Climate Justice: The Intersectional and Emotional Aspects of Climate Work
Did you know that climate change does not impact all people equally?
While nobody can entirely avoid climate change, some groups are more impacted than others. Groups that have been historically marginalized by oppressive societal systems, such as racialized people, Indigenous people, disabled people, and people living in the global south, are experiencing greater and more immediate impacts of climate change.
This reality is the basis of Climate Justice, a field of work which recognizes the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities while working to implement solutions. Today we will explore some of the Climate Justice work happening at UBC. I hope this blog post allows you to consider climate change through a new lens, and to recognize the unique, multifaceted ways that you engage with climate and the environment.
The Centre for Climate Justice at UBC was established in 2021. It recognizes challenges related to taking action against climate change, including that climate change disproportionately impacts people already impacted by other injustices. Grounded in this knowledge, their mission is to “diversify the expertise and perspectives represented in climate justice theory, policy, and research” and to “connect often-siloed issue areas between climate and housing, or climate and care work.” These actions will help address the disproportionate impacts that marginalized communities are experiencing, increasing the intersectionality of climate activism work.
An example of the Centre’s work includes the ‘Right to Cool’ Knowledge Exchange workshop, led by Liv Yoon and the Centre for Climate Justice, and facilitated by Olive Dempsey. The workshop occurred in June 2024 and brought together community members to discuss innovative ways to combat extreme heat. By exchanging knowledge with the community and addressing issues like housing policy in relation to extreme heat, the event put the principles of Climate Justice into action.
The Centre has also supported initiatives that recognize the emotional, phenomenological ways that people experience climate change. They collaborated with Future Ecologies to create the podcast series “The Right to Feel.” In the podcast, UBC students share their emotions surrounding climate change, uncovering new layers through storytelling and personal reflection.
I find this podcast extremely compelling, unique, and distinct from the ways information about climate change is typically presented. “The Right to Feel” recognizes that climate change is not only an empirical, scientific issue. It is also a deeply emotional issue that impacts different people in different ways. Depending on our backgrounds, identities, and experiences, engaging with climate change can be shocking or routine, energizing or exhausting, paralyzing or motivating. It can spark passion in some while causing avoidance and denial in others. Climate Justice recognizes these emotional realities and aims to integrate climate change activism into other areas of social justice work, such as anti-racism, Indigenous truth-telling and reconciliation, and working to end the housing crisis.
When we ground our climate work in this understanding, we are better able to effectively and equitably work with people to combat adverse changes to the climate. The Climate Justice framework allows those most impacted by climate change to be represented equitably in decision-making. It leads to better climate activism outcomes, since the actions of researchers will be aligned with the needs of communities most impacted.
Human beings are guided by emotions. Even when we know climate change is a pressing issue, we may hesitate to engage with information about it, discouraged by feelings of fear, anxiety, and grief. You may come to the table with vastly different conceptions and experiences than I do. My research into the Centre for Climate Justice’s work has led me to conclude that humanity’s best strategy to combat climate change is to embrace our differences. Information-sharing and solution-making must realize that climate change intersects with every other injustice in our society, and engaging with those injustices is emotional, personal, community-driven work.
I hope you have enjoyed this dive into Climate Justice. To wrap up this blog post, I invite you to consider three questions about climate change and your relationship to it:
- What parts of your own identity and life experience affect the way you think about climate change?
- What emotional responses do you feel when you read, talk, and learn about climate change?
- How might you move forward with your answers to those questions, integrating your identity, experiences, and feelings into the ways you take action for our climate
Feel free to comment your takeaways down below, or keep them in a journal, notes app, or sticky note on your fridge.
As always, thank you for reading, and I’ll see you next month with another exploration of EDI issues in our community.
