勛圖惇蹋 Libraries / en 勛圖惇蹋 experts solve mystery of century-old flower mailed by First World War soldier /news/u-t-experts-solve-mystery-century-old-flower-mailed-first-world-war-soldier <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">勛圖惇蹋 experts solve mystery of century-old flower mailed by First World War soldier</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-11/Sommes-flower-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=DpD644va 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-11/Sommes-flower-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=OgT4KFLf 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-11/Sommes-flower-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=GehbgA-1 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-11/Sommes-flower-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=DpD644va" alt="close up of the letter with flower pressed into page"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-11-08T10:48:39-05:00" title="Friday, November 8, 2024 - 10:48" class="datetime">Fri, 11/08/2024 - 10:48</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>The letter and flower, mailed by Harold Wrong to his brother in 1916, were donated to the University of Toronto Archives in the 1960s (courtesy 勛圖惇蹋 Libraries)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-archives" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Archives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/first-world-war" hreflang="en">First World War</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/remembrance-day" hreflang="en">Remembrance Day</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thomas-fisher-rare-book-library" hreflang="en">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The flower was pressed inside a letter sent by 勛圖惇蹋 graduate Harold Wrong a day before the Battle of the Somme</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Harold Wrong</strong> was a First World War soldier who sent one last letter to his brother Murray on June 30, 1916. It contained a single pressed flower and one line: "All well with me."</p> <p>The next day marked the Battle of the Somme and Wrong, who had graduated from University College just three years earlier, was never seen alive again.</p> <p>The letter and flower were <a href="/news/heartbreaking-letters-triumphant-trophies-12-objects-tell-story-u-t-during-great-war">donated to the University of Toronto Archives</a> and the identity of the flower has been a mystery <a href="/news/heartbreaking-letters-triumphant-trophies-12-objects-tell-story-u-t-during-great-war">until now</a>.</p> <p>Using new and emerging technologies and working with botanists and scholars beyond the university, 勛圖惇蹋 librarians, archivists and researchers from 勛圖惇蹋 Mississaugas Old Books, New Science lab have solved the mystery of the 108-year-old Somme flower.</p> <p>In academia, were always curious and we always want to know things, says&nbsp;<strong>Loryl MacDonald</strong>, associate chief librarian for special collections and director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. And to think that a pressed flower like that is 108 years old and survived that long! The fact that the family had preserved the flower for so long is very touching.</p> <p>To those who ask why the type of flower matters,&nbsp;<strong>Jessica Lockhart</strong>, head of research at the <a href="https://oldbooksnewscience.com/">Old Books New Science</a> lab says, Well, if you know the flower, you know more about Harold. You understand why he found it beautiful and why he wanted to share it.</p> <p>And thats an important detail that tells us so much more about his final message.</p> <h3><a href="https://library.utoronto.ca/news/plucked-blackened-ground-solving-108-year-old-mystery-somme-flower">Read the complete story of the Somme Flower at 勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:48:39 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 310524 at Learn long and prosper: 勛圖惇蹋s Fisher Librarybecomes eternal archive on Star Trek: Discovery /news/learn-long-and-prosper-u-t-s-fisher-library-becomes-eternal-archive-star-trek-discovery <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Learn long and prosper: 勛圖惇蹋s Fisher Library&nbsp;becomes eternal archive on Star Trek: Discovery</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-05/ZkWH1yol0Zci9L4C_DISCO_508_MGG_1006_16097-1_RT1-crop.jpg?h=713684b1&amp;itok=X8xQxGVD 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-05/ZkWH1yol0Zci9L4C_DISCO_508_MGG_1006_16097-1_RT1-crop.jpg?h=713684b1&amp;itok=WM2EpPVK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-05/ZkWH1yol0Zci9L4C_DISCO_508_MGG_1006_16097-1_RT1-crop.jpg?h=713684b1&amp;itok=jLxSE4IR 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-05/ZkWH1yol0Zci9L4C_DISCO_508_MGG_1006_16097-1_RT1-crop.jpg?h=713684b1&amp;itok=X8xQxGVD" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-05-17T16:51:35-04:00" title="Friday, May 17, 2024 - 16:51" class="datetime">Fri, 05/17/2024 - 16:51</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Hy'Rell (Elena Juatco) leads Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Book (David Ajala) through the Eternal Archive and Gallery in an episode of Star Trek: Discovery that was filmed in 勛圖惇蹋's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library&nbsp;(photo by&nbsp;Marni Grossman/Paramount+)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/culture-and-media" hreflang="en">Culture and Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/film" hreflang="en">Film</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thomas-fisher-rare-book-library" hreflang="en">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library was chosen as a filming location for the latest episode of the sci-fi series because of its unique architecture and "commitment to preservation and the pursuit of knowledge"</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The team behind&nbsp;<em>Star Trek: Discovery</em>&nbsp;didnt have to venture too far into the final frontier to find the perfect venue for a boundless library containing all the knowledge of the universe.</p> <p>The University of Torontos <a href="https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a> stars as a complete repository of cosmic wisdom in the latest episode of the sci-fi series, titled Labyrinths, which premiered this week and&nbsp;is <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/ca/shows/video/cRjV3zTvR_XCNmce6PeX_7Y1AGwQ9T1c/" target="_blank">available to&nbsp;stream on Paramount Plus</a>.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_250_width_/public/2024-05/UofT5193_20140610_Robarts_DoorsOpen_007-lpr.jpg?itok=wXbiBLse" width="250" height="167" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-250-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (photo by 勛圖惇蹋 Communications)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>With its tiered stacks of timeless tomes, the Fisher library a brutalist architectural marvel serves as more than a retro-futuristic TV setting, says&nbsp;<strong>Michael Cassabon</strong>,&nbsp;director of advancement at 勛圖惇蹋 Libraries.