Views From the Library – Tiny Tree Stump Library!

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The University of Regina Library, aka Archer Library, is proud to work with three other libraries on campus through the Federated Colleges:  Luther Library,  Campion Library,  and the First Nations University of Canada Library.  Students, staff and faculty are able to utilize services in all of the libraries across campus.

Around the world,  libraries come in all shapes and sizes.  You’ve probably heard of Tiny Libraries, Community Libraries or Little Free Libraries:  an individual or a neighbourhood sets up a little post-box style shelter where folks can come and “borrow” books that people voluntarily place in the box.  They serve many purposes (some are even set up as food banks),  but perhaps the most exciting are that they a) Promote community involvement, sharing and giving  b)  They provide reading material to those who may have difficulty accessing their local library  and c) They’re fun!

They’ve popped up across the world,  and you may even have seen some in our fair province!

Featured above is an amazing tiny library that a librarian built in an old tree stump!  Check out the following link (also the photo credit) to read about this amazing little library.  https://mymodernmet.com/little-free-library-tree-stump/

Meet the Staff: Corina van den Berg

Corina is another of the friendly faces you see at the Help Desk.  She has been a Library User Services Assistant since January of 2015 (happy 4th anniversary, Corina!) and has become known for her wonderful laugh and passion for sharing her knowledge about library research.

Away from work, Corina has many varied interests: cycling, ancestry research, traveling the country with her husband and dog, hiking, listening to CBC radio, Netflix binge watching, and singing with the U of R Concert Choir.

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Corina’s beloved dog, Laika.

What’s the one book you suggest everyone read? Why?

“A fine balance” by Mistry Rohinton, if you enjoy novels with many characters that are being followed for several decades. When I was reading this book it reminded me of the British television series “The Jewel in the Crown”. This tv series is based on the Raj Quartet novels by Paul Scott. Since reading gives you the opportunity to travel in your mind, I wish you a good journey to India’s 20th century history.

Who are your favourite writers?

Lindsey Davis (Falco Mysteries), Louise Penny, Richard Adams, Heather O’Neill, Maya Angelou, John Irving, and my all-time favourite, Astrid Lindgren.

Which person – living or dead –  do you most admire?

Vincent van Gogh, because of this:

Early last year, I was in the Netherlands and had the opportunity to visit the exhibition Inspiration from Japan. And in a letter to his brother Theo van Gogh he writes: “And we wouldn’t be able to study Japanese art, it seems to me, without becoming much happier and more cheerful, and it makes us return to nature, despite our education and our work in a world of convention.” If you ever visit Amsterdam you should make an effort to visit the Vincent van Gogh Museum.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement is moving from the Netherlands to Canada. In addition to an achievement it can also be viewed as a miracle since my ancestry records on my paternal side show that my ancestors have been living in the city of Leiden (Netherlands) since the 16th century!

What is your motto or favourite quote?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

Town halls and Trudeau in the University of Regina Library Collection…

As you have likely heard, the University of Regina will be the location for the public town hall with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, January 10th, 2019.

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Image from Pixabay by tdentremont

It seems like the perfect occasion for us to highlight the following titles from the University of Regina library collection:

Town halls of Canada: a collection of essays on pre-1930 town hall buildings by Marc de Caraffe

Justin Trudeau: the natural heir by Huguette Young

Common Ground by Justin Trudeau

Maggie & Pierre: a fantasy of love, politics, and the media (a play) by Linda Griffiths and Paul Thompson

Beyond reason by Margaret Trudeau

If you are interested in finding more resources about Canadian politics or politics in general, check out our Political Science Research Guide.