Web Resources:
Right to Cool Knowledge Exchange Workshop
Mission and Mandate – Centre for Climate Justice
“The Right to Feel” Podcast by Future Ecologies – Centre for Climate Justice
Scholarly Resources:
Srikanth, R., & Thompson, L. (2024). Climate justice and public health: Realities, responses, and reimaginings for a better future. University of Massachusetts Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.16148239
Gardiner, S. M., Obst, A., & Taylor & Francis eBooks EBA. (2023;2022;). In Obst A. (Ed.), Dialogues on climate justice (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003123408
Lake, O. O. (2024). The story is in our bones: How worldviews and climate justice can remake a world in crisis. New Society Publishers.
UBC Researchers:
Glen Coulthard, Yellowknives Dene and associate professor in the First Nations and Indigenous Studies Program and the Departments of Political Science
Amanda Giang, Assistant Professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Maggie Low, Co-Chair of the Indigenous Community Planning (ICP) program at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP)
View more faculty here
Corrina Sparrow
Corrina Sparrow
From the Musqueam and Qualicum/Pentlatch Nations, Corrina Sparrow is a 2Spirit/Indigequeer (2SIQ) helper and published writer. They have worked in Indigenous social work with Coastal Indigenous communities for over twenty years, mainly focusing in areas of child and family safety and wellness, and community planning. They hold the position of social development manager with Musqueam.
Corrina is a current UBC PhD student with the Social Justice Institute, exploring Coastal Land-based, 2Spirit/Indigequeer (2SIQ) identities, resurgence, and community development. They are a SSHRC doctoral fellow for 2SIQ research, and a sessional instructor of Indigenous Social Work.
Corrina served as elected Chair of the national 2 Spirits in Motion Society. They were co-contributor to the final MMIWG2S National Action Plan, and a member of the federal 2SLGBTQQIA+ sub-working group advisory. Corrina is also co-founder and elected Speaker of the Transforming Embers society – the only Coast Salish, Land-based 2SIQ organization on the west coast.
UBC Library Writer-in-Residence at Word Vancouver Festival at UBC Robson Square
Join UBC Library inaugural writer-in-residence Tsering Yangzom Lama as she discusses and reads from her beloved work at Word Vancouver Festival. There will be a reading and a Q&A with the audience, moderated by Vancouver poet Evelyn Lau. Word Vancouver is Western Canada’s largest literary arts festival: a free, family-friendly event that brings together established and emerging authors, aspiring writers, literary exhibitors, and book lovers from across the Lower Mainland.
This event will be held on September 28th, 2024 in the Sunroom Gallery at UBC Robson Square.
Writer-in-Residence
Tsering Yangzom Lama is a Tibetan Canadian author whose debut novel, We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies (Penguin Random House), won the GLCA New Writers Award as well as the Banff Mountain Book Award for Fiction & Poetry. Her novel also received nominations for The Giller Prize, Prix Émile Guimet, The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, The Carol Shields Prize, The Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writers Prize, The Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, The Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes, The VCU Cabell First Novel Prize, and The Toronto Book Awards. Tsering holds an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and a BA in Creative Writing and International Relations from the University of British Columbia. We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies (Penguin Random House) is published in English in Canada, the United States, and India. Translations are available or forthcoming in French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Tibetan, and Arabic.
Moderator
Evelyn Lau is a lifelong Vancouverite who has authored fourteen books, including nine volumes of poetry. Her memoir Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid (HarperCollins, 1989), published when she was eighteen, was made into a CBC movie starring Sandra Oh in her first major role. Evelyn’s prose books have been translated into a dozen languages; her poetry has received the Milton Acorn People’s Poet Award, the Pat Lowther Award for best book of poetry by a Canadian woman, and a National Magazine Award, as well as nominations for a BC Book Prize and the Governor-General’s Award. Her poems have appeared in hundreds of journals and anthologies, including the Best Canadian Poetry series. From 2011-2014, Evelyn served as Poet Laureate for the City of Vancouver.
The UBC Library’s Writer-in-Residence is supported by the Peña Family Fund.
Word Vancouver Opening Gala featuring UBC Library Writer-in-Residence Tsering Yangzom Lama at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV)
On Saturday, September 21, 2024, Word Vancouver celebrates 30 years of bringing authors and their words to the streets of Vancouver and beyond.