&nbsp;</p> <p>I think the university is trying to imagine an ideal future and bring it into the present whether its working on inclusion, diversity and equity, or science and exploration, he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>The&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>&nbsp;future represents a lot of what were trying to materialize.</p> <p>A self-proclaimed Trekkie, Cassabon says he had to set his fandom&nbsp;aside when reviewing the request to bring the USS Discovery to Fisher Library, which holds about 800,000 volumes and 5,000 linear metres of manuscripts.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-05/ZkGsf0FLKBtrWzYV_STDiscovery_508_MGG_1004_15226-1_RT1-crop.jpg?itok=xtPlxfas" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2792296/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1">Sonequa Martin-Green</a>&nbsp;as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery (photo by&nbsp;Marni Grossman/Paramount+)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The Toronto-based production <a href="/news/star-trek-transforms-u-t-building-futuristic-space-school">has&nbsp;previously filmed at various 勛圖惇蹋 locations</a>. However, camera crews rarely gain access to Fisher Librarys valuable stacks and a shoot of this scale was unprecedented, Cassabon says.</p> <p>The deciding factor? The pivotal role Fisher Library would play in the run-up to the series finale,&nbsp;offering the galaxy a glimpse of the rich trove of knowledge preserved within its walls.</p> <p>It was exciting that Fisher Library wouldnt just be a backdrop, Cassabon says. It was like the library itself was a character a very important character in the story.</p> <p>The Fisher Library is a national treasure, and we thought this was a really good way of making it known to a lot of folks out there.</p> <p>The fifth and final season of&nbsp;<em>Star Trek: Discovery</em>&nbsp;sends the crew on an interstellar scavenger hunt to uncover a hidden ancient power. The final clue lies in the eternal archive, an infinite library safeguarding the secrets of the universe.</p> <p>As soon as&nbsp;<em>Star Trek: Discovery</em>&nbsp;location manager&nbsp;<strong>Melissa Warry-Smith</strong>&nbsp;read the site description, she says only one place came to mind.</p> <p>Not only does [Fisher Library] look like it is from the future and could in fact have been plucked directly from the&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>&nbsp;universe, but the librarys commitment to preservation and the pursuit of knowledge is intrinsic to the core values of&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>, Warry-Smith says.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-05/903362f1-c4ed-4217-859f-0f53fa265462-crop.jpg?itok=6BmY-iVa" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Larry Alford, right, university chief librarian, observes filming from a director's chair (photo by Michael Cassabon)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The library is a stunning example of what we can achieve when we care deeply about preserving and sharing knowledge, and commit to coming together to use that knowledge for a shared vision of a better future for all and what could be more <em>Star&nbsp;Trek</em>&nbsp;than that?</p> <p>This respect for the preservation of knowledge shaped the production teams approach to shooting the scenes, says Cassabon.</p> <p>Filming took place overnight to minimize disruption to readers and researchers. The crew worked with Fishers librarians and archivists to implement strict protocols to protect its precious collections, including using heat-free lighting to prevent damage to delicate materials.</p> <p>Cassabon and&nbsp;<strong>Larry Alford</strong>, university chief librarian at 勛圖惇蹋 Libraries, were on set for part of the shoot.&nbsp;</p> <p>For Cassabon, meeting the shows cast and crew was a fanboy moment.</p> <p>It was super surreal for me, he says. These are my childhood heroes.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-05/DISCO_508_MGG_1004_15713-1_RT1-crop.jpg?itok=f0Rb_w5n" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Filming took place overnight to minimize disruption to readers and researchers`(photo by&nbsp;Marni Grossman/Paramount+)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Cassabon adds that many researchers, professors and students have drawn inspiration from&nbsp;<em>Star Trek&nbsp;</em>as they look to tackle some of the greatest challenges in the world &nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-alum-helps-prepare-canadarm3-lunar-orbit">and beyond</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Many of the shows themes are reflected on campus, he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>For example, the episodes search through the eternal archive echoes the work of <a href="/news/hidden-stories-project-u-t-researchers-lead-international-collaboration-centuries-old-books">a&nbsp;勛圖惇蹋-led international research collaboration</a>&nbsp;thats using new techniques to unearth long-hidden stories lurking within Fisher Library and other collections, Cassabon says. And he notes that&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>&nbsp;has a nearly six-decade history of breaking new TV ground when it comes diverse representation and inclusivity another one of the universitys core values.</p> <p>So much of&nbsp;<em>Star Trek</em>&nbsp;is imaging a world where the things that label and divide us have faded away, Cassabon says. The university is all about trying to create a more inclusive and just world. Its all about working together in harmony toward progress.</p> <p>Both 勛圖惇蹋 and Fisher Library are credited in Labyrinths, which is dedicated&nbsp;to librarians everywhere, dedicated to the preservation of artifacts, knowledge, and truth.</p> <div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-oembed-video field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"><iframe src="/media/oembed?url=https%3A//youtu.be/35qwht19q_0%3Fsi%3DhZVJin5jvlnBLwGU%26t%3D382&amp;max_width=0&amp;max_height=0&amp;hash=c6_ScsKXHAhca6dULdrK_uI2wxW-QydKMvrp6avIYNs" width="200" height="113" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="David Ajala Enters The Ready Room | StarTrek.com"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Fri, 17 May 2024 20:51:35 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 307874 at In photos: Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library marks 15 years as a 'hub for academic exploration /news/photos-richard-charles-lee-canada-hong-kong-library-marks-15-years-hub-academic-exploration <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">In photos: Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library marks 15 years as a 'hub for academic exploration</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-1095-crop.jpg?h=68324b01&amp;itok=U0EADMHI 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-1095-crop.jpg?h=68324b01&amp;itok=UvygJ7Oi 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-1095-crop.jpg?h=68324b01&amp;itok=r7VpL-l2 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-1095-crop.jpg?h=68324b01&amp;itok=U0EADMHI" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-28T10:42:59-04:00" title="Thursday, March 28, 2024 - 10:42" class="datetime">Thu, 03/28/2024 - 10:42</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><meta charset="UTF-8"></p> <p><em>Vivienne Poy, former senator and former 勛圖惇蹋 chancellor, cuts a cake celebrating the 15<sup>th &nbsp;</sup>anniversary of &nbsp;勛圖惇蹋s&nbsp;Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library (photo by&nbsp;Paul Terefenko)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/u-t-libraries-staff" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utogether" hreflang="en">UTogether</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Torontos&nbsp;<a href="https://hongkong.library.utoronto.ca/">Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library</a>&nbsp;celebrated its 15th anniversary this week as a hub for academic exploration and cultural dialogue.