The time was when a library was very much like a museum, and a librarian was a mouser in musty books… The time is when a library is a school, and the librarian is in the highest sense a teacher. —Melvil Dewey Libraries are not made; they grow. —Augustine Birrell John Abbott College Fall 2006 Vol. 22, No.1 This issue of Dossier Actif was created by the Document Formatting Class of 2006 William Bielaskie Ann Birdgenaw Brigitte Bubenko Lauriane Courchesne Tanya Czuma Rosanne De Wolfe Ida Di Maulo Andrea L. Duncan Betty Dunning Carol-Ann Hoyte Maryam Javidan Moghadam Samantha Lamb Nancy Lento Maria Rosario Mantala Anna Picciuto Catherine Jane Samson Diogo Sarmento Philip Skowronski Kim Thomson Information and Library Technologies John Abbott College C.P. 2000 Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3L9 Telephone: (514) 457-6610 ext. 5470 ILT web page: http://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/ilt E-mail: [email protected] ISSN 1911-4877 Dossier Actif Fall 2006 i Table of Contents Credits and Contact Information ................................. i The ILT Faculty—Knowledge…Skill…Experience .......... 1 My Work in a Library................................................... 3 How to Deal with Learning a Second Language ............ 4 Federal Library Visits .................................................. 5 Discoveries in Vienna .................................................. 6 A Visit to the Deutsche Bücherai in Leipzig, Germany . 7 Libraries Down Under.................................................. 8 The Duke Papyrus Archive........................................... 8 The Osu Children’s Library Fund................................. 9 Literacy Program Has Gone to the Dogs ....................... 11 Canuck Crosswords Make Puzzling Pleasurable for Canadians ................................................................... 13 ILT Word Search / Mots Cachés .................................. 14 Visiting the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec................................................................... 15 A Book Lover’s Getaway in the Big Apple ..................... 16 Mozart on the Mountain .............................................. 17 Le Nichoir…It’s for the Birds ........................................ 18 Book Review — The Poisonwood Bible .......................... 19 The Graduating Class of 2006: Where Are They Now?.. 20 Directory of West Island Libraries ................................ 22 ILT List of 2006 Grads ................................................. 23 Dossier Actif Fall 2006 ii The ILT Faculty Knowledge…Skill…Experience… Barbara Houghton-Glassman Barbara obtained a BA from Bishop’s University and an MLS from the University of Western Ontario. For several years, she worked as a teacherlibrarian at the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal (PSBGM). She managed a school library as well as the board’s professional library. Barbara was a special librarian for the Montreal law firm Ogilvy-Renault. She worked at the McGill University law library while raising her family. She also worked as a librarian and cataloguer for the Cote St. Luc Public Library. Barbara taught library courses at Champlain Regional College and the Plattsburgh State University. For 16 years now, she has been with the ILT faculty where she teaches Public Relations and Reference courses. Barbara especially enjoys her PR classes as the students continually come up with creative projects and workshops. She now has three grown children. Christine Jacobs Christine received an Anthropology degree from Carlton University in 1973 and her MLS from McGill University in 1983. She worked at the Cote St. Luc Public Library as a reference librarian and cataloguer. Concurrently, she took commissions indexing books, which she thoroughly enjoyed. To this day, Christine still indexes part-time. She thereafter joined the National Film Board and for ten years, worked on a combination of different contracts such as cataloguing, indexing, research, implementation of special projects and system migration. In the 1980s, she taught indexing in the ILT department. In 1996, she started teaching full-time. Christine will be in Ghana for five months starting February 2007. Her itinerary starts with two months at the Tamale Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies and working at a college library. After, she is off to Accra, Ghana for three months where she will provide her librarianship expertise to the Osu Children’s Library Fund (OCLF). The OCLF is a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to the raising up of libraries in Africa and training of local librarians. Now that her two sons are grown up, Christine hopes to do more traveling such as this in the future. Melissa Maude Dossier Actif Melissa earned a BA in Communication Studies from Concordia University in 1994 and an MLIS from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1998. She completed her graduate degree in one intensive calendar year. She then worked for six months in a Florida public library. Melissa researched and managed an online photo database for two years while working at a Montreal French-language magazine publisher. She also spent a year in Ottawa working as a reference librarian for the National Library. In 2002, she joined the ILT faculty where she teaches archives and records management courses. Melissa is the proud mother of an eight-month-old son. Fall 2006 1 Sophie Pukteris Sophie completed an MLS from McGill University in 1971. She worked at various McGill libraries including the physical sciences library. She spent seven years at the McGill medical library as a reference librarian and head of public services. Sophie then decided to raise her family full-time. In 1990, she went on to earn a Diploma in Library Studies from Concordia University where she also worked for some time as a teaching assistant. For several years, thereafter, she worked at the PSBGM and the National Film Board. In 1997, she joined the ILT faculty—teaching courses in cataloguing, classification, and subject headings. Sophie’s son is also a librarian and her daughter is an architect. Diane Radu Sally Robinson Diane obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Archaeology from the University of Toronto in 1970. She was near completion of the Fine Arts program at JAC in 1979 when motherhood beckoned. After a couple of years and while raising a young family, she enrolled in the ILT program and graduated in 1985. Diane joined the ILT faculty as the technician and then started teaching in 1987. She teaches Document Formatting and Automation and Documentation courses. Through professional development courses and self-study, she keeps up with advances in technology. Diane is also a published children’s book illustrator. Sally was educated in England. When her children were growing up, she volunteered in school libraries. In 1998, she enrolled in the ILT program and graduated in 2001. Sally worked for Pfizer after graduation— cataloguing new acquisitions such as books, audio-visual materials, advertisements and newscasts. In 2001, she replaced Diane temporarily as the ILT technician and started teaching in the department in 2004. Currently, Sally also works in the Institutional Development Office at John Abbott and is pursuing a Masters in Education through the University of Sherbrooke. Cristina Segura