Sponsored by UBC Library’s Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, UBC Creative Writing, and Nesters Market, the official opening event for this year’s Word Vancouver festival will be an evening of readings, music, laughter, and mingling. The evening will begin with an intimate reading and Q&A with UBC Library’s Inaugural Writer-in-Residence, Tsering Yangzom Lama, author of the Scotiabank Giller Prize-shortlisted We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies.
The admission cost includes entry into the Museum of Vancouver before and after the event, one drink, and a book from Word Vancouver. This is a catered event. Date and location: Saturday, September 21, 6.00-9.30pm at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV). 1100 Chestnut Street Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9
Agenda
6:00 PM – 6:30 PM – Intimate reading and Q&A with UBC Library’s Inaugural Writer-in-Residence
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM – Musical Performance
7:00 PM – Words of Welcome & Musical Performances
7:30 PM – Reading and Q&A from Keynote Author
8:00 PM – Readings and Q& A’s with our Guest Curators
8:30 PM – Comedy Set
September 21, 6.00-9.30pm
Museum of Vancouver (MOV). 1100 Chestnut Street Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9 (map)
Bio’s
Penguin Randomhouse
Tsering Yangzom Lama
Tsering Yangzom Lama’s debut novel, We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies, won the GLCA New Writers Award as well as the Banff Mountain Book Award for Fiction & Poetry. Her novel also received nominations for The Giller Prize, Prix Émile Guimet, The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, The Carol Shields Prize, The Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writers Prize, The Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, The Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes, The VCU Cabell First Novel Prize, and The Toronto Book Awards. Tsering holds an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and a BA in Creative Writing and International Relations from the University of British Columbia. We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies is published in English in Canada, the United States, and India. Translations are available or forthcoming in French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Tibetan, and Arabic.
Tamara Taggart (Host)
Tamara Taggart is a community leader, activist, veteran broadcaster, cancer survivor, and mother. With a broadcasting career spanning 28 years in television, radio, and digital media, Tamara has also focused two decades’ of volunteer efforts on health care and the well-being of children and people with disabilities. She is a community leader who advocates for others and raises much-needed funds for many important causes, contributing thousands of hours and serving as a director of several non-profit organizations. Tamara currently hosts the podcast Telus Talks with Tamara Taggart from her home studio and is the volunteer president of Down Syndrome BC.
Mark James Fortin and Lorna Fortin
Mark James Fortin and Lorna Fortin are a Vancouver jazz, roots, singer-songwriter duo who deliver infectious live performances that evoke an emotional response in the listener. Before moving to Vancouver, Mark lived in Toronto and played shows with the likes of Greg Keelor, Jim Cuddy, the Brent brothers and Soul Asylum and received recognition for his art with accomplishments such as winning Toronto’s Radio Q107 Homegrown Contest and was offered management and label deals. Mark’s first west-coast musical collaboration was with Yvonne McSkimming, co-writing music for the Fringe Festival Hit Crossing Boundaries. After rave reviews the two went into the studio with Bill Buckingham to arrange and co-produce Yvonne’ debut CD “A Place of Standing” which spent 6 months at the top of the MP3.com charts and across Canada. The artist’s collaboration also resulted in the co-creation of one Vancouver’s most beloved monthly songwriters showcases in the city’s history. The ongoing benefit event Just Singin ‘Round (JSR) hosted by Mark and Yvonne has raised over 2 million dollars for numerous Vancouver charities over the past 26 years. Shortly after Mark moved to Vancouver, Lorna joined him and has been a regular contributor to his shows for over 24 years. Some of their claims to fame as a duo include performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1999, in 2018, Mark, Lorna and their daughter Ella won a Leo Award for best score for a short drama film, and in 2019 Mark co-wrote the hit single “All about Love” with Charley Huntley which was recorded and realised by Esan Chan in Hong Kong. This hit stayed at #1 on iTunes for 6 weeks, ahead of Celine Dionne. This duo performs at local restaurants, bars, weddings, funerals and house-concerts with a line-up of captivating originals and well-known songs that reveals their uncompromising desire to offer music with heart. For larger venues and parties, ask Mark and Lorna about the band (find Mark James Fortin Band on Facebook).