</p> <p>The library houses the largest research collection dedicated to Hong Kong and Canada-Hong Kong studies outside of Hong Kong itself and plays an important role in enriching knowledge and understanding about Hong Kong and its connections with Canada.</p> <p>It is named after&nbsp;<strong>Richard Charles Lee</strong>, a prominent figure in Hong Kong and father of&nbsp;<strong>Vivienne Poy</strong>, a former senator and former 勛圖惇蹋 chancellor who played a crucial role in promoting cultural exchange between Canada and Hong Kong.</p> <p><strong>Larry Alford</strong>, 勛圖惇蹋s university chief librarian, spoke about the library's influence on the community at a reception and open house event.&nbsp;</p> <p>From its inception, this library was envisioned not just as a repository of knowledge but as a catalyst for academic exchange and cultural dialogue, he said, noting that the library leverages Torontos unique cultural diversity and plays a pivotal role in nurturing relationships with international students, scholars and researchers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Given Toronto's substantial Hong Kong diaspora, the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library stands as a vital hub for academic exploration. It attracts not just members of the diaspora but also a wider audience from across the metropolitan area, Canada and the world.</p> <p>Alford was joined at the event by<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Poy, who talked about the library's rich history and humble beginnings, and Toronto Mayor&nbsp;<strong>Olivia Chow</strong>, who shared her perspectives on the library's impact on the city and emphasized its significance within the community.&nbsp;</p> <p>The event also included a Faculty of Music clarinetists performance of three iconic Hong Kong songs and a poetry recital by representatives of the University of Toronto Cantonese Debate Group.&nbsp;</p> <p>Photographer&nbsp;<strong>Paul Terefenko</strong>&nbsp;was there to capture the event.&nbsp;</p> <hr> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-0948-crop_0.jpg?itok=DFkXZLll" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Maria Lau&nbsp;(photo by&nbsp;Paul Terefenko)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Maria Lau</strong>, director of the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library&nbsp;addresses attendees at the reception.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-0835-crop_0.jpg?itok=mn_MY_aw" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by&nbsp;Paul Terefenko)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Vivienne Poy</strong>, former senator and former 勛圖惇蹋 chancellor, spoke about the rich history and humble beginnings of the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-0784-crop.jpg?itok=azltbULu" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by&nbsp;Paul Terefenko)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Mayor <strong>Olivia Chow</strong>&nbsp;emphasized the significance of the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library, highlighting its impact not only on university students and Toronto residents, but also on a global scale. She also noted its pivotal role in preserving history and digitally archiving significant items, particularly those of importance to Hong Kong.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-1046-crop.jpg?itok=8oNCxsn8" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by&nbsp;Paul Terefenko)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Clarinetist<strong> Jasmine Chan</strong>&nbsp;of the Faculty of Music performs for attendees at the event.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-1161-crop.jpg?itok=rYK18fcL" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>&nbsp;(photo by&nbsp;Paul Terefenko)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Vivienne Poy</strong>, right,&nbsp;and <strong>Neville Poy</strong> meet with event attendees.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/Richard-Charles-Lee-30-0254-crop.jpg?itok=ENwwcns8" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption>(<em>photo by&nbsp;Paul Terefenko)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>From left to right:&nbsp;<strong>Maria Lau</strong>, <strong>Vivienne Poy</strong>, <strong>Olivia Chow</strong> and <strong>Larry Alford</strong>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:42:59 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 307093 at 勛圖惇蹋s Black History Month Luncheon to mark 22 years of celebrating Black excellence /news/u-t-s-black-history-month-luncheon-mark-22-years-celebrating-black-excellence <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">勛圖惇蹋s Black History Month Luncheon to mark 22 years of celebrating Black excellence</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-02/grid-6.jpg?h=0d2c82db&amp;itok=_X5k_B3c 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-02/grid-6.jpg?h=0d2c82db&amp;itok=0JiPdLxE 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-02/grid-6.jpg?h=0d2c82db&amp;itok=Fd68Ixbm 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-02/grid-6.jpg?h=0d2c82db&amp;itok=_X5k_B3c" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>mattimar</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-02-01T15:19:27-05:00" title="Thursday, February 1, 2024 - 15:19" class="datetime">Thu, 02/01/2024 - 15:19</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>The 22nd edition of the Black History Month Luncheon, to be held at Hart House on Feb. 28, will feature former governor general Micha禱lle Jean, top row, middle,&nbsp;as the keynote speaker (photo of&nbsp;Micha禱lle Jean by Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty, others by Johnny Guatto and Mariam Matti)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/mariam-matti" hreflang="en">Mariam Matti</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-history-month-luncheon" hreflang="en">Black History Month Luncheon</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-history-month" hreflang="en">Black History Month</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/division-university-advancement" hreflang="en">Division of University Advancement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The luncheon is one of many events taking place across 勛圖惇蹋s three campuses during Black History Month</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Over the past two decades, the University of Torontos annual <a href="https://harthouse.ca/events/annual-black-history-month-luncheon/">Black History Month Luncheon</a> has grown in popularity and significance across 勛圖惇蹋s three campuses and beyond.