Cristina completed a BA in Journalism at Concordia University and a Masters of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) at McGill University in 1987. She worked for two years at the Arctic Biological Research Station of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans where she managed a one-person library for marine biology researchers. She also worked in Ottawa for a year where she dealt mainly with departmental policies. Cristina then joined the National Film Board in Montreal. For six years, in this cultural milieu, she was responsible for database management and production of the audiovisual catalogue. She worked as a reference librarian at the Pointe Claire Public Library for three years where her duties included the selection of audio-visual materials and the supervision of adult programming. Cristina joined the Information and Library Technologies (ILT) faculty full-time in 2001. She balances her teaching responsibilities with family life and raising her two sons, aged 11 and 8. Dossier Actif Fall 2006 2 Linda Toivanen Linda has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Queens University and a Masters in Library Science (MLS) from the University of Western Ontario. She worked for several years as a children’s librarian at the Toronto and the London Public Libraries. Linda has been with the ILT faculty for nearly ten years now. She currently works as the librarian at the Edgewater Elementary School. She loves storytelling and captures young children’s attention with her endearing puppets and other fun-filled activities. Early this year, Linda and eight other women from her church community volunteered to set-up an elementary school library in a rural village in Kenya. For three weeks, they classified, catalogued and shelved six hundred books donated by various Canadian children’s publishers. They dedicated this generous effort to the memory of a dear friend who grew up in this Kenyan village. Linda has two teenage daughters. —Maria Rosario Mantala My Work in a Library T his past summer, I had the opportunity to put what I’d learned into practice working at the Fraser Hickson Library. I learned about the position searching one of the job websites and initially thought about not applying because I didn’t think I knew enough to do it. The position was to be a summer fill-in for their cataloguing department. They were looking for someone who had at least one year in the Library Science program finished and was responsible. They wanted someone completely bilingual and my French is only passable so I just passed it by. I really wanted to do it, and kept thinking about it. I didn’t like where I was working and that also pushed me to give it a shot and apply. I applied online with a cover letter and got a reply that I should send my CV also (doh!). When I got a second message asking if I could go in for an interview, I almost fell on the floor. The interview was 2 hours long and included a cataloguing test and a French test. I was worried about the French test, but Heather Wood was the one who gave it to me and we ended up laughing over our broken French conversation. They offered me the job on the spot and I thought these ‘guys must be Dossier Actif crazy…’ but I started the next week and got to learn the ropes. I ended up doing circulation, cataloguing, computer database and reference. I worked in the children’s library too. I actually found that the most challenging because I was not used to speaking to the ‘little folk.’ I had some strange encounters—like the man who called everyday to ask a question on the broadest possible topics: “the plots of all Shakespeare’s plays, or a listing of all the radio stations in Canada” and wanted the answers right away. The actual cataloguing I found to be easy; although it was detailed and required concentration. It was jarring at first to forget some of the things learned in class because the library did it a different way. I found it enjoyable though, and the time really went by fast while doing it. Most of all, I found that the people who worked there were very open and patient to a rookie and went out of their way to make me feel like part of the team. I must be doing something right because I’m still there. Fall 2006 —William Bielaskie 3 How to Deal with Learning a Second Language I f English is not your first language, you may be anxious about your success in this program. Based on my experience, here are some easy and accessible ways you can improve your English (or any other language). The Right Tools Read, Read, Read First, get a good pocket dictionary, ideally one that provides the pronunciation and origin of words. Using a complete dictionary will help you assimilate the real meaning of terms. You will also develop the ability to explain what you want to say even though you forget a word or have trouble pronouncing it. A bilingual dictionary is very useful (you should have one as well) but do not use it to find the meaning of words. Indeed, the best way to make your mind think in English is to read in English. Reading in a language you do not master can be frustrating at the beginning because you have to stop and look up every three words. That is why I strongly suggest beginning with children’s books. They are enjoyable, short, easy to find and the vocabulary is usually excellent. For longer books, read stories with which you are already familiar so it will be easier to get through an entire book and it will be more motivating. Set Your Brain on English Mode Watch television shows, movies or the news in English. This will attune your ear to the musicality of the language. Watching the news is a good way to learn everyday vocabulary, idioms and pronunciation. Journalists also generally use standard English so it is easier to understand. If you find movies and T.V. shows too hard to begin with, watch children shows. It is an excellent way to learn basic vocabulary and sentence structure. Furthermore, the above tricks are directly applicable to improving your reading skills. Express Yourself The primary use of a language is of course to express your ideas either by writing or by speaking. Writing skills are hard to improve because you need the intervention of someone else. On the Internet, you can find tutoring services and software designed to help you improve your writing but generally you have to pay for these. Conversational skills can only be improved by practicing. It can be embarrassing but if you know of another way, please let me know! Indeed, the best way to make your mind think in English is to read in English. To conclude, be aware that people in the college and in the ILT department are very understanding, tolerant and helpful. Take advantage of the college resources that are available for you and enjoy the opportunity you have to learn a second language! —Lauriane Courchesne Dossier Actif Fall 2006 4 Federal Library Visits A s part of my work stage with the federal government in Ottawa, I had the opportunity to participate in tours of various federal department libraries. These ‘behind the scenes’ tours were specifically organized for all of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and Information Library Technologies (ILT) students who were in Ottawa for their coop semester. Tours took place during regular work hours as they were viewed by our employers as being integral to the professional experience. Supreme Court This research