Valerie Jerome
Valerie Jerome is an activist, speaker, teacher, politician and athlete from Vancouver. The granddaughter of Canada’s first Black Olympian, John “Army” Howard, Jerome became the Canadian senior women’s champion in the sprints and long jump at the age of 15 in 1959. She went on to represent Canada at the 1960 Rome Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, and the Pan American Games (where she won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay), competing alongside her brother Harry Jerome. Away from the track, Jerome has represented the Green Party of British Columbia and is a recipient of the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal and for a City of Vancouver Heritage Award for her work in conservation. She has also served as a board member for numerous organizations — including Achilles Track & Field, the Junior Black Achievement Awards, and several dance companies — and spoken in schools and at community events for Black History Month. Races is her first book.
Jen Currin
Jen Currin’s new collection of stories is Disembark, just published by House of Anansi. Their collection Hider/Seeker: Stories won a Canadian Independent Book Award, was a finalist for a ReLit Award, and was named a 2018 Globe and Mail Best Book. They have also published five collections of poetry, most recently Trinity Street (Anansi, 2023); The Inquisition Yours (Coach House, 2010), which won the 2011 Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry and was a finalist for a LAMBDA, the Dorothy Livesay Prize, and a ReLit Award; and School (Coach House, 2014), which was a finalist for the Pat Lowther Award, the Dorothy Livesay Prize, and a ReLit Award. A white settler of mixed, mostly Western European ancestry, Currin lives on the unceded ancestral territories of the Halkomelem-speaking peoples, including the Qayqayt, Musqueam, Kwikwetlem, and Kwantlen Nations, in New Westminster, BC and teaches creative writing and English at Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Michelle Cyca
Michelle Cyca is a journalist and essayist living on the unceded homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations in what is recently called Vancouver. She is an editor with The Narwhal and a contributing writer to The Walrus. Her writing can often be found in Maclean’s, Chatelaine, The Tyee and The Globe & Mail. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief and co-publisher of SAD Mag. Her feature story, The Curious Case of Gina Adams, received a National Magazine Award in 2023 for investigative journalism, and was published in April 2024 as a limited-edition hardcover. She’s a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6, Saskatchewan.
Sasha Mark
Sasha Mark (he/him/they/them) is a Cree-Métis stand up comedian from Treaty 1 territory, but now is residing on so called “Vancouver”. He has done work with the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, OutTV, Just For Laughs Vancouver and is most known for their work on APTN. He is the host of the Sasha Ha Ha Show and also co-hosts Camp! Comedy a comedy and drag cabaret show.
The UBC Library’s Writer-in-Residence is supported by the Peña Family Fund.
Disability Pride Month: A Look at Disability Advocacy’s Past and Present
Hello and welcome back to my monthly blog posts as your EDI Student Librarian! This month’s topic is Disability Pride Month. July is designated as Disability Pride Month because the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in July 1990 in the United States. In this post, I’m going to dive into the history of disability advocacy in British Columbia and at UBC, leading up to movements and efforts happening in our local context today.
As always, this is a short blog post about a broad issue. As I am only able to highlight portions of the long history of disability rights advocacy, I hope this post will serve as a jumping off point for your own further research. Happy disability pride!
The Disability Pride Flag
Disability rights movements in North America began in the latter half of the 20th century. These decades brought societal shifts in thought around disability. More people began to believe that disabled people deserve to live full, meaningful lives, sparking new movements for change.
An important movement at this time was the deinstitutionalization movement. In the 1950s, advocates began working to close the residential institutions where disabled people were sent to live. These institutions isolated disabled people from public life and were often abusive. Instead, disability advocates wanted support services to be available throughout communities, so that disabled people can live with family or other caretakers.
Here in Vancouver, a woman named Bea Purdy led the deinstitutionalization movement. Her son, Bobby, was born with Down Syndrome in 1938. Bea refused to send Bobby to Woodlands School, an institution in New Westminster, instead wanting him placed in a special education classroom in public school. However, at this time, the Vancouver School Board did not admit students who did not meet their definition of “educable.” Institutionalization was the only option available.
