Waterloo Library Journal Publishing Service (University of Waterloo, Canada)
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Environmental Context of Watermills in Medieval Sussex: Natural and Social Contexts
No full textAgriculturalists have taken advantage of the massive stores of nutrients found within these cereal grains and, while hunter–gatherers and nomads would harvest wild cereals with tough shells and standard nutritional packages, agricultural societies constructed technologies that ranged in sophistication from simple mortar–and–pestles and hand mills to complex windmills with rotating turrets and steam– and fuel–powered mills from the Industrial Revolution, all process increasing amounts of cereals to access the necessary nutrients found within.1 One mill, in particular, rose to prominence in the earlier medieval period as its prevalence, popularity, efficiency, and accessibility made it a popular technology in medieval Europe and Britain: the watermill. With its genesis dating back to around 200 BCE, the watermill has become a focus of study for scholars over the past century as its importance in economies and societies attracted the scholar’s attention.2 The research produced on the topic of the watermill evolved steadily throughout the past century, yet scholars primarily focus on the economic significance of the structure, while sidelining the environmental context and importance of these structures.
Projet de cartes à collectionner: voitures de transport en commun historiques de Hamilton
No full textHamilton Street Railway, the city of Hamilton, Ontario’s public transportation system, has a long history. The system was first run by horse-drawn cars, but was electrified in 1892 — around the same time that innovation surrounding electricity transmission came to Hamilton. It consisted of various routes around the city, including the “Belt Line,” which connected the east and west ends of the city. The system, along with four interurban lines that went to Burlington, Beamsville, Dundas, and Brantford, were eventually purchased by the utility company, Dominion Power and Transmission. The street railway lasted until 1951, when it was no longer financially responsible to maintain. The author turned images of street cars that were used by Dominion Power and Transmission into trading cards that can be printed, cut out, shared, and traded, with the hope that they will spark excitement for public transportation! The cards can be used as a tool to learn about the history of public transportation in Hamilton, and invite investigation into its future.  
The Risks and Potential of Large Language Models in Mental Health Care: A Critical Analysis through the Lens of Data Feminism
No full textChatGPT and other large language model (LLM) based chatbots have amassed millions of users in the past few years, prompting great interest in other LLM applications. In particular, there has been substantial research into the potential use of LLMs in mental health settings (Muetenda et al. 2025; Olawade et al. 2024). However, given that artificial intelligence (AI) has been found to demonstrate gender and racial biases (among other types) (Klein and D’Ignazio 2024), it is important to examine the ethical implications of such technologies. In this essay, I will examine the use of LLMs in therapeutic contexts through the lens of data feminism in AI (Klein and D’Ignazio 2024), a set of intersectional feminist principles introduced by Klein and D’Ignazio to challenge the power imbalances in data science and AI by exploring potential risks and offering suggestions to avoid them. It is important to note that the intersectional feminist lens is far from exhaustive; thus, future work should examine the use of LLMs in mental health care from other perspectives as well to prevent harm and ensure that the benefits of technological developments are spread equitably. I can easily imagine a future where LLMs are used to make mental health care more accessible and effective for everyone; I can just as easily imagine a future where they are weaponized to further subjugate disenfranchised communities. How do we steer towards the future we want? In this essay I hope to start exploring the answer to this question
Hearing Feminist Sex: Imaginative potential in the soundscape of audio erotica
No full textThis essay offers an in-depth exploration of audio erotica, specifically from the Quinn app, and its potential to shape new understandings and imaginations of feminist sex. The essay identifies three key elements that define the soundscape of feminist audio erotica: 1) its naturalistic modality (van Leeuwen 1999), which allows listeners to witness and engage with feminist sex; 2) the “grain of the voice” (Barthes 1977), which highlights the sensuality of consent-driven, communicative intimacy; and 3) a gendered reversal of visual and auditory frenzy which subverts our patriarchal sexual imagination that women’s sexuality is audible, while men’s is visual (Corbett and Kapsalis 1996). In mapping this soundscape the essay muses on the possibilities offered to listeners by attuning themselves to sexuality rooted in “pleasure, safety and [calmness]” (Larson 2019)