library exists to meet needs pertinent to this Court and offers its services to anyone who is pleading a case before the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal, to the Canadian judiciary and members of the Bar. The third floor main library has a very impressive ‘old school’ presence. Our tour guide, one of the librarians, noted that she does not see many judges doing research themselves; it is more customary to have assistants and articling students as their clients. Two floors of stacks, in the basement, house a substantial collection of primary and secondary materials from common and civil law jurisdictions of Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France and Belgium. Considering the wide range of subjects that may be at the heart of Supreme Court decisionmaking, of necessity, this library participates in a large volume of Interlibrary Loans (ILLs) within the federal government library system. Law books, conventionally published as scholarly series, do not come with dust jackets, and as a result the shelves are row upon row of varying tones of brown and black! CISTI The Canadian Institute for Scientific and Technological Information (CISTI) specializes in all areas of science, technology, engineering and medicine. It is internationally respected for its rapid, reliable document delivery service which operates 24/7. CISTI offers resources of over 50,000 serial titles and more than 800,000 books, conference proceedings and technical reports to its client base of, primarily, scientists in the academic, public and private sectors. Each floor houses materials on a well-defined range of subjects. Employees will receive, at their computer workstation, requests for information via email. They then retrieve, scan and electronically forward this information. Although not the only procedure, this is the one most commonly used. —Betty Dunning Dossier Actif Fall 2006 5 Discoveries in Vienna T wo very different libraries were among the highlights of my trip this summer to Vienna. The first was the new main branch of the city of Vienna’s public library system. The other was a museum of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (the Austrian National Library). My courses in Information and Library Technologies gave me an awareness and interest in these institutions. I saw many topics from my past two years in the program come alive in these two places. The city of Vienna’s public library branch was very modern— with a multi-lingual OPAC. Despite the desk librarian’s protest that it was a small, inadequate branch library, I found it was well-equipped. It had a good selection of books, including a selection in English. There was even a cute children’s section. You are even allowed to use a computer with internet access for an hour as a guest. I enjoyed this opportunity to e-mail family and friends for free. When I sent Sophie Pukteris an e-mail titled “Andrea in Vienna,” she was very surprised! Her daughter is also named Andrea and by coincidence had been in Europe (but not in Austria) this summer. Until she realized it was me, she wondered how her daughter had ended up in Vienna! The museum of the Austrian National Library known as the Prunksaal (the State Hall) was originally the Habsburg Imperial Court Library. It is decorated in ornate baroque style and is filled with wonderful old books. This amazing historical marvel has fresco paintings decorating the ceilings and upper walls. The wood panel bookshelves cover two floors. The first floor bookshelves swing open to reveal hidden passages with even more bookshelves. One needs time to absorb the beautiful baroque details that include statues and huge globes. I was reminded of so many topics from preservation class. The collection was so old that I wondered about its cataloguing system. I later learned that Gottfried van Swieten (the prefect at the Court Library from 1777-1803) had created the first card catalogue in the world for this library. The day I visited the Prunksaal, there was an interesting exhibition called “The Art of Cuisine and the Culture of Dining.” It displayed culinary documents from the Austrian National Library collections. I would like to return to Vienna because there is so much to see and enjoy! The Austrian National Library web site explained that there are many unique collections in this library. The collections open to the public and of interest to the ILT student are the Prunksaal, the Esperanto Museum, the Papyrus Museum, and Globe Museum. Check out the Austrian National Library web site and the Vienna city library web sites yourself! Dossier Actif Links: ¨ Österreichische Nationalbibliothek http://www.onb.ac.at/index_eng.htm ¨ Vienna’s public library system http://www.buechereien.wien.at/buecherei enportal/(0khmcn3p5fx4rs45bq2l10ae)/ind ex.aspx?tabId=12 ¨ Main Library of the City Libraries An Oasis of Serenity http://www.vienna.info/article.asp?IDArticl e=10470 —Andrea Duncan Fall 2006 6 A Visit to the Deutsche Bücherai in Leipzig, Germany A Brief Description of the Library I n March 2005, I was visiting a friend in Leipzig, Germany for a couple of months. My cotraveler Sara and I were interested in seeing the everyday places in the city. One day, after reading the guidebook and deciding on what we thought was the local public library, we set off. When we got there, it became apparent that it was not the local public library but the German National library or Deutsche Bücherai, as it is known in German. This is similar to the National Library and Archives in Ottawa. The security guard greeted us and explained that normally the library was closed to non-members and that they had to be German citizens. However seeing our disappointment, the security guard consulted the head librarian who took our passport information down, and gave us a tour in English. The librarian gave us the brief history of the library, which has been in Leipzig since the unification of East and West in the early Dossier Actif 1990’s. Leipzig found in the former East Germany previously did not have access to post-World War II documents from the allied countries and got most of the literature from a communist viewpoint. There are also two other branches of the library in Berlin and in Frankfurt. Deutsche Bücherai The Nature of the Collection The collection in Leipzig dates back to 1913 and contains a diverse collection of books, maps, sheet music and historical documents which all reflect the eventful history of this city and Germany as a whole. Students at the University of Leipzig are frequent users of the library. They are often assigned readings from the collection due to the close proximity of the university and the library. My friend and I noticed that the library was packed with students studying even though it was the break between semesters for most of the university students. As the tour concluded, the librarian told us how much she loved Canada and how happy she was that she was able to give us a tour to show a bit of the diverse German literary history. —Rosanne De Wolfe Fall 2006 7 Libraries Down Under E verything is different in Australia, and that includes libraries. They have some of the most unusual libraries in the world. Information resource centers set in picturesque and remote locations, as well as long-established academic libraries. For example, the Yulara Community Library sits in the shadow of “sacred” Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) and caters to the local Aboriginal people and tourists alike. Another example of their isolated information centers is the Alexandria Community Library, east of Tennant Creek near the Queensland border, which is in the middle of “cattle country” and services station workers, local farmers and their jackaroos and jillaroos (school aged boys & girls). The rugged landscape of Arnhem Land has a community library at Ramininging, east of Darwin, which is surrounded by wetlands with crocodiles and a wide range of birdlife at their front door. early European In August 2005, I had the exploration settlements, opportunity to visit the State Library of New paintings by great South Wales in Sydney, colonial artists such as Australia. This impressive John Glover, original library first opened its works from famous doors in 1826 as a authors and leading subscription library, and architects, copies of the has gone through many first Australian transformations and newspapers, the Sydney name changes since then. Gazette and New South The collection is one of Wales Advertiser, dated March 5th, 1803 as well the nation’s largest, with as the oldest over 5 million items, Photograph by Greg O’Beirne surviving Australian valued at $1.883 billion photograph, a daguerreotype, circa 1844. and can be accessed online at atmitchell.com. The library is focused on There is a MacDonald’s reading room, Australian history, culture and literature, apparently they are big sponsors of the beautifully displayed in the Australiana State library, and I was able to enjoy a research collections known as the Mitchell snack and a coffee while taking in all the and Dixson libraries. Significant items in magnificence of this distinct Australian the collection include original journals of library. —Ann Birdgenaw The Duke Papyrus Archive L ast fall during Melissa’s Physical Processing and Preservation class, I became curious about learning more about the ancient books and manuscripts she discussed. I started to wonder how old these documents were, what they looked like and if there were any remaining. I decided to search on the Internet to see if I could find out more about these ancient treasures. I was pleased to discover that, contrary to my initial belief, a large number of ancient papyruses had survived. Some of these papyruses are kept in private collections, with the majority belonging to large institutions such as The Duke University, in North Carolina. Dossier Actif Fall 2006 8 Most of the manuscripts in the Duke Collection were either purchased from rare book dealers or donated to the university. The collection was founded in 1942, when Duke University bought some manuscripts once owned by William Randolph Hearst. As of 2006, the collection contained nearly 1400 manuscripts from Ancient Egypt, the oldest dating back to 400 BC and the earliest from 1000 AD. Professor John Oates of Duke University came up with the idea of cataloguing the papyri in the late 1980’s. In September of 1993, the Librarian Suzanne Corr started to simultaneously catalog and scan the manuscripts (for those of you interested in digital imaging and scanning, the papyruses were originally scanned at 300 dpi and 600 dpi). The collection was finally available online in 1995; the first 153 papyruses in June and the entire collection in December. The documents are divided into two main categories: official and personal papers. The official documents consist of contracts, bank accounts, religious texts, financial transactions, petitions, tax payments, official letters and even a list of candidates for a public office. The personal papers include letters, drawings, horoscopes, love-charms and lists. It seems that the recycling of “paper” was fairly common in Ancient Egypt. A large part of Duke’s collection is made of papyri that were discarded and later reused to wrap mummies. The papyri in the Duke collection were written in Coptic, Greek, Latin, and Arabic. Some of the documents are mere fragments while others are more of less complete. An example of a well-preserved document is a letter a lawyer named Amon wrote to his mother Makaria about his business trip to Alexandria in AD 348. He tells her about his hopes of getting a job for his nephew Horion. Ancient manuscripts like Amon’s letter allow us to catch a quick glimpse into the past. He lived more than 1600 years ago but his hopes and thoughts remained frozen in time, preserved in a small piece of papyrus, a witness of the human journey and the importance of the written word. Do you want to visit the past and learn more about Ancient Egypt? Visit the Duke Papyrus Archive! http://scriptorium.lib.duke. edu/papyrus/ —Diogo Sarmento The Osu Children’s Library Fund I n January 2007, our very own Christine Jacobs will be undertaking an adventure most of us will only dream of. She will be leaving on a 6-month sabbatical to Ghana. For most of her time there she will be volunteering for the Osu Children’s Library Fund (OCLF); a program which has opened a window into the world of reading for the youth of Africa. The Nungua Community Library Dossier Actif Fall 2006 9 History ory of the Osu Library It was Kathy Knowles’ love of reading that got this project off the ground. In 1990, while in Ghana with her family, she found herself reading to her four children under a tree in their garden in Accra on most afternoons. They loved her stories and she s started tarted to realize that the children of Ghana were not able to share this same experience. She made a decision. She decided that she would introduce Ghana’s children to the wonderful world of reading herself. Every Thursday afternoon, she would carry a basket full of her own personal children book collection down to her garden and read these wonderful stories to 6 of the neighborhood children. Time passed and more children started to hear about her captivating storytelling, which brought them in to see what all the excitement was about. Soon, Kathy realized that her small garden was no longer the proper spot to hold her story time sessions. To solve this dilemma, she turned her garage into her very own library complete with shelves and stools. She even asked family and friends to send over some more books from back home in Canada. Kathy also hired 2 people to help run the library; one of which was her housekeeper, Joanna Felih, who became the first librarian. The library became known as the Osu Library and soon served a total of 150 children. In a place where things aren’t always easy going for the people there, especially the young, it is good to have a distraction or safe haven. How the library started The Kathy Knowles Community Library When Kathy Knowles’ time in Ghana was coming to an end, she wanted to make sure the library would continue so she sought to create a more permanent structure to hold the library. After much effort of searching, she bought a 40-foot shipping container, moved it to a donated After piece of land, and converted it into the small library. On November 13, 1992, the first permanent library opened its doors. It is now called the Kathy Knowles Community Library. Continuing Mission On her return to Canada, Kathy Knowles’ mission did not end. With the help of some dedicated volunteers and the strong community support back in Ghana, the OCLF built 3 large community libraries, all of which bordered impoverished corners of Accra. They also helped establish