In January 1953, Bea gathered twelve other parents of developmentally disabled children. Together they formed an organization now known as the Developmental Disabilities Association. They opened their own school for developmentally disabled children, and in 1956, their advocacy led to the amendment of the Public Schools Act to provide funding for the education of developmentally disabled students.
The Developmental Disabilities Association remains active today. You can learn more about Bea and Bobby Purdy, the DDA’s founding, and their current work here. They provide services, supports, and advocacy for developmentally disabled people in the Vancouver and Richmond area.
In the decades following the 1950s, disability advocacy continued progressing. In 1977, the BC Coalition of the Disabled was formed by disabled people, operating under the slogan “Nothing About Us Without Us.” This organization, now known as Disability Alliance BC, has achieved an extensive list of advocacy successes around transportation, health, income security, and law reform. You can read about their history of creating systemic change here.
In 1975, the United Nations issued the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons, and in 1982, disability was added as a protected class under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Today, disabled people have more legal protections than ever before, which leaves us with the question: what is still to be done?
Disability advocacy is continuing in Vancouver and at UBC today. In this post, I will highlight the work of Dr. Jennifer Gagnon, who is leading advocacy for workplace accessibility at UBC.
Dr. Gagnon’s work exists within a cluster of developments at UBC in the past five years. In 2019, the Disability Accommodation Policy (LR7) was issued at UBC, which serves as the current foundation for the Centre for Accessibility. In 2020, the Disability Affinity Group (DAG) was formed at UBC, a community-building and advocacy group for disabled people at UBC. Dr. Gagnon serves as the president of DAG alongside executive team members Dr. Dana Solomon, Corin Parsons, and Kathryn Douglass-Campbell.
After the adaption of the Disability Accommodation Policy, Dr. Gagnon and DAG members identified a continuing accessibility need at UBC. The policy and support in place for disabled employees needed to be improved. Their advocacy led to the establishment of the Centre for Workplace Accessibility in 2022, which provides UBC employees with information about workplace accommodations, funding to make accessibility changes, projects and workshops to promote disability inclusion, and more.
Disability advocacy at UBC is still ongoing. Right now, DAG is seeking to form a disability task force at UBC and to bring the lens of disabled employees to the forefront of existing policy.
July is a month to remember the disabled people who came before us— their struggles, their victories, and the meaningfulness of their lives. It is also a time to examine the current opportunities for change in our communities. I hope this look through history has inspired you to learn more about disability advocacy near you, both right now and throughout the past.
Thank you for reading, and feel free to leave a comment!
Web Resources Consulted:
Disability Rights Movement in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia
DDA’s History – Developmental Disabilities Association
UBC to open a new Centre for Workplace Accessibility to support disabled staff and faculty
Scholarly Resources:
Piepzna-Samarasinha, L. L. (2018). Care work: Dreaming disability justice (1st ed.). Arsenal Pulp Press. [Available at UBC Libraries]
Malhotra, R. & Isitt, B. (2017). Disabling barriers: Social movements, disability history, and the law. UBC Press. [Available at UBC Libraries]
UBC Researchers:
Dr Jennifer Gagnon
Dr. Dana Solomon
Corin Parsons
Kathryn Douglass-Campbell
2025/2026 BC History Digitization Program Call for Notices of Intent
The British Columbia History Digitization Program (BCHDP) is seeking early notice from prospective applicants for the 2025/2026 funding year. This will enable program staff to follow-up with applicants eligible for and interested in additional support during the grant application process.
If your organization is considering applying for a 2025/2026 BCHDP grant, please fill out this short Notice of Intent Survey (https://surveys.bceln.ca/limesurvey/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=769458&lang=en).
Early notice will be accepted until August 6, 2024, but the earlier notice you provide the more support we can provide. Early notice is not mandatory but is expected to improve the chances of a successful grant application.
