Category: Uncategorized

Kelly has been with the Archer Library for seven years.  You may recognize her as one of the friendly faces in User Services.  In addition to her work at the Help Desk, Kelly is supervisor to our amazing crew of student assistants.  Kelly leads a very active life outside of the library and loves to read, dance, knit, watch baseball, and travel.

What’s one skill that everyone should develop?

Communication ….because you learn to be a good listener, you have clarity, confidence.  You are friendly and learn respect.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Dancing……if you are moving you stay in shape and the music makes you smile.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Raising 3 daughters on my own….all 3 have good jobs and have been married for over 10 years.

What is your motto or favourite quote?

If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all…..or

If you are going to do something, then do it right the 1^st time.

What’s one powerful piece of advice for living a fulfilling life?

Life is short, be kind to one another.

It’s that time of the year and the semester!   Projects are being finished,  exams are being prepared.   In the rush of the school year before the break, it’s healthy and helpful to take a moment to relax and refresh.  Many students come to the library to study for their exams.   Did you know that the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors of Archer Library have designated quiet areas where you can study peacefully?  There are wonderfully comfy chairs and private study stations,  and amazing views that give a calming ambiance.  Check out the view from the 5th floor of the library!  Good luck to everyone on all of your exams and projects!   The library resources and our wonderful staff are here to help you!

On Tuesday November 27^th 2018, the University Library organized the retirement celebration for Donna Bowman at La Rotonde in the Language Institute Building. The perfect location since Donna has been the librarian for all things French as well as many areas in MAP, Education and Women’s and Gender Studies. Over the years, Donna’s professional attitude and willingness to learn have been greatly appreciated by her colleagues, faculty, staff and students.

Donna Bowman is also a visual artist, she “(…) does pretty much all the art for Clan Munro and Ben Frost.  Pencils and inks by hand and Ben Frost colouring in Photoshop” (bluebrollycomics.com). During the Winter 2018 semester, part 1 of the Web graphic novel, The Quasi-Kidnapping of Kitty Von Kat was displayed on the 4^th floor of the Archer Library.

Thank you for your contributions to the Archer Library and we wish you a joyful retirement.

Sometimes, you just don’t have a bookmark handy.  Usually, I’ll just grab whatever flat item is closest and tuck it between the pages to mark my spot: receipts, business cards, old envelopes.  Recently, a very unique bookmark was turned in with one of our books: a nicotine patch.

I hope whoever this belonged to was able to kick the habit without this one patch!

For more stories about unusual bookmarks, check out this article about what other librarians have found in their books.  (Bacon? Cheese? Chicken legs?????) You may also want to visit Forgotten Bookmarks, a site dedicated to the strange and beautiful ephemera found in an antiquarian  bookseller’s books.

Bringing art to the library, the University Library hosts the Archway Gallery. Found on the first floor of Archer, this study area displays the work of student artists beautifully. Libraries have a long history of becoming both formal and accessible galleries, and the Kansas City Public Library takes “art and the library” to the next level, becoming a work of art itself. The parking garage is a “giant bookshelf”, and the front steps are a stack of books! The book titles were selected from suggestions made by the public.

Further Reading (and photo credit): https://interestingengineering.com/giant-bookshelf-kansas-city-public-library

“Libraries are not the kinds of institutions that most social scientists, policymakers, and community leaders usually bring up when they discuss social capital and how to build it. But they offer something for everyone, regardless of whether they’re a citizen, a permanent resident, or even a convicted felon – and all of it for free. Doing research in New York City, I learned that libraries and their social infrastructure are essential not only for a neighborhood’s vitality but also for buffering all kinds of personal problems – including isolation and loneliness.”

Check out the rest of the article by Eric Klinenberg, who discusses the importance of libraries as not only a space filled with books, but as the centre of a community.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/sep/24/palaces-for-the-people-at-the-library-everyone-is-welcome

Would you like to clear off your library fines and contribute to a great cause at the same time?

All campus libraries are once again participating in our annual Food for Fines campaign.  For every non-perishable food item you donate, we will forgive $2 of library fines.  This year, all food donations will go to the URSU student pantry.

The campaign runs from November 13th to December 7th.  See below for full details.

 

• For every food item donated, $2 in fines will be forgiven, up to a maximum of $30.
• Donated food must be non-perishable.
• The waiver applies only to current overdue fines; it does not apply to fines for lost or damaged items.
• Donations must be taken to the library that the fine is attached to.

 

This online exhibit, produced by Archives and Special Collections, presents photographs and documents related to the planning, construction, and opening of the Archer Library. Read the opening address from John H. Archer, learn more about Minoru Yamasaki’s vision for the campus, and see how much the Archer Library and the U of R campus has changed over the last 50 years. View the online exhibit here: https://ourspace.uregina.ca/Archer50th/