</p> <p><strong>Glen Boothe</strong>, <a href="/news/celebrating-black-culture-and-food-glen-boothe-origins-u-t-s-black-history-month-luncheon" target="_blank">the luncheons co-founder</a>, attributes the events ongoing success to a diversity for all approach that stems from an inspiring mix of Black culture, history and, of course, delicious food.</p> <p>It gets bigger every year, and its heartening to see because thats an indication that the message is resonating with more people, says Boothe, who works for 勛圖惇蹋s division of advancement.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-02/GettyImages-461041080-crop.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em><strong>Micha禱lle Jean</strong> (photo by Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>This years luncheon the 22nd edition of the event will be held inside the Great Hall at Hart House on Feb. 28 and will feature keynote speaker <strong>Micha禱lle Jean</strong>, the former governor general of Canada. She will be joined by spoken-word poet &nbsp;and Ontarios first poet laureate <strong>Randell Adjei</strong>.</p> <p>Boothe encourages those who cannot attend in-person to organize a viewing party and watch the livestream of the luncheon, which will be <a href="https://secureca.imodules.com/s/731/form-blank/index.aspx?sid=731&amp;gid=1&amp;pgid=22078&amp;cid=36337" target="_blank">emailed to individuals who register for the event</a>.</p> <p>The luncheon will also have a separate program <a href="https://secureca.imodules.com/s/731/form-blank/index.aspx?sid=731&amp;gid=1&amp;pgid=22087&amp;cid=36349" target="_blank">and livestream</a> for students from high schools across Greater Toronto. They will be joined by <strong>Dalton Higgins</strong>, an author and journalist, <strong>Esie Mensah</strong>, a choreographer who has worked with Drake and Rihanna,<strong> Aiza</strong>, a singer and songwriter, <strong>Brandon Gonez</strong>, the CEO of Gonez Media, and <strong>Stacey McKenzie</strong>, a model and motivational speaker.</p> <p>We like to showcase the idea of Black excellence, especially to the high school students, to say to them, This is what you can aspire to, Boothe says.</p> <p>In 2022, 勛圖惇蹋 established the Black History Month Luncheon Award and committed to matching donations up to a total of $50,000. The award supports a Black undergraduate student in financial need. Air Canada is one of the sponsors of the event and has donated airline tickets for a raffle. The lunch is also sponsored by Coca-Cola and TD Bank.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1708172836-crop.jpg?itok=NIVjVPqQ" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em><strong>Randell Adjei&nbsp;</strong>(photo by Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The luncheon is one of many events across 勛圖惇蹋s three campuses that mark Black History Month.</p> <p>From workshops to events highlighting Black authors, 勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga <a href="https://black.utm.utoronto.ca/all-events/month/2024-02/" target="_blank">has a full program</a> of Black History Month events, including <a href="https://black.utm.utoronto.ca/event/black-history-month-welcome-ceremony/" target="_blank">a dinner and a welcome ceremony</a> on Feb. 2 in the Kaneff Centre rotunda.</p> <p>At 勛圖惇蹋 Scarborough, a <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/u-t-scarborough-celebrates-black-history-month-2024" target="_blank">tri-campus event called Our Stories</a> on Feb. 7 will elevate the voices of international students with a focus on Black History Month one of <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/u-t-scarborough-celebrates-black-history-month-2024" target="_blank">several events happening on the campus</a> in February.</p> <p>On the St. George campus, theres a wide array of Black History Month events and programming offered by faculties, departments and other campus organizations. Details can be found <a href="https://antiracism.utoronto.ca/black-history-month/" target="_blank">at the Anti-Racism &amp; Cultural Diversity Office</a>, <a href="https://harthouse.ca/black-futures" target="_blank">Hart House</a> and <a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSECbWkGowBmlBtzfgS7uhJqpUNU41UENEUEYxMEFLOU1QTkRFMTNNUEpSRi4u" target="_blank">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a>, among others. They include <a href="https://bhetoronto.my.canva.site/" target="_blank">a series of free events</a> organized by libraries at 勛圖惇蹋, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto Public Library and York University to improve coverage of Black histories on Wikipedia and Wikidata, and <a href="https://nsbehacksuoft.ca/#homepage" target="_blank">a student-run Black hackathon</a> organized by the 勛圖惇蹋 chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.</p> <p>As for the luncheon, Booth says he is thankful for the ongoing support.</p> <p>Initially this was an event within our community and now I feel everybodys support and excitement.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Thu, 01 Feb 2024 20:19:27 +0000 mattimar 305804 at 勛圖惇蹋 marks Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation /news/u-t-marks-orange-shirt-day-national-day-truth-and-reconciliation <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">勛圖惇蹋 marks Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-09/2023-09-29-National-Day-of-Truth-and-Reconciliation_Polina-Teif-4-crop.jpg?h=5f5aaf4c&amp;itok=t5HKcUCC 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-09/2023-09-29-National-Day-of-Truth-and-Reconciliation_Polina-Teif-4-crop.jpg?h=5f5aaf4c&amp;itok=Ij01P_iO 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-09/2023-09-29-National-Day-of-Truth-and-Reconciliation_Polina-Teif-4-crop.jpg?h=5f5aaf4c&amp;itok=gtT2Z8Wv 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-09/2023-09-29-National-Day-of-Truth-and-Reconciliation_Polina-Teif-4-crop.jpg?h=5f5aaf4c&amp;itok=t5HKcUCC" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-09-29T15:58:33-04:00" title="Friday, September 29, 2023 - 15:58" class="datetime">Fri, 09/29/2023 - 15:58</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Attendees wear orange shirts at a tri-campus event at Hart House ahead of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (photo by Polina Teif)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/national-day-truth-and-reconciliation" hreflang="en">National Day for Truth and Reconciliation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/orange-shirt-day" hreflang="en">Orange Shirt Day</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rose-patten" hreflang="en">Rose Patten</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/new-college" hreflang="en">New College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ontario-institute-studies-education" hreflang="en">Ontario Institute for Studies in Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Events took place across the three campuses in advance of Sept. 30</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto community came together to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by honouring survivors of Canadas residential school system, reflecting on its lasting impact on Indigenous communities and recommitting to reconciliation.