The information provided in the Notice of Intent Survey will only be used for follow-up, it will not form part of your application. Organizations eligible for and indicating interest in additional support during the grant application process will be contacted.
Support for eligible organizations can include assistance with completing the grant application; project management; copyright advisory; connections to digitization service providers; securing digitization staff; preparing metadata; and hosting digitized materials in the Arca provincial digital repository.
Prospective applicants should be a registered charity or qualified donee listed by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). If the applicant is not a registered charity or qualified donee, a community organization that is a qualified donee may be permitted to act as a financial intermediary. If you know who may act as a financial intermediary for your project, please indicate this in your survey response. If you have further questions or concerns about this requirement, please contact the BCHDP Coordinator (bc.historydigitization@ubc.ca)
The Power of Names: Exploring Queer Cataloguing Conventions in Libraries
Happy pride! This month’s blog post explores an intersection of 2SLGBTQIA+ pride and the library. We will be looking at some of the ways that bibliographic naming conventions impact the queer community, why these names matter, and what librarians in the UBC community are doing to make naming conventions more equitable.
Names are important to the queer community. The terminology that describes experiences of sexual orientation, romantic orientation, and gender identity are community-made names that often hold lots of weight for the people who use them. Fundamentally, a name allows a person to tell someone else: “This is how I experience my humanity.” Labels such as nonbinary, asexual, trans masc, and panromantic allow people to communicate experiences for which they previously lacked language.
What do these names mean for libraries? When you are browsing the library for materials related to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, you will encounter descriptive labels attached to each item. These labels are called subject headings, and they are assigned to all materials by the Library of Congress.
Here are the current subject headings for the book We are Everywhere: Protest, Power, and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation by Matthew Riemer and Leighton Brown, which is available at UBC Libraries
Library of Congress Subjects:Gay people–United States–History.
Gay people–United States–Pictorial works.
The Library of Congress subject headings tell browsers that this book is about gay people in the United States, that it covers the history of those gay people, and that the book is illustrated.
However, you may notice some differences between these subject headings and the examples of labels I provided above. Here, all 2SLGBTQ+ people are encompassed as “Gay people.” You won’t find any subject headings for panromantic people in the Library of Congress— that’s too specific and new of a term. The broadness that we see in subject headings represents one of the key critiques that many librarians have of the Library of Congress Classification System. It’s an old system, it updates infrequently, and it often does not use the most accurate or community-preferred terms to describe marginalized people.
In past decades, subject headings have presented even more problems for the queer community. Labels categorized queerness as a form of illness or deviance instead of the natural variations in human experience that they are. Many of these labels have now been revised; however, Library of Congress subject headings still leave a lot to be desired for 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
So, what’s being done about it? To learn more, I spoke with Bri Watson, an instructor and researcher at the UBC School of Information. Bri’s research brings a queer lens to cataloguing and classification of library and archival materials. They shared with me two new tools that queer librarians are developing to describe materials about 2SLGBTQIA+ people: The Homosaurus and the Queer Metadata Collective
The Homosaurus, a project launched in 2013 by Jack Van der Wel, is a linked data vocabulary that libraries and archives can use to describe 2SLGBTQIA+ materials. In other words, It provides vocabulary words that can be added to materials alongside the Library of Congress subject headings, allowing users to search for specific, contemporary terms.
Here are some examples of vocabulary terms in the Homosaurus:
- Afro-Canadian Asexual People
- Cottages (Gay Culture)
- Fathers of Lesbians
- Gay Mystery and Detective Fiction
- Gender Dysphoria in Youth
As you can see, these terms go a lot deeper than simply “Gay People.” The Homosaurus enables library users to search for very specific materials about select queer experiences. If it is of interest to any readers, the Homosaurus website provides a guide for implementing the Homosaurus at an information organization.
The second resource is the Queer Metadata Collective, an organization of cataloguers, librarians, archivists and scholars who are working to improve naming conventions for queer people. They state that their goal is to “develop a set of best practices for the description, cataloguing, and classification of queer information resources” (Queer Metadata Collective). These best practices will serve as clear standards that organizations can follow when classifying queer materials, leading to the use of more effective, respectful, and accurate terminology. The Collective is currently inviting participants to be part of one of their five working groups. If you identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ and have interest in cataloguing and classification work, consider reaching out through the Collective’s interest form on their website!
