1,720,982 research outputs found
The Summer I Learned to Fly by D. Reinhardt
No full textReinhardt, Dana. The Summer I Learned to Fly. New York: Ember, 2012. Print. The enthusiastic endorsement from Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, on the cover of The Summer I Learned to Fly was persuasive. I picked up this coming-of-age novel with high expectations and it did not disappoint. Reinhardt’s heroine, Drew Robin Solo, aka Birdie, doesn’t have many friends and spends most of her time hanging around her mother’s cheese shop. It is 1986, the summer before Birdie begins grade eight. One night after closing the cheese shop, Drew meets a mysterious young man named Emmett Crane who eats the day-old bread and leftover cheese that Drew puts in the garbage. Drew learns the true meaning of friendship as she finds out who Emmett is, why he is there, and the sacrifices she is willing to make on his behalf. Over the course of the summer, Drew’s friendship with Emmett and his eclectic group of friends develops and when tragedy strikes, Drew must also cope with changing relationships with her Mom and her co-worker and surfer dude, Nick. Reinhardt’s characters, both teen and adult, are flawed, fully drawn, and gloriously human. Drew’s emotional progression throughout the novel is encapsulated in a quiet and profound way: “I didn’t want to be the sort of friend who dashes dreams. Friends, I was pretty sure, lift their friends up; they don’t weigh them down like a sack full of stones.” The Summer I Learned to Fly is a heart-warming and worthy reminder of the choice we all have: to weigh each other down, or to lift each other up. It is highly recommended for a broad audience, but for young girls this book will particularly resonate. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Tami Oliphant Tami Oliphant is an assistant professor at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta
Who Do I See? by S. Yoon
No full textYoon, Salina. Who Do I See? New York: Random House, 2011. Print. Identifying five adorable animals and remembering five eye-catching colours are the challenges for toddlers and preschool children in Yoon’s book, Who Do I See?. The colourful illustrations are simple two dimensional cartoon drawings of familiar creatures including a fish, a tiger, a turtle, a ladybug, and a parrot. The illustrations of the animals are framed, and partially hidden, by cleverly placed cut out windows. The cut out windows allow readers to feel the shiny foil on the animal illustration such as scales on a fish, and, because the rest of the animal is hidden until the reader flips the page, children can try identifying the animal by thinking about common animal colours and shapes such as the black spots and red wings found on a ladybug. The text does not rhyme but playful repetition of the question and of the typical colours found on these animals will keep children engaged. The thick cardboard pages ensure that the book is not easily damaged. This interactive, guessing-game book will assist children in learning about different animals and different colours. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Tami Oliphant Tami works as a research librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries and for the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. She earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta and her doctorate from the University of Western Ontario. She has worked in academic libraries, public libraries, communications and planning, and as a sessional lecturer and researcher at the University of Alberta and the University of Western Ontario.
Better Together by Sh. & S. Shapiro
No full textShapiro, Sheryl, and Simon Shapiro. Better Together. Illus. Dušan Petričić. Toronto: Annick Press, 2011. Print. This concept book is infused with a cheerful, slightly mischievous spirit as the authors and illustrator explore a wide variety of, and a broad notion of, mixes. Kids might be familiar with many of the mixes—mixing cinnamon and sugar to spread on toast, mixing water and dirt to create mud, mixing blue and yellow to make green or mixing water and flour to create glue. Other mixes are more abstract—mixing up each team member’s different skills to make a great soccer team or mixing up musical instruments to make raucous music. Each mix is explained by a playful, rhyming poem that is easy-to-read and delightful to read aloud. The writers themselves decided to mix things up—the book is this husband-and-wife’s first collaborative effort and their obvious pleasure in wordplay is apparent. For example, the first poem, which explains what mixes are, contains the line “You stir and squoosh them, squish and moosh them” to create a brand new thing. The lively text is supported by the equally zippy illustrations. The first illustration is a highlight as Petričić shows how mixing the separate ingredients of ideas, paper, and drawings can produce a wonderful new thing: a picture book. The mix of vivid illustrations and energetic text has created a fun book that both kids and parents will enjoy. The book is recommended for children ages 4-7. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Tami Oliphant Tami works as a research librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries and for the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. She earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta and her doctorate from the University of Western Ontario. She has worked in academic libraries, public libraries, communications and planning, and as a sessional lecturer and researcher at the University of Alberta and the University of Western Ontario.