</p> <p>Attendees packed the Great Hall at Hart House for a tri-campus event Friday, with hundreds more tuning into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_m8uft7oyk">a livestream</a> one of several events across the universitys three campuses in advance of Sept. 30.</p> <p>The Hart House event included a panel discussion on the <a href="https://irsssurvivors.library.utoronto.ca/">Indian Residential School Survivors Storybase</a>, a project at 勛圖惇蹋 Libraries that aims to make the stories of residential school survivors more accessible by compiling accounts from across the internet into a single searchable resource.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-09/2023-09-29-National-Day-of-Truth-and-Reconciliation_Polina-Teif-12-crop.jpg?itok=usSl7Hwx" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>From left: Angela Henshilwood, Desmond Wong, Mikayla Redden and Grant Hurley (photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Mikayla Redden</strong>, information services and instruction librarian at New College Library, says storytelling was instrumental in shedding light on the horrors of the residential school system and she hopes the storybase can be a tool to help address its ongoing harms.</p> <p>Stories are a huge part of the reason that we know the truth, the courage of residential school survivors in telling their stories for decades even in the face of disbelief and denial from the Canadian masses, Redden said.</p> <p>They're the reason we're here today. They are the reason for this day. They're the reason for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and everything that resulted from it.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-09/2J6A0878-crop.jpg?itok=a8r1ah_M" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>From left: Ayeza Ahmad, Alexandra Gillespie, David Kim and Rose Patten (photo by David Lee)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Redden, who is a mixed-race woman of Anishinaabe and Anglo settler heritage, says library staff met last year to discuss ways they could go beyond reading lists to amplify the voices of residential school survivors, their families and communities.</p> <p>They wanted the project to meet an educational need without taking from Indigenous Peoples by enlisting their labour or exacerbating intergenerational trauma, Redden said.</p> <p>Canadians of all ages, from all walks of life can access the storybase, and they can use these stories, to listen to more of the truth, and learn and unlearn, Redden said. Hopefully, they can take what they've learned, encourage others to do the same and turn the emotions that they are feeling into an action. And that's what reconciliation is, it's an action.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-09/2023-09-29-National-Day-of-Truth-and-Reconciliation_Polina-Teif-10-crop.jpg?itok=xZPPGciC" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>From left: Andrew Bomberry and John Croutch of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Redden was joined on the panel by <strong>Grant Hurley</strong>, Canadiana librarian at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, and <strong>Desmond Wong</strong>, outreach librarian at OISE Library, in a discussion moderated by <strong>Angela Henshilwood</strong>, head of the Engineering &amp; Computer Science Library.</p> <p><strong>David Kim</strong>, warden of Hart House, emceed Fridays commemoration, which also featured remarks by <strong>Alexandra Gillespie</strong>, 勛圖惇蹋 vice-president and principal of 勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga.</p> <p>Gillespie thanked 勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga student <strong>MJ Singleton</strong> for <a href="/news/anishinaabe-student-shares-inspiration-behind-u-t-s-2023-orange-shirt-day-design">designing the orange shirts worn by many at the event</a>, which shows a mother holding hands and walking forward with her two children beneath the words Every child matters.</p> <p>勛圖惇蹋 Chancellor <strong>Rose Patten</strong> described the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as one of the most important days in the life of our community and our country.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-09/pharmacy-Steve-Barratt-crop.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy building is lit up orange (photo by Steve Barratt)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>In so many ways, Canadians have only begun to take and show responsibility for this, Patten said at the event. And doing so requires an unfaltering commitment from all of us.</p> <p>After the event, First Nations House hosted a fire for Indigenous community members in the Earth Sciences Courtyard.</p> <p>Also on Friday, Professor <strong>Kisha Supernant</strong> of the University of Alberta <a href="https://indigenous.utoronto.ca/event/truth-first-indigenous-archaeology-as-restorative-justice/">gave a talk at New College</a> about her research using ground-penetrating radar to identify the sites of potential unmarked graves at former residential schools and her work with Indigenous communities to preserve the sites.</p> <p>Meanwhile, at 勛圖惇蹋 Scarborough Campus Farm, footage of the Indigenous Garden <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLiGDrW-hoo&amp;ab_channel=UTSCIITS">was livestreamed from sunrise to sunset</a>.</p> <p>Earlier in the week, Orange Shirt Beading Workshops were held at the St. George, 勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga and 勛圖惇蹋 Scarborough campuses.</p> <p>Flags will be lowered to half-mast across 勛圖惇蹋s three campuses on Sept. 29 ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is formally recognized across Canada on Sept. 30.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Members of the Indigenous 勛圖惇蹋 community in need of support can reach out to:</strong></p> <p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1581971225188/1581971250953">National Indian Residential School Crisis Line</a>&nbsp;(1-866-925-4419)</p> <p><strong>Students:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://mentalhealth.utoronto.ca/telus-health-student-support/">勛圖惇蹋 Telus Help Student Support</a> can be accessed 24-7.</p> <p>Other mental health resources, programs and supports are available through&nbsp;the <a href="https://mentalhealth.utoronto.ca/">student mental health resource</a> page.