For further reading on this topic, I have compiled a number of resources. I especially recommend Bri’s own article, “There was sex but no sexuality*: Critical cataloging and the classification of asexuality in LCSH.”
There is so much to explore when it comes to the ethics of naming practices and queer identities. I hope you have enjoyed this dive into a portion of queer library work, and that this pride month finds you well.
Non-Scholarly Resources
https://homosaurus.org/ The Homosaurus
https://queermetadatacollective.org/ The Queer Metadata Collective
https://guides.library.ubc.ca/2SLGBTQIAplus-archives/finding-materials Guide to searching for 2SLGBTQIA+ materials at UBC libraries
Breidenbaugh, M. (2023, April 20). Queering the Library: Naming the Subject Is an Act of Power. Dialogues: Blog of the American Studies Journal. https://amsj.blog/2023/04/20/queering-the-library-naming-the-subject-is-an-act-of-power/
Wills, M. (2022, October 14). Out of the Card Catalog Closet. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/out-of-the-card-catalog-closet/
Scholarly Resources
Drabinski, E. (2013). Queering the catalog: Queer theory and the politics of correction. The Library Quarterly (Chicago), 83(2), 94-111. https://doi.org/10.1086/669547
Martin, J. M. (2021). Records, responsibility, and power: An overview of cataloging ethics. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 59(2–3), 281–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639374.2020.1871458
McAuliffe, B. (2021). Queer identities, queer content and library classification: Is ‘queering the catalogue’ the answer? Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 70(2), 213–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2021.1915618
Watson, B. M. (2020). “There was sex but no sexuality*:” Critical cataloging and the classification of asexuality in LCSH. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 58(6), 547–565. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639374.2020.1796876
UBC Researchers
- Bri Watson (School of Information)
- Dr. Julia Bullard (School of Information)
- Dr. Devon Grayson (School of Population and Public Health)
- Dr. Avery Everhart (Department of Geography)
Digitization of the United Church Archives of Chinese and Japanese Canadian Communities in B.C. Project Complete
Pacific Mountain Regional Council Archives has completed its digitization of the United Church Archives of Chinese and Japanese Canadian Communities in B.C. This project allows for information-rich photographs and textual records associated with the early Chinese and Japanese Canadian communities in B.C. accessible to the general public.
The digitization of the United Church Archives of Chinese and Japanese Canadian Communities in B.C. was digitized with support from the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre through its BC History Digitization Program.
For more information about the 2023/2024 BC History Digitization Program Projects, click here.
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Lee’s family, [190-?]
Oriental Home and School fonds, item BCCA 2801.0032
Making Space for Neurodivergent Patrons at UBC Library Accessibility Initiatives Happening This Summer
Hi there! I’m Celia, the current EDI Student Librarian at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. Each month, I will be publishing a blog post about an EDI issue that is relevant to our community at UBC. I’m so excited to be sharing with you, and I hope you enjoy this first entry!
When you imagine accessible building design, what comes to mind? Do you think about elevators, ramps, and wide walkways that can accommodate mobility aids? What kinds of people do you think of as the target audience for accessibility initiatives?
If you’re like me, the idea of accessibility for neurodivergent people is a bit of a new one. I didn’t grow up incorporating neurodivergence into my conception of what constitutes disability. But just like physically disabled people, neurodivergent people need public spaces that are accessible to them and their needs.
There are a number of environmental factors that can make a space inaccessible for people with Autism, ADHD, PTSD, and other forms of neurodivergence. Bright lights and loud noise can prevent concentration and cause discomfort. A lack of available space to fidget, stretch, and stim can also inhibit productive work sessions. For more information, some key journal articles outline the most common access barriers that neurodivergent people face in public spaces: Black et al. (2022); Kleibrink et al. (2016); Roberson et al. (2022); Svaler (2024).