Examining patron-perpetrated sexual harassment (PPSH) policy and practice in public libraries
No full textSSHRC IG awarded 2024: Drawing on our previous nation-wide surveys on: (1) the PPSH experiences of library workers; and (2) the composition of PPSH related policies and training in Canadian libraries, this new project examines how public libraries can meaningfully address PPSH, a complex problem of gender-based violence that is often minimized by library institutions, the scholarly field of Library and Information Studies (LIS), and LIS education. This research is situated broadly within feminist anti-violence frameworks that make visible and interrogate the feminized and raced nature of library work and its implications and violent consequences. Grounding our work in the firsthand experiences of library workers, we privilege their experiences and perceptions of PPSH over those of the patron, workplace, or profession. This work contributes to the growing body of interdisciplinary research on sexual harassment and front-line workplaces, adding a further site of analysis to examine how gender-based violence manifests in the public sphere. It also contributes to a growing body of work within LIS theorizing ntersectionality within the context of a feminized profession. It informs the roles and responsibilities of LIS educators, preparing current MLIS students for the realities of working in libraries
The Hangman in the Mirror by K. Cayley
No full textCayley, Kate. The Hangman in the Mirror. Toronto, ON: Annick Press, 2011. Print. The Hangman in the Mirror is a fictionalized biography recounting the strange case of Françoise Laurent. The plot might rightly be criticized as ludicrous or fantastical if it were not based on fact. In 1751, a young woman living in New France, Françoise Laurent is sentenced to hang for stealing a pair of gloves from her aristocratic mistress. Other than letters of annulment, a pardon, or remission (none of which were forthcoming in Françoise’s case), the only way a woman could avoid the noose was to marry the hangman. At the time of Françoise’s sentence, the position of hangman was vacant. Conveniently, Françoise’s neighbour in prison, Jean Corolère, is single and serving a sentence for duelling. In August 1751, Jean Corolère petitions to be released from prison to serve as hangman. His petition is accepted and he becomes both the hangman and husband to Françoise, saving her from the gallows. Out of these bare facts, author Cayley has fictionalized Françoise’s life story and has provided a believable, detailed, and compelling portrait of Montreal in the mid-18th century. Life is not easy and it is understandable that the characters who populate the pages of The Hangman are tough and hard. While Françoise was “driven by desperation and unimaginable hardship,” it is difficult to root for Françoise because she is portrayed as proud, mean-spirited, and selfish. Ultimately, Jean, not Françoise, is the hero of the story. Our understanding of Françoise Laurent’s life and motivations for her crime and her relationship with Jean is incomplete. The author is commended for bringing this intriguing tale into public consciousness and the novel is recommended especially for providing a fascinating glimpse into Canadian history. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Tami OliphantTami Oliphant is an assistant professor at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by S. Nielsen
No full textNielsen, Susin. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2012. Print. Susin Nielsen is the acclaimed author of Word Nerd and Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mother. She has won several writing awards and has consistently created compelling, charismatic, and fully drawn characters. In her new novel, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, Nielsen explores dark and uncomfortable themes such as mental illness, bullying, violence, tolerating differences, and the quiet desperation felt by those who must refashion their lives after a tragedy. For readers concerned that the novel will break their heart, it does. And then it fills that broken heart with joy. Through his affecting journal entries, readers come to know 13-year-old Henry K. Larsen. His therapist recommends that he write about his thoughts and feelings in the aftermath of “IT”—hence the ‘reluctant’ diary. However, Henry’s diary entries are laugh out loud funny on one page and provoke tears on the next. Henry has an extraordinary voice that is unlike any other narrator. He is angry, confused, saddened, shamed, and lost after “IT” happened. He has moved with his father to Vancouver to try to piece together a new life but in reality, his family barely manages to make it through the day. Henry is leery of other people, pushes them away, and he cannot find a place for himself or make sense of his emotions after “IT.” The last thing that Henry anticipates is that he will open up to anyone about “IT”—not to his wonderful new friends Farley and Alberta, to his therapist, or to his two new neighbours. However, incidents at school and at home force Henry to talk about Jesse and the “IT” that changed everyone’s lives forever. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen is a quick and deeply satisfying read. This book is required reading. Despite the darker themes, the emotional payoff is not only gratifying, but inspiring. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Tami OliphantTami Oliphant works as a research librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries and for the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. She earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta and her doctorate from the University of Western Ontario. She has worked in academic libraries, public libraries, communications and planning, and as a sessional lecturer and researcher at the University of Alberta and the University of Western Ontario
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Noodle & Lou by L. G. Scanlon
No full textoai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/10828Scanlon, Liz G. Noodle & Lou. Illus. Arthur Howard. New York: Beach Lane Books, 2011. Print. In an unlikely animal pairing, Noodle, an earthworm who is having a bad day, turns to his buddy Lou, a perky blue jay, to cheer him up. While Noodle confides his feelings of envy about other worms living it up at Wiggly Field and catalogues all of his reasons for self-loathing, Lou counters with loyal support until finally Noodle cheers up. Lou’s patient, nurturing, and kind-hearted reassurance highlights the importance of friendship and self-acceptance. There are moments of entertaining weirdness in the book like when Noodle reasonably complains “My head has no eyes” but at times the text is clichéd and seems forced to fit into the rhyming scheme. The book does not stray from the author’s purposive, straightforward storyline and lessons—developing self-esteem, supporting friends, and appreciating who you are. Kids will pay attention to the thick-lined, colourful drawings and try to spot other bugs and birds found in the illustrations. The illustrations get progressively brighter and more detailed as Noodle’s mood brightens. Noodle is drawn as a ball-cap wearing, charming worm who expresses a surprising range of emotions through body language and his mouth. Noodle & Lou is an old-fashioned story about the importance of friendship. It is aimed at children ages 4-6. Recommended with reservations: 2 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Tami Oliphan
The Self and Others: Revisiting Information Needs and Libraries as Public, Social Institutions in a Post-truth World
No full textThe post-truth era and the increasing ease with which fake news is disseminated and consumed is a wicked problem that invites re-examination of the media environment, algorithmic authority, library and information science (LIS) professional practice, and what people bring to information interactions in terms of cognitive biases and worldviews. Fake news has social consequences such as undermining civic discourse and democracy, and inciting hatred. Consequently, the role of libraries as public, social institutions embedded in democratic societies and the relational aspects of information needs are important to consider. An alternative framework, the decent society, a society in which its attendant social institutions do not humiliate, is explored. An example from the Toronto Public Library (TPL) is used to illustrate the ways in which a social institution can uphold the principle of non-humiliation in an increasingly politicized world
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