more than 155 smaller libraries throughout Ghana. The OCLF also supports similar projects in the Philippines, Uganda, Somalia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Dossier Actif The libraries’ success brought about the demand for other activities. Now, free literacy classes for all ages are provided as well as feeding, hygiene and scholarship programs to meet specific needs. To provide new and exciting opportunities, activities such as arts and crafts, football clubs, and singing and drumming groups were developed. Fall 2006 10 In a place where things aren’t always easy going for the people there, especially the young, it is good to have a distraction or safe haven. OCLF will give the people of Africa the opportunity to open doors to new experiences because with these new skills they will be able to help better their lives. This project is still developing new establishments, including one opening in November. It is greatly volunteer-based and always eager to welcome newcomers to help out. Children enjoying the world of reading Christine is excited about the work she is will be doing for the program, although she still does not know exactly what it entails. She is anxious to work with the people in Accra and is looking forward to learning about their culture. We wish her the best of luck on her trip and will be looking forward to hearing all about it on her return next fall. —Samantha Lamb Literacy Program Has Gone to the Dogs S andi Martin, a board member of Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) came up with the idea of using therapy dogs for a literacy program when she saw the benefits of similar programs in the hospital where she worked as a registered nurse. Although the concept already existed, ITA, a non-profit organization based in Utah, launched the first structured literacy program of its kind in 1999. Reading Education Assistance Dogs or R.E.A.D. boasts hundreds of teams of registered therapy dogs and their owners, volunteering for approximately 30 minutes per week. Dogs, big and small, “listen” to children between the ages of five to nine read in a casual setting. (The exceptions being “Duke” the Siamese cat and one African grey parrot). All dogs are certified by the national Delta Society’s Pet Partner Program and are tested for temperament and obedience. They must be predictable, friendly, well groomed and able to endure a long bear hug. Dossier Actif The dogs are trained to make eye contact with the child or look at the book; their handlers are instructed on how to use the dogs as literacy mentors. For example, they may say to the student, “Rex didn’t understand that word, could you explain it to him?” Fall 2006 11 Literacy Skills and Low Self-esteem Children with lesser literacy skills often have lower self-esteem, and are often made fun of when pulled out of class to work on their reading. Rather than single children out, the dogs are introduced to the class and information on therapy dogs is presented. The teacher then asks who would like to volunteer to try the program. It is usually unanimous, but the teacher selects several students that are having difficulties. This allows the chosen students to participate believing they have been rewarded as opposed to being singled out and forced to do remedial work. The program’s duration is only four weeks in order to maintain its novelty. Once the children have completed reading ten books, they can select a book to keep from the R.E.A.D. program’s collection. (“Pawtographed” by their dog) The children find it less intimidating to read to a dog because they won’t be criticized, corrected, or judged. Research has shown that being in the presence of animals lowers blood pressure and when the children cuddle up and start petting the dog they tend to forget that an adult is present. In fact the children become so preoccupied with the animal that they often choose books that they think the dog may Photo courtesy of Intermountain enjoy. Therapy Animals, © Sandi Martin The Program’s Success A 13-month study involving ten elementary school students showed that all participants’ reading scores increased at least two levels and doubled in some cases. In addition, teachers noted less absenteeism, improved self-confidence, and increased involvement in school activities. The organization would like to conduct more extensive studies in order to convince any skeptics. Regardless, children have fun reading and the program has garnered a great deal of interest. ITA has been inundated by inquiries and is currently developing a training manual and video to be sold to organizations interested in starting their own R.E.A.D. program. —Kim Thomson The R.E.A.D. Program Photographs courtesy of Intermountain Therapy Animals Dossier Actif Fall 2006 12 Canuck Crosswords Make Puzzling Pleasurable for Canadians his year’s film, Word Play, which featured the New York Times’ crossword editor, Will Shortz, introduced moviegoers to the world of casual and competitive American crosswordpuzzlers. T ties and tied, etc. So I compile a list of the words, then alphabetize it and look for repeaters and other problems.” The author prefers to use words that are lively and interesting and opts for nouns over verbs and concrete words over abstract ones. As the movie still lingers in the public’s recent memory, it seems a fitting occasion to turn the spotlight on one passionate Canadian who is a self-confessed crossword addict. “When I’ve finally got a crossword I can use, I start making the clues. I have a big clue bank now, since I save all my puzzles and keep a record of the clues used. I have to make sure I don’t use the same clues too often. On the other hand, if I’ve introduced a new Canadian fact, I intentionally repeat the same three times (i.e. in three puzzles).” Hamilton explains that some clues come to her through inspiration. “For frequently recurring words such as ale, else, and other short words with vowels, I’ve benefited from the ideas of other crossworders.” Kathleen Hamilton has created seven books of distinctive Canadian crossword puzzles known as the best-selling O Canada Crosswords series. She is also the creator of the North of 49 Crossword that appears weekly in over fifteen Canadian newspapers. About 10 years ago, the author came up with the idea for her series. After moving to Victoria, B.C., she hoped to work as a freelance writer. She was inspired to create crosswords when she learned that it could supplement her freelance writing income. “It looked like fun, so I made my first crossword. I enjoyed it so much, I thought I’d try making them to sell.” From the get-go, she opted to make Canadian crosswords since she was certain none existed. Hamilton uses a software program specially-designed for crossword building. She has had to input Canadian content into the program and perform an extensive edit on its accompanying dictionary. “For each crossword, I get the software to spit out several [word] possibilities. Then I examine the words used, because the software sometimes puts related words in the same puzzle, such as stop and stopgap, The author enjoys the New York Times Sunday crossword, which is the newspaper’s hardest puzzle of the week. The level of difficulty of her puzzles compares to that of the Wednesday or Thursday Times puzzles. “I try to make the clues challenging, but not frustrating. And my clues are always fair (unlike some of those in other