</p> <p><strong>Staff and faculty:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/employees/efap/">Employee and Family Assistance Program</a>&nbsp;(1-800-663-1142)</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Fri, 29 Sep 2023 19:58:33 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 303357 at Survivors' Flag raised on 勛圖惇蹋's three campuses /news/survivors-flag-raised-u-t-s-three-campuses <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Survivors' Flag raised on 勛圖惇蹋's three campuses</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-09/varsity-truth-and-reconciliation-3-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=igLzz-Qs 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-09/varsity-truth-and-reconciliation-3-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=VTtakZmu 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-09/varsity-truth-and-reconciliation-3-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Eq7BkJ9Q 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-09/varsity-truth-and-reconciliation-3-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=igLzz-Qs" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-09-25T09:23:39-04:00" title="Monday, September 25, 2023 - 09:23" class="datetime">Mon, 09/25/2023 - 09:23</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>The Survivors' Flag flies alongside the Varsity Blues and University of Toronto flags at Varsity Stadium on the St. George campus (photo by Jason Wang)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jelena-damjanovic" hreflang="en">Jelena Damjanovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/national-day-truth-and-reconciliation" hreflang="en">National Day for Truth and Reconciliation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/orange-shirt-day" hreflang="en">Orange Shirt Day</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/new-college" hreflang="en">New College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">勛圖惇蹋 will mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with an event in advance of Sept. 30</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As the University of Toronto community <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/event/2023-orange-shirt-day-and-national-truth-reconciliation-day/?utm_source=mailpoet&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=PWD09152023">prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation</a>,&nbsp;the Survivors Flag,&nbsp;which honours Indigenous lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada, has been raised on each of its three campuses.</p> <p>On the St. George campus, the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education (KPE), in partnership with First Nations House and the 勛圖惇蹋 Office of Indigenous Initiatives, raised the&nbsp;Survivors Flag&nbsp;at Varsity Stadium last week. It will be lowered to half-mast on&nbsp;Sept. 30 when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is formally recognized across&nbsp;Canada.&nbsp;<br> <br> Professor&nbsp;<strong>Gretchen Kerr</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education, said the flag is an important sign of support and solidarity with Indigenous communities.<br> <br> Public commemoration of the painful history of Canadas residential school system, whose tragic consequences continue to reverberate today, is a vital component of the reconciliation process, said Kerr. Its also a time for settlers to reflect on taking action to strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples and build a better future together.<br> <br> I take this opportunity to invite all students, staff and faculty members of KPE to attend Truth and Reconciliation events where their schedule permits and to spend some time reflecting on their own efforts towards reconciliation.<br> <br> 勛圖惇蹋 will commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation&nbsp;with a tri-campus event on Sept. 29 in the Great Hall at Hart House that can be <a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEFMYZuwr6ZdNiUgandypPBdUNVdBVkZTUk1PSTlRVlE1U1M5WjI5Nzc2WC4u">attended in person</a> or watched <a href="https://secureca.imodules.com/s/731/form-blank/index.aspx?sid=731&amp;gid=1&amp;pgid=21469&amp;cid=35507&amp;_gl=1*l0hges*_ga*MjExNzMxMjUyMy4xNjYzNzY0OTQy*_ga_YW6S0CZ9Q1*MTY5NDAyMTQ5MC4xNS4xLjE2OTQwMjUzMDIuMC4wLjA">via YouTube livestream</a>. It will feature remarks by&nbsp;<strong>Alexandra Gillespie</strong>, 勛圖惇蹋 vice-president and principal of 勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga, and 勛圖惇蹋 Chancellor <strong>Rose Patten</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Emceed by Hart House warden&nbsp;<strong>David Kim</strong>, the event includes a panel discussion on making residential school survivors' stories accessible at 勛圖惇蹋 libraries. The panel, moderated by <strong>Angela Henshilwood</strong>, head of the Engineering and Computer Science Library, features <strong>Grant Hurley</strong>, Canadiana librarian at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library,&nbsp;<a href="/news/improving-catalogues-and-collections-u-t-librarians-aim-be-respectful-indigenous-voices"><strong>Mikayla Redden</strong></a>, information services and Instruction librarian at New College Library, and&nbsp;<strong>Desmond Wong</strong>, outreach librarian, OISE Library.</p> <p>There is no way to quantify the trauma suffered by the victims and survivors of residential and day schools. Yet this trauma has been shared <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thenextchapter/full-episode-sept-26-2020-1.5736195/orange-shirt-day-creator-phyllis-webstad-reflects-on-inspiring-a-movement-1.5738490">as&nbsp;Phyllis Webstad&nbsp;did by recalling the childhood experience that gives Orange Shirt Day its name</a>,&nbsp;<strong>Kelly Hannah-Moffat</strong>, 勛圖惇蹋s vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture, <a href="http://people.utoronto.ca/memos/recognizing-orange-shirt-day-and-the-national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-2023/#:~:text=The%20University%20of%20Toronto%20will,raised%20on%20all%20three%20campuses">said&nbsp;in a statement</a>.</p> <p>I urge non-Indigenous members of the 勛圖惇蹋 community to seek out this and&nbsp;other survivors stories&nbsp;to gain greater knowledge, to foster deeper compassion, and to strengthen your resolve to engage in work that restores mutual respect and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:23:39 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 303234 at Margaret Atwood reveals shes writing a memoir: NBCs Today /news/margaret-atwood-reveals-she-s-writing-memoir-nbc-s-today <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Margaret Atwood reveals shes writing a memoir: NBCs Today</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/atwood-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=1_4sknOP 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/atwood-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=43JUOYoC 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/atwood-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MRLGl4uM 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/atwood-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=1_4sknOP" alt="Margaret Atwood being interviewed by Jenna Bush Hager"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-03-08T11:20:26-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 8, 2023 - 11:20" class="datetime">Wed, 03/08/2023 - 11:20</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(image courtesy of David Fernandez, Fisher Library)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/literature" hreflang="en">Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/margaret-atwood" hreflang="en">Margaret Atwood</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thomas-fisher-rare-book-library" hreflang="en">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/victoria-college" hreflang="en">Victoria College</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">Her bibliography includes&nbsp;more than 50 titles spanning fiction, poetry and essays, but author&nbsp;<b>Margaret Atwood</b> says shes tackling new terrain in her next book:&nbsp;her own story.