The Live-in-for-Literacy at the Learning Centre was featured by UBC’s Journalism student publication, the Thunderbird. From January 16th to 26th two UBC students camped out at the library, battling the 24-hour fluorescent lights and the all-night security guards in an attempt to raise money to build children’s libraries in India. Room to Read is the umbrella charity organizing the fundraiser, and this ten-day library stake-out is called Live-In for Literacy.
Digitization project in the Terrace Standard
A digitization project supported by the B.C. History Digitization Program – which was launched by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre – is featured in the Terrace Standard newspaper.
You can view the article here: http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terracestandard/news/41489462.html
Spring 2009 issue of Connects Released
The Spring 2009 issue of Connects, the newsletter of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, is now available. You can view a PDF of Connects here: connects-spring-2009
Learning Africa – March 4th, 2009 – 4-6pm
In 2002, noticing the lack of African studies at UBC, a dedicated group of students with the support of organizations, faculty members and staff came together to create “African Awareness.” Since then, an African Studies program has been created and cultural events, lectures, and student internships have evolved.
Come listen to the experiences of UBC students who have worked and studied on exchange and hear about new opportunities for studying and working in Africa. Learn more about the courses available in African Studies.
Kerry Canning (Cape Town, South Africa)
Afton Halloran (Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Uganda)
Duncan McNicholl (Malawi)
Go Global
Africa Awareness Initiative
The African Studies Program at UBC
March 4, 2009 – 4:00-6:00 PM
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre – Chapman Learning Common’s Dodson Room
The Future of Our Past: the B.C. Digitization Symposium
An article on the first B.C. Digitization Symposium, held recently at UBC, appears in the BCLA Browser (this is the new open access newsletter from the British Columbia Library Association).
You can view the article here:
Human orrery at the Learning Centre models the solar system
A “human orrery” that models the solar system has been on display during January in the foyer of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. You can find out more about the project here:
Live-in for Literacy project at Learning Centre featured in the Vancouver Sun
From January 16, 2009 to January 26, two students are camping in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre foyer to raise support, awareness and funds for global literacy.
The UBC students are participating as part of Live-in for Literacy 2009, a project that involves university students across Canada living in libraries. The aim is to raise funds to construct libraries in India.
UBC is the only university in Western Canada to take part in the event, and UBC Library has donated $1,000 to the cause.
You can view the press release here:
http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2009/mr-09-008.html
And you can view a recent story in the Vancouver Sun here:
UBC Library featured in Fine Books and Collections magazine
UBC Library and the Chung Collection are featured in an article on Vancouver’s book culture in the January 2009 issue of Fine Books & Collections magazine.
The article is by Nicholas Basbanes, an author who recently read and spoke at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
You can view the piece here:
http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/200901/vancouver-1.phtml
Learning Centre-backed digitization project in the Times Colonist, Globe and Mail
A new B.C. electronic resource that involves support from the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre has launched.
The British Colonist Digitization project is a joint venture with the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper and the University of Victoria Library, with support from other organizations including the Learning Centre. The project involves the digitization of issues of the British Colonist newspaper (a precursor to the Times Colonist).
Articles on the project are featured in the Victoria Times Colonist and the Globe and Mail. You can view the articles here:
http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1059621
And here is a link to the project website’s search page:
Gabor Mate
Image Credit: UBC Library, Gabor Mate
For over ten years Gabor Maté has been the staff physician at the Portland Hotel, a residence and harm reduction facility in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. His patients are challenged by life-threatening drug addictions, schizophrenia, mental illness, Hepatitis C, HIV and, in many cases, all four. But if Dr. Maté’s patients are at the far end of the spectrum, how many of us are also struggling with addictions?
Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, work, food, sex, gambling and excessive inappropriate spending: what is amiss with our lives that we seek such self-destructive ways to comfort ourselves? And why is it so difficult to stop these habits, even as they threaten our health, jeopardize our relationships and corrode our lives?
In 2008, in addition to his many other speaking engagements across Canada, Dr. Mate has been guest lecturer at Washington State University and a visiting professor at McGill University in the Faculty of Medicine. His next book, to be published in 2010, will be The Making and Unmaking of Bullies and Victims: A New Look at a Contemporary Malaise, co-written with developmental psychologist Dr. Gordon Neufeld.
Gabor Mate read at the Lillooet Room of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre on December 04 2008.