crosswords). Why has the hobby of solving crossword puzzles been popular for so long? One of the author’s explanations is that solving crossword puzzles gives people the (potentially-addictive) pleasure of completing patterns. “Each word is a pattern, and when you get several letters, the word jumps out. Your brain has recognized a pattern, and that gives pleasure”. To purchase O Canada Crosswords series, contact the author at [email protected] —Carol-Ann Hoyte Dossier Actif Fall 2006 13 ILT Word Search / Mots Cachés N W E B R G D A P A T R O N S B T I P E E S N D A C N S U R A R S N E O B I A C S R N D T O E A M E O C E C T O K I B B R U R S E T U N I J V C S H I H T I A T O L Q E T I N S N A E T C C I I S I T T A A B I O E T O S S E E M M A A H V D V A A A C N O A U B K M T A R M A U M C E R I E L L I T T I Q S N U A I L V T S C R S O S I U O F G E N E D A E P T N L A R S O O R T L C S I T C N H E I R I E I A Y T A I D F E E R L S T H H T O C M N O I O S R I P L P N • ACCESS • ACQUISITIONS • ARCHIVES • ARCHIVISTE • AUDIOVIDÉOTHÈQUES • AUTOMATION • BARBARA HOUGHTONGLASSMAN • BIBLIOTECHNICIEN • BIBLIOTHÈQUE • BOOKS • CATALOGUING • CRISTINA SEGURA • CHRISTINE JACOBS • CIRCULATION • CLASSIFICATION • COLLECTION • COMPUTER • DATABASE G I F S E N I O E I T D U R H N E O O E E R I C O A E I C I N N C E H Y C P G G B N D M O R L L O C R L T H E X A S G I O I U I U G L C E C I I G B E C I I J Y I R U S D R N B E A E C S E V I L E N N O A A D R E O I A S L S V S H • DEPARTMENT • DEWEY • DIANE RADU • DIGIT • DIGITALISER • DOCUMENTATION • DOCUMENTS • FORMATTING • GESTION • GOOGLE • INDEXING • INFORMATION • ISSN • JAC • LIBRARY • LINDA TOÏVANEN • LIVRE • MELISSA MAUDE I am the author of this puzzle: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ________ N I B R T E G C H N N C D E C H G O I T E S E S E U Q E H T O E D I V O I D U A N B I I I R N E N A V I O T A D N I L B G T D R R O R N C P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S I E O A N T G H Y E W E D E N N E I C I N H C E T B R B E O E R E T U P M O C A T A L O G U I N G Y P R P K D I A N E R A D U A C Q U I S I T I O N S A O • OPAC • ORDINATEUR • PATRONS • PRESERVATION • PROCESSING • PRODUCERS • PUBLIC RELATIONS • RECHERCHE • REFERENCE • RETRIEVAL • SALLY ROBINSON • SIGN • SOPHIE PUKTERIS • TECHNICIAN • TECHNICIENNE • VIDÉOTHÉCAIRE • WEB • YAHOO _______ Solution on page 19 Dossier Actif Fall 2006 14 R E S I L A T I G I D F O R M A T T I N G C B Visiting the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec Background History of the Library T he history of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BANQ) goes back to 1967 when the national assembly of Quebec passed a law creating the Bibliotheque Nationale du Québec (BNQ). The following year legislation was passed requiring legal deposit for books published in Québec. In 2001, the BNQ merged with the Grande Bibliotheque du Quebec; and in 2004 the BNQ merged with the Archives nationales du Quebec. Originally, the BNQ had been housed at the Bibliotheque Saint-Sulpice, located on Saint-Denis street. In 1997, the BNQ opened it's conservation centre on Holt Street, Montreal. In 2005, the library was relocated to it's present location at Montréal Palais des Congrès but the location of the conservation centre on Holt Street was retained. The BANQ also has numerous branches of it's conservation center open in numerous communities in Québec outside of Montreal. Observations As far as location, I found it very accessible; an escalator and a set of stairs take one to the main floor of the library to and from the Berri UQAM metro station. Compared to most libraries I found the weekday hours are good. Most of the collection is open from l0 a.m. – l0 p.m., from Tuesday to Friday, and from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday. The new books section of the library is open from 10 a.m. to midnight everyday. One of the things that impressed me about the library was just how automated it was. To check-out books one could either go to the circulation desk or use an automatic check-out counter. To return items, simply place them in a container in the book return conveyor belt. OPAC terminals were located around the library, with the bonus feature of allowing you to print out the call number of an item you were searching for onto a small piece of paper. The library itself was very large with the collection spanning five floors. The selection of books available seemed good. An entire section on the main floor was dedicated just to periodicals arranged on separate shelves by subject matter. On the top-floor of the library the AV collection was housed; DVD's, some VHS, CDs, and audio books were included. Whenever I visit, I noticed that most of the DVD's were checked out despite the fact that users are limited to three videos each. Also, on the 5th floor is a special section dedicated to the music of Quebec. Other noteworthy features of the library include a language lab, a map room, video-terminals and many others. The architecture of the library is very modern in appearance, with practically the entire exterior being made of glass. To get from floor to floor two glass elevators are provided as well as staircases. There is a nice open air feeling to the library, and plenty of space to work or relax. Throughout the library comfortable sofachairs are provided for the users to read and tables are also found for studying. Come visit the BANQ! You can also visit the BANQ at: www.banq.qc.ca/ Dossier Actif —Philip Skowronski Fall 2006 15 A Book Lover’s Getaway in the Big Apple M ovie lovers have Hollywood, music lovers have Motown, and now book lovers have New York City’s Library Hotel, situated on the Big Apple’s renowned “Library Way”, at Madison Avenue and 41st Street. The hotel’s theme was inspired by— that’s right, books! A stay at this hotel allows guests to get acquainted with the enchanting world of books and libraries. Rooms are located on ten floors that correspond to the categories of the Dewey Decimal Classification System. If history is your passion, you may request a room on the ninth floor where books exploring ancient history and geography await you behind closed doors. The fifth floor is dedicated to subjects related to math and science. Up on the seventh floor, rooms are filled with books that let you escape into the world of the arts. The rooms on the remaining floors have distinct libraries dedicated to subjects such as literature, philosophy, and technology. After a tour in the city, you can return to the serenity of this hotel where complementary cappuccinos and teas are offered in the Reading Room. Some of the hotel’s 6000 books can be found in the Writer’s Den, a place where you can browse the shelves looking for a classic piece or the newest bestseller. The Poetry Garden is another area for guests to indulge in their love of books, or simply take advantage of its terrace that offers a breathtaking view of the New York skyline. Among the many other pleasures found at this hotel are the fine wines and assorted cheeses you can enjoy while unwinding and mingling with friends in the evening. And if that’s not enough, just step outside and New York’s legendary public library awaits you mere minutes away. The Library Hotel is a unique and chic setting that combines the best of two worlds—the peace and tranquility of a book lover’s paradise with the excitement and thrill of New York City. A