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Atwood revealed on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/margaret-atwood-opens-up-on-life-legacy-and-a-new-book-164552773934">NBCs <i>Today</i> show</a> that shes working on a memoir&nbsp; a project shed previously denied any interest in tackling.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Thats the kind of thing you say in your youth, Atwood, 83, told host Jenna Bush Hager during&nbsp;an interview shot inside the University of Torontos Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. You say that when youre maybe 70.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Atwood&nbsp; who completed her bachelors degree at Victoria College and was a 勛圖惇蹋 writer-in-residence in 1972&nbsp;&nbsp;talked about her latest collection of short stories, <em>Old Babes in the Wood</em>, and leafed through selections from <a href="/news/handmaid-s-tale-margaret-atwood-s-handwritten-first-draft-u-t-s-fisher-library">her extensive archives</a> housed at Fisher, which may serve as a useful resource as Atwood turns her pen on herself.&nbsp;You cant just make stuff up, she says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Back in the studio, Bush Hager told her <i>Today </i>co-hosts she was excited to spend time with Atwood at her alma mater. 勛圖惇蹋 was where Margaret did her undergrad, so it was very cool to be back there with her, Bush Hager said, thanking Thomas Fisher for hosting the interview. They very rarely let people film there, but of course, when the queen of Canadian literature comes, they roll out the red carpet.</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><a href="https://www.today.com/video/margaret-atwood-opens-up-on-life-legacy-and-a-new-book-164552773934">Watch the <i>Today</i> Interview</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="media_embed" height="422px" width="750px"><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422px" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.today.com/today/embedded-video/mmvo164552773934" width="750px"></iframe></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 08 Mar 2023 16:20:26 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 180598 at That object has a story: Alexandra Gillespie on CBCs Metro Morning /news/object-has-story-alexandra-gillespie-cbc-s-metro-morning <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">That object has a story: Alexandra Gillespie on CBCs Metro Morning</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT89376_0302SilkRoadsBookProject030-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MqeSRti7 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT89376_0302SilkRoadsBookProject030-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=z5W0CL51 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT89376_0302SilkRoadsBookProject030-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=VKrdBwMj 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT89376_0302SilkRoadsBookProject030-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MqeSRti7" alt="Alexandra Gillespie looks at one of the ancient books being studied"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-12-09T15:37:23-05:00" title="Friday, December 9, 2022 - 15:37" class="datetime">Fri, 12/09/2022 - 15:37</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Professor Alexandra Gillespie heads the Old Books New Science Lab at University of Toronto Mississauga (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alexandra-gillespie" hreflang="en">Alexandra Gillespie</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cbc" hreflang="en">CBC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-and-innovation" hreflang="en">Research and Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thomas-fisher-rare-book-library" hreflang="en">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>At first glance, the dusty and worn pages of an old book from centuries ago might not seem to reveal more than their written content. But a closer look unlocks a treasure trove of knowledge, Professor <strong>Alexandra Gillespie</strong> told CBC Radios <em>Metro Morning </em>on Dec. 8.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="/news/hidden-stories-project-u-t-researchers-lead-international-collaboration-centuries-old-books">Hidden Stories: New Approaches to the Local and Global History of the Book</a> is the latest in a series of projects co-ordinated by the research team at the University of Toronto Mississaugas<a href="https://oldbooksnewscience.com/">Old Books New Science Lab</a>, led by Gillespie, who is also a 勛圖惇蹋 vice-president and the principal of 勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga. It aims to explore the systems, peoples and cultures that make a book, including its physical and biological properties that reveal new knowledge.&nbsp;</p> <p>When you love books, you dont only love the thing that youre reading, you also love the object thats in your hands, and that object has a story to tell, Gillespie told host Ismaila Alfa. Were also really interested in the books whose stories havent been told吋he story of media is not a straight line from Gutenberg to Zuckerburg. On the contrary, its a rich line with many forking paths that takes in all parts of the world.&nbsp;</p> <p>The浹idden Stories皰roject examines manuscripts in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and across the world including China, Ethiopia, east Africa, North America, Tunisia and Nepal.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-39-metro-morning/clip/15953703-the-old-books-new-science-project-judges-books">Listen to the CBC Radio interview</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:37:23 +0000 lanthierj 178503 at Hidden Stories Project: 勛圖惇蹋 researchers lead international collaboration on centuries-old books /news/hidden-stories-project-u-t-researchers-lead-international-collaboration-centuries-old-books <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Hidden Stories Project: 勛圖惇蹋 researchers lead international collaboration on centuries-old books</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/0302SilkRoadsBookProject018-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3kkeTCDL 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/0302SilkRoadsBookProject018-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0wmYEplt 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/0302SilkRoadsBookProject018-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=i_Gz-Bo7 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/0302SilkRoadsBookProject018-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3kkeTCDL" alt="''"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-12-06T15:14:13-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 6, 2022 - 15:14" class="datetime">Tue, 12/06/2022 - 15:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Researchers analyze a manuscript as part of the The Book and Silk Roads project. UTM Old Books New Science Lab is co-ordinating a follow-up project, Hidden Stories, which has received funding from the Mellon Foundation. (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/ali-raza" hreflang="en">Ali Raza</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alexandra-gillespie" hreflang="en">Alexandra Gillespie</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-and-innovation" hreflang="en">Research and Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thomas-fisher-rare-book-library" hreflang="en">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>At first glance, the dusty and worn pages of an old book from centuries ago might not reveal more than their written content. But a closer look unlocks a treasure trove of knowledge.