You are what you breathe: observing airborne carbon fiber particulates during FFF printing of PA6-CF filament
No full textCarbon fiber reinforced filaments are increasingly popular in Additive Manufacturing (AM) due to their enhanced mechanical properties compared to traditional materials like PETG, ABS, and Nylon. However, these materials present challenges, including proper drying requirements and potential fiber transfer to the skin during handling. In this study, microscopic examination of fingertips after handling PA6-CF parts revealed significant fiber transfer, raising concerns about airborne fiber dispersal during printing. This research aims to observe the dispersion of fibers from PA6-CF filament using a Bambu Lab X1C desktop Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) system. A custom apparatus with filter was developed to capture dispersed fibers during printing experiments. The used filters were then observed for fiber content to draw conclusions. Safety precautions are recommended along with a proposed alternative slicing method to minimize fiber transfer from final parts. This study contributes to a safer working environment for 3D printing enthusiasts and professionals by addressing potential health risks associated with airborne fiber dispersion
State of the Bulletin
No full textAuthor\u27s note
For those who were able to attend CARTO 2025 in Kingston, Ontario, you\u27ll have an idea of some of the work being done for the Bulletin at present. This is a recap and expansion of that work for those who couldn\u27t attend, and to add to the record. The discussion covered the past, present, and future considerations for the journal of our association, as well as its status as the preeminent journal of geospatial librarianship in Canada
Mapping Archival Architecture Records: Interdisciplinary Research and Approach with GIS Technologies
No full textThe Murphy Moore Collection comprises over 2000 architectural plans, drawings, and correspondence with individuals involved in John M. Moore\u27s work and the firm\u27s various iterations, as well as material from other London-based architects. The plans are primarily focused in London, Ontario, but expand across Southern Ontario and include illustrations of residential, industrial, commercial, and ecclesiastical buildings–some of which are still present. Traditionally kept as text-based metadata records, this catalogue was transformed using ArcGIS program Dashboards to create an interactive user interface that encourages active discovery. However, to connect these records to their geographical location, various archival research methods such as the use of city directories, fire insurance plans, maps, and historical photography were used to accurately display these records
5. Staying Fat: The Queer Futurity of Digital Fat Feminist Anti-Resolutions
No full textResisting contemporary gendered expectations of slenderness is challenging, with many fat women feeling out of sync with hegemonic body standards. Cultural size norms for women have trended increasingly thinner in the current “Ozempic era” (Oswald 2024), reviving Y2K thin body ideals for women (Grose 2022).
One notable site of protest is the wave of fat feminists online who have loudly rejected the cyclical New Year’s resolution mandate to perform a desire for weight loss. Expressing themselves in mediums from selfies to comics, many fat content creators like Mollie Cronin have begun proclaiming a future-focused anti-resolution: they are “Staying Fat In [Year]”. This serves as a visible “coming out” (Sedgwick and Moon 1993) and a meaningful counter to pro-diet content that often overwhelms social media algorithms at year’s end. We use Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis (Brock 2020) to situate how these creators’ interventions use Instagram to intervene in capitalist diet rhetoric on social media.
We draw on theorizations of fat temporality to argue that by rejecting size-based standards for heteronormative desirability, these creators queer “straight time” (Muñoz 2009), which assumes that all women are pursuing a “straight” linear temporal trajectory toward straight sizes as they continually strive to be seen as heteronormatively attractive. Fat feminist strategies like anti-resolutions work “against progress” (Fox 2018) to embrace a fat temporality where alternative futurities for our diverse embodiments are not only possible but valid (Yingling 2016). By publicly choosing sustained fatness, feminists are using their digital presences to visibilize new queer horizons