stay at this hotel is the perfect reward for a recent graduate, a special delight for a book club’s gathering, or simply a treat for anyone who is passionate about books and the Big Apple. Whatever the occasion, this hotel is sure to leave you with lasting memories and a newly found appreciation for the written word. —Nancy Lento Ready to “book” your reservation? Dossier Actif Fall 2006 16 Mozart on the Mountain L ast summer, my daughter along with thousands of people living in Calgary, Alberta took their lawn chairs and blankets to the Rocky Mountain Village to enjoy the classical music of Mozart in the beauty of nature. When my daughter showed me the pictures, I wished that I was there. I gathered some information about the history of the Mozart on the Mountain concerts in Calgary and I would like to share it with the ILT department. History Mozart on the Mountain started in 1990 as a first-rate family event in Southern Alberta in order to make classical music more accessible to the community and to raise funds for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO). The event grew into the hottest ticket in town, attracting thousands annually to the slopes of Kananaskis Ski Resorts’ Mount Allen to spend a beautiful summer afternoon in the heart of the Rocky Mountains to listen to the incredible symphonic sounds of the CPO. The event was designed to be a casual, fun, relaxing retreat for all ages. The Latest Event On August 27, 2006, on a beautiful sunny day, the CPO and Three Sisters Mountain Village experienced an extraordinary concert in the Rocky Mountains and celebrated the beautiful music of Mozart and other great composers. The full orchestra, dressed in their summer whites, played under a large white tent. Their repertoire was designed to appeal to a wide variety of musical taste from classical standards to movie and Broadway tunes and pop favourites, and of course, plenty of Mozart! The programme allowed the orchestra to showcase their range and musical flexibility, while appealing to everyone. This annual event, rated as one of the “Top 50 Must-See Events in Canada”, has built community connections and inspired a whole new fan base. —Maryam Javidan Mozart on the Mountain Calgary, Alberta Dossier Actif Fall 2006 17 Le Nichoir… It’s for the Birds M any people are unaware of the fact that there is a bird rehabilitation center in Hudson. Le Nichoir has been operating from an old barn for ten years now. Over the years, thousands of sick, injured, and orphaned birds have been nurtured back to health. Wounds and broken limbs are tended to by a staff composed of wild life biology students. The major part of the day is spent feeding the hungry crowd. A diet of seeds, fruits, and meal worms (they go through 15,000 to 20,000 a week) are administered. Chicks are fed a mush and specialty food is made available for the more peculiar birds. Like many non-profit organizations, Le Nichoir is running on a very tight budget. Public donations, fundraising, and sponsorship barely cover the basics and there is always the unexpected. The cost of treating a bird ranges between $35.00 and $50.00. Last year, the rehab center handled over 1,700 birds. Without the help of volunteers, the center would not be able to operate. They lend a helping hand whenever needed. Their tasks range from cleaning the cages and aviaries to ground and property maintenance to fundraising and public relations. Heron leaving the center Another type of volunteer can Merlin with broken wing best be described as a bird ambulance driver. Using their own cars, they make the daily trip to the Montreal S.P.C.A to collect the birds and drive them back to Hudson for treatment. Seven days a week, from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., the general public can bring in birds in need of assistance. It is comforting to see that there is still some good out there and that people care enough to go out of their way to bring a bird to the center. Would you like to learn more about birds? I recommend the following books: National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America: The Ultimate Reference for Desk or Library Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Southern Quebec: The Breeding Birds of Quebec by J.P. Gauthier, Yves Aubry, 1995 —Catherine Jane Samson Dossier Actif Fall 2006 18 Book Review — The Poisonwood Bible B arbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible (1999, Harper Collins) is a fictional story surrounding a Georgian family and its authoritarian missionary patriarch as he attempts to spread Christianity to a village in the Belgian Congo during its time of political unrest in 1959. The Price family find themselves a long way Narrating the story is Orleanna Price, a from Sanderling Island, Georgia when they devoted mother and supportive wife who embark with their tyrannical father Nathan, plays the unquestioning cog in her an evangelical Baptist, on a soul-saving husband’s machine. We also step into the shoes of each of the four mission into the depths of “…a land of violence, Price sisters and witness Africa’s Congo during its their characters grow war of independence from poisonous black mambas, Belgium. Upon arrival in and develop as new, and scorched red earth.” the village of Kilanga, they unexpected situations are faced with the brutal unfold around them. realization that this is a world very different from the one they’ve become accustomed to. This dark, dramatic, and gripping story The trinkets and comforts carried with manages to seize the reader with a strength them from home prove to be useless in a that is a rare find in a fictional novel. Each land of violence, poisonous black mambas, of the characters is believable in their and scorched red earth. In order to survive, painfully flawed humanity as they struggle each member of the family is forced to find with insecurities and self-acceptance. the courage within themselves to step —Tanya Czuma beyond social boundaries and adopt new world views. ILT Word Search / Mots Cachés Answer Sheet Solution: D e s i g n e d b y B r i g i t t e B u b e n k o Dossier Actif Fall 2006 19 The Graduating Class of 2006 Where Are They NOW? Lawrence Desbiens-Benn After graduating, Lawrence enjoyed his last summer off before focusing on the job searching and interview process. He is at this stage now and offers words of advice: making connections and getting to know people in the business are fundamental in the job searching process. His archives stage was at McGill University and his library stage was at Beaconsfield High School. Lawrence states that these are great places to start the job searching process. Stephane Duperron It has been a great year for Stephane: graduating from the ILT program, becoming a Records Management Technician at the law firm McCarthy Tetrault since May 2006, shopping for his first apartment and now in the process of getting his driver’s license! His job has been a good learning experience and the most challenging aspect has been grasping the little details specific to the law firm and its records management practices. Although his contract ends in December 2006, he has inquired about possible openings in the firm’s library. Stephane offers words of advice for students in the ILT program, if you apply for a cataloguing job, be prepared to write a test! Cheryl Gibbon Cheryl enjoyed her library stage at Macdonald High School since it was a