This issue is the subject of important work being carried out at UBC Libraries this summer. Librarians at Koerner Library and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre are considering changes that can be made to the physical library environment— changes that are guided by emerging research by and for the neurodivergent community.
I learned of Koerner Library’s initiative in February 2024, when librarians Elizabeth Cardoso Fernandes and Emma Cornelius visited my Progressive and Radical Information Work course. Emma and Elizabeth shared their goal to increase the accessibility of Koerner Library for neurodivergent patrons. By rearranging furniture, creating more bookable rooms, and creating a sensory map of the library, they hope to shape the space into one that is more aware of neurodivergent patrons’ needs. Their plan is low-budget and more casual than a formal working group, but it excited me. I was able to contribute by conducting an audit of Koerner spaces. This type of student participation and community discussion inspired me to continue taking action around library accessibility for neurodivergent people.
This summer, I am working with Emma Cornelius to gain an understanding of what UBC library patrons want and need from an accessibility initiative. As part of the Professional Experience program at the UBC iSchool, I plan to design and conduct a series of focus groups for neurodivergent UBC students to take part in. Focus group participants will share what works for them at the library and what doesn’t, and they will have the chance to provide direct input on what they would like to see changed. It is crucial that any accessibility initiative prioritize the wants and needs of the people it is meant to benefit. My goal is to obtain this information so that it may be used to guide decision-making throughout space revamps in the library.
I’m excited to add to the vault of research into libraries and neurodivergence. This is an emerging research area with relatively few publications, but since the 2010s, more and more people have begun to recognize it. Now is the time to research, publish, speak about, and change policies surrounding sensory environments in libraries, so that all of us can enjoy the space comfortably.
If you are a UBC student and consider yourself to be neurodivergent— no diagnostic paperwork required— don’t hesitate to get in touch with me to share your input. I’d love to have you be a part of a focus group, or to participate however works best for you.
Thanks for joining me for my first blog post! I hope you have found it valuable.
Check out the links I’ve curated below for further resources and information:
UBC researchers
- Elizabeth Cardoso Fernandes — Humanities and Social Services Librarian at Koerner Library
- Emma Cornelius — Learning Services Librarian at Chapman Learning Commons
- Celia Hagey (me!) — MLIS student conducting summer 2024 focus groups (contact: celia.hagey@ubc.ca with inquiries)
UBC resources:
- UBC Disability Affinity Group — an advocacy and support resource group for any disabled people associated with UBC
- Disabilities United Collective — an advocacy and support resource group for disabled students at UBC
- https://calendly.com/amssensoryroom2303/book?back=1&month=2024-05 link to book the AMS sensory room in the Nest
- Centre for Accessibility | Student Services The UBC Centre for Accessibility — resource for registering for academic accommodations and connecting with accessibility advisors
Scholarly sources available through the UBC Library:
Black, M. H., McGarry, S., Churchill, L., D’Arcy, E., Dalgleish, J., Nash, I., Jones, A., Tse, T. Y., Gibson, J., Bölte, S., & Girdler, S. (2022). Considerations of the built environment for autistic individuals: A review of the literature. Autism, 26(8), 1904–1915. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221102753
Kleibrink, K. G., Angela Bourne, Michelle Pearson, Mesha. (2016). Designing for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315856872
Roberson, C. A., Barefield, T., & Griffith, E. (2022). Students with disabilities and library services: Blending accommodation and universal design. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 48(4), 102531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102531
Svaler, T. B. (2024). On making libraries and museums more accessible for autistic people. IFLA Journal, 50(1), 42–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352231202516
Non-scholarly sources:
Poletto, C. (2023, February 17). Is Designing for Neurodiversity a Part of Your Practice Yet? Here’s Why It Should Be. Architectural Digest. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/is-designing-for-neurodiversity-a-part-of-your-practice
Slocombe, J. (n.d.). How to design spaces to better meet the needs of neurodivergent groups. Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. Retrieved May 16, 2024, from https://hdsunflower.com/us/insights/post/design-accessible-spaces