by Beatrice Glow, Stephanie Cheung, Dan Taulapapa McMullin, Kari Noe, and Henry Tsang. The grouping explores themes of sovereignty, queer relationalities, wayfinding, and climate change.

These central themes, among others, are also explored by three artists whose work are shown in other venues: Jane Chang Mi (FOFA gallery courtyard), Léuli Eshrāghi (EV Junction) and Jason Sikoak (Department of Art History vitrine).

This exhibition is curated by the Ethnocultural Art Histories Research Group (EAHR) and the Indigenous Art Research Group (IARG). The exhibition series is part of “GAX 2019 Asian Indigenous Relations in Contemporary Art,” co-presented by the Asian/Pacific/American Institute at New York University, and Concordia University, Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal), June 10-16.

Text excepted from EAHR and IARG curatorial statement
Image: Jane Chang Mi

Starting today, our loans and reference desks close at 1 p.m. on Fridays, until August 9.

Want to make sure we're open before you head over? Check out our "Look ahead" function on the Locations & hours page.

Want to put your best foot forward?

Check out these prime tips for getting the most out of your big day.

Image credit: Concordia University

We’re making the change because we believe Zotero offers a much better user experience with more functionality. The best part is that you can easily migrate your references from RefWorks to Zotero, we’ll even help you!

Our first migration workshop will be held on:
Tuesday, June 18
1:30-3 p.m.
Webster Library Multifunctional Room, LB-322

Register

Triptych (En Route)
Documentary video installation, 75 min
Magdalena Hunter, 2010
May 21 – 23, 2019
Webster Library Visualization Studio, 3rd floor

Over the sounds of the desert we hear the voices of five refugees from sub-Saharan Africa – from Congo, Nigeria, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast – telling us about their journey. Five stories, five lives – and every image of the desert tells the stories of thousands.

Listen to the installation audio.

This installation is part of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Graduate Conference "Regarding Uncertainty" held at Concordia University May 21- 23, 2019.

Activating the NCC Archives
May 14 – 31, 2019
Webster Library, second floor vitrines

Curated by Quinn Archer, Autumn Beals, Daphné Beauregard, Jamie Burdon, Jasmin Anisa Cardillo, Javier Gavidia, Eugenia Cukier, and Arturo Tablan, and facilitated by Steven High and Alexandra Mills.

In 2013, the archive of the Negro Community Centre (NCC) was donated to Concordia University Library. The archive consists of over 30 linear meters of unpublished textual records, over 2000 photographs, 20 objects, and other material documenting the rich history of the NCC, the hub of Montreal’s English-speaking Black community from 1927 until it closed in 1992.

Students enrolled in the 2019 course, Telling Stories: Black Montreal, spent the winter semester working with the archive. They conducted substantial primary source research and found creative ways to return the stories they uncovered back to the community that created the records. An event, Remembering Black Montreal: Uncovering the NCC Archives, was held at Union United Church, the oldest black church in Canada located in Little Burgundy.

Students that took part in this public history course are proud to present the exhibition Activating the NCC Archives, a showcase of the Negro Community Centre/Charles H. Este Cultural Centre Fonds and their research into the archive and the history of Montreal’s English-speaking Black community.

In partnership with Concordia University Library, the Department of History, and Union United Church. Special thanks to Nancy Oliver Mackenzie.

OER include textbooks and other learning materials that are freely available to use, copy, modify and share, and significantly reduce costs of course materials for students (more information about OER here).

Value of grants will be dependent on the nature of the project. Generally, 3 types of grants are available:

• Adopt (up to $1,000) - Identify and adopt an existing open textbook
• Customize (up to $5,000) - Identify and customize an existing open textbook (e.g. add/remove content, provide local examples)
• Create (up to $10,000) - Produce a new open textbook

Deadline: June 7, 2019

For more information, please visit Concordia University OER Grants.

Image credit: art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, and JakobVoss [CC0] via Wikimedia Commons.

In 2019, Concordia University Press will publish a collection of writings by Ken Lum as well as Richard Foltz's Les religions de la route de la soie, translated by Benoît Léger.

The Press is also debuting its series, including collaborations with the Bibliographical Society of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Architecture.

View the full catalogue here.

Try it out until 12 May 2019.

See what else is on trial here.

Take advantage of the last few days to study in the beautiful chapel at Grey Nuns.

Closed from
Monday, May 6 to Monday, September 2

Reopening on
Tuesday, September 3 at 9 a.m.

Residence remains open throughout the summer months.

Other services (loans, chat) will be closed except for Saturday.

Laptops cannot be borrowed or returned when the loans desk is closed.

See the full schedule here.

Icon created by Denis Sazhin from Noun Project.