great introduction to an actual library setting. After graduation, Cheryl immediately took a summer contract at the JAC Administrative Services/Secretary General’s Office, where she also did her records management stage. She was responsible for finishing the inventory started during her stage. She also unpacked and shelved boxes of books for the Barton building library of Macdonald College for two weeks. At the same time, she has had several interviews; one is very promising. As you can see, she has not stopped at all and keeping very busy. As for advice, Cheryl states that Sylvie Boucher from the employment office at John Abbott College was very helpful, so use their services! Be professional, honest, nice, friendly, and GO FOR IT!!! The promising job finally materialized and Cheryl is now working full time at the National Hockey League Pension Society as a File Maintenance Assistant. Kathy Graham After graduating and spending the first half of the summer with her family, Kathy accepted a position at Bombardier starting in October 2006. This is a 3-6 months contract. She will be indexing and classifying documents in a variety of formats and then entering this information into a document management database that serves as their finding aid. She offers words of wisdom in terms of job hunting. “Have an open mind with regards to opportunities out there.” Kathy had initially hoped to find employment in a traditional library, however she states that working at Bombardier will be interesting and give her valuable experience. Dossier Actif Fall 2006 20 Tina Labbe Tina applied for a summer job at Merck Frosst Research Library. She went for an interview, got the job and began working May 15, 2006. She worked with an information specialist and a records manager and helped them reduce their two year backlog due to staff shortages. Tina made a list of all the bound journal holdings, made electronic access cards, weeded many journals and helped clear out the laboratory notebook that needed to be archived. She taught herself how to use “Horizon”, and also imported cataloguing records. Having mastered these skills, Tina demonstrated how to import files and use Horizon to her boss and co-workers (she states that Sophie would be proud). Due to budget cuts, her summer job ended September 29, 2006. Tina acquired a lot of experience and was able to apply the many skills learned from the ILT program. She applied for an administrative position at SteAnne’s Hospital; she passed the language test and an Excel test and is confident that there are many jobs out there—she just has to look and send out many applications. Lynn McGuire Lynn’s archives stage was at Canadian Pacific Railway. She chose this company because her father, grandfather and grandmother worked there. Her library stage was at Novartis Pharmaceuticals in Dorval. She processed and catalogued new books. She learned how to use the ALEPH integrated library system and trained employees to search for articles on ALOS. Lynn then spent the summer traveling with her family. Before starting the ILT program, Lynn was a volunteer at her daughter's elementary school library and continues to offer her services to help process newly purchased books. She is looking for part-time work that is the right fit for her at this stage of her life. Eric Vallières After graduating, Eric spent the summer working at the Ministère du Développement Économique, including one month replacing the library technician. This was a great challenge for him. Eric is now at l’Université de Montréal in a one year program studying archives. After completing this, he plans to continue with another one year program offered by l’Université de Montréal in managing electronic information. Elizabeth Wood (Lizz) Elizabeth graduated from the intensive stream. She completed her archives stage at the Anglican Diocese of Montreal and her library stage at the National Film Board. She enjoyed both stages since they gave her the opportunity to use the ILT skills she acquired. Her goal to work in a public or academic library came true in June 2006. She has a permanent full-time position at the Dollard des Ormeaux Library. Her job in technical services (in charge of periodicals) and public services (at the children and adult reference desk). She adds that the balance between the two makes this a really great job. Heather Wood After graduating from the intensive stream in the ILT Program in 2006, Heather has been working at the Fraser-Hickson Public Library where she also completed her library stage. She works in Circulation, Reference, and Cataloguing. She recently started doing book displays and they have been very well received by staff and patrons. In October 2006, Heather’s life will be taking a turn in a different direction; she has accepted a job in Castlgar, British Columbia. She will be working in Public Services at Selkirk College Library—a community college with a range of academic and vocational programs. She is excited to have the opportunity to be able to return to a part of the country she lived in for a number of years. —Ida Di Maulo Dossier Actif Fall 2006 21 Directory of West Island Libraries West Island Libraries offer items for all ages, tastes and languages. Items include books, magazines, CDs and music on tape and much more. Many services are also available in these libraries such as story time, puppet shows and internet workstations. The following libraries will bring you closer to your information needs, whether it is for leisure, reading or information resource. Memberships in the following public libraries are free for residents or available at a charge for non-residents. Baie d’Urfé Library 20551 Lakeshore Baie d’Urfé, QC H9X 1R3 Tel: 514-457-3274 L’Île-Bizard Library 500 de l’Eglise Ile Bizard, QC H9C 1G9 Tel: 514-620-6257 Saint-Pierre Library 183 des Érables Lachine, QC H8R 1B1 Tel: 514-634-3471 Beaconsfield Library 303 Beaconsfield Beaconsfield, QC H9W 4A7 Tel: 514-428-4460 Pierrefonds Library 13555 Pierrefonds Pierrefonds, QC H9A 1A6 Tel : 514-620-4181 Sainte-Geneviève Library 35 St. Anne Sainte-Genevieve, QC H9H 2Z2 Tel: 514-626-2537 Dollard-des-Ormeaux Library 12001 de Salaberry Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC H9B 2A7 Tel: 514-684-1496 Roxboro Library 110 Cartier Roxboro, QC H8Y 1G8 Tel: 514-684-8247 Dorval Library 1401 Lakeshore Dorval, QC H9S 2E5 Tel: 514-633-4170 Kirkland Library 17100 Hymus Kirkland, QC H9J 2W2 Tel: 514-630-2726 Dossier Actif Pointe-Claire Library Central Library 100 Douglas Shand Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 4V1 Tel: 514-630-1218 Pointe-Claire Library Valois Branch 68 Prince Edward Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 4C7 Tel: 514-630-1219 Fall 2006 Saul Bellow Library 3100 St. Antoine Lachine, QC H8S 4B8 Tel: 514-634-3471 Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Library 40 St. Pierre Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 1Y6 Tel : 514-457-1940 —Anna Picciuto 22 Congratulations ILT Graduates of 2006! Stacey Clarke Janice Cohen Lawrence Desbiens-Benn Janet Donaldson Stéphane Duperron Cheryl Gibbon Kathryn Graham Tina Labbé Kim MacLeod Judith McGuire Margaret Murdock Deborah Rayson Caroll-Ann Steele Éric Vallières Frances Wheeler Elizabeth Wood Heather Wood Attention Alumni !!! Please contact us for address updates and news. Dossier Actif Fall 2006 23
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