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
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).
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
Describing the new information landscape and its impact on libraries and archives, Ian Wilson examines the Canadian approach to history in the age of Wikipedia and Facebook, as well as the participatory nature of knowledge in the 21st century. Wilson also discusses the role of knowledge organizations, and outlines his vision for Canada’s digital strategy and the Canada Project. Finally, he discusses how digitization can help Canada succeed in the knowledge economy. Sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, this webcast took place on December 1, 2008 at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centres Victoria Learning Theatre.
Speaker Biography
Ian Wilson is a former chief Librarian and Archivist of Canada. Appointed in 2004, he had previously (as of July 1999) been National Archivist of Canada. With Roch Carrier, the then National Librarian, he developed and led the process to link the National Archive and National Library as a unified institution. His distinguished career has included archival and information management, university teaching and government service. In addition, he has published extensively on history, archives, heritage, and information management and has lectured both nationally and abroad. Wilson retired as head of LAC in April 2009.
UBC Library Resources
Wilson, I. E. (1995). Reflections on archival strategies. American Archivist,58(4), 414-428. [Link]
Wilson, I. E. (2012). “Peace, order and good government”: archives in society.Archival Science, 12(2), 235-244. [Link]
The Crossroads Conference helps bring people together. In our busy, hurried everyday lives, students and the leaders of society rarely have the opportunity to converse and work together.
For the first time, however, students from secondary schools across Metro Vancouver have the exclusive opportunity to cross paths with the social, environmental and economic leaders of Vancouver. Students will meet, converse and learn from these distinguished individuals, and understand how they can work together to bring positive change to Vancouver.
Students will participate in discussions led by members of the Honorary Board of Trustees, and they will get the chance to present their ideas and proposals during the conference.
The Crossroads Conference will be held on February 28, 2009 at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and the Hebb Theatre at the University of British Columbia. It is a one-day event that lasts from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. with lunch included for all delegates and volunteers. Registration begins in December 2009.