</p> <p>Its those obscured treasures hidden stories that University of Toronto researchers want to uncover.</p> <p>勛圖惇蹋 is launching a collaborative and interdisciplinary project entitled Hidden Stories: New Approaches to the Local and Global History of the Book, funded by the Mellon Foundation. The Mellon Foundation has given a $2.69 million grant for the next four years to support the project, which involves a collaboration with 130 researchers humanists, scientists, librarians, curators, conservators and others at 勛圖惇蹋 and from 60 institutions across the world.</p> <p>Its the latest in a series of projects in global book history co-ordinated by the research team at UTMs Old Books New Science Lab.</p> <p>I became really interested in the way that there were stories about books that could be told that were not only about the texts that are in them, says 勛圖惇蹋 Vice-President and 勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga Principal <b>Alexandra Gillespie</b>, who leads the Old Books New Science Lab.</p> <p>Thats this hidden stories idea, that there are stories about the makers of books, the users of books, that leave all kinds of traces that are non-textual.</p> <p><a href="https://booksilkroads.library.utoronto.ca/">The Hidden Stories project</a> will run from November 2022 to January 2027 and aims to explore the systems, peoples and cultures that make a book, including its physical and biological properties that reveal new knowledge. Everything from fungal growth on its pages to the trade routes involved in the materials used to make the book will be studied.</p> <p><img alt="A student shines a flashlight through a page of a large book while Alexandra Gillespie examines the page from the opposite side" src="/sites/default/files/0302SilkRoadsBookProject036-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>Alexandra Gillespie, vice-president and principal of 勛圖惇蹋 Mississauga, and principal investigator for the Hidden Stories project, joins researchers working on The Book and the Silks Roads project, March 2022.&nbsp;(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>This latest project is named after a public exhibition displayed at the Aga Khan Museum from October 2021 to February 2022. That display, which included contributions from 勛圖惇蹋, the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and other collaborators, showcased manuscripts including a 17th century manuscript of the <em>Bhagavad Gita</em> from Kashmir.</p> <p>The Hidden Stories project examines manuscripts in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and across the world including China, Ethiopia, East Africa, North America, Tunisia and Nepal.</p> <p>Some of these books are so fragile that opening them to read would destroy the manuscript. To get past this hurdle and access its contents, researchers conduct micro-CT scans of the book, layer by layer not page by page. Because the pages are wavy, and both the ink and the page are made of carbon, reconstructing a 3D model of the scanned layers involves the use of AI.</p> <p>The project leaders are Gillespie, Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) Professor <b>Suzanne Conklin Akbari</b>, and University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) IT Director <b>Sian Meikle</b>, who will provide oversight for project goals and outcomes. Akbari was a professor at 勛圖惇蹋 for nearly 25 years, including serving as director for the Centre for Medieval Studies between 2013 and 2018 before moving to IAS in New Jersey. She was the co-curator for <a href="https://agakhanmuseum.org/exhibitions/hidden-stories">the Aga Khan Museum</a> exhibition from which the project sprang.</p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/1118JessicaLockhart004-crop.jpg" alt><em>Jessica Lockhart (Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> </div> <p>Were working together to preserve and share the knowledge of the past, says <b>Jessica Lockhart</b>, the <a href="https://oldbooksnewscience.com/">Old Books New Science Lab</a>s head of research, calling this the most ambitious project the lab has ever undertaken.</p> <p>The results of the research will be made available through open-source code, open data repositories, academic publications, media posts, podcasts, videos and exhibits.</p> <p>UTL project librarian <b>Rachel Di Cresce </b>will direct the projects technical development and approach to intellectual property, data rights, data sovereignty, sustainability, curation and preservation. IAS research associate Melissa Moreton will co-ordinate individual research clusters based all over the globe, from South Asia to the Americas.</p> <p>A component of the project is to find better ways to conserve old manuscripts. While some of the books are too fragile to open, other manuscripts made of parchment degrade through a process of gelatinizing. Its where the page starts to physically break down on the molecular level, Lockhart says. We dont really have a good conservation solution for that, so thats part of the work.</p> <p>Other conservation issues include whats known as the carbon black problem. CT scans of books with charcoal ink reveal that the ink and the page are both made of carbon, which makes it difficult to distinguish in a scan, as is the case with some 16th century Kashmiri birchbark manuscripts. Researchers have turned to machine learning, imaging scientists, Sanskrit scholars, librarians and conservators to figure out how to conserve the book and read it.</p> <p>But the project is much more than scanning old books. In addition to imaging and machine learning, it includes DNA analysis, ecosystem analysis, data management and cataloging. It also involves directing funding toward communities of origins the communities where the manuscripts were initially found.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/0302SilkRoadsBookProject010-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>PhD student Arka Chakraborty holds a palm leaf manuscript. (Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>One of the projects primary investigators, Gillespie is interested in "disrupting the traditional narrative about the arrival of printing in Western Europe which, she explains, is inconsistent with pre-modern textual culture.</p> <p>That narrative, which she refers to as the Gutenberg myth, is that the arrival of printing in Western Europe in the 15th century is what produced modernity.</p> <p>But Hidden Stories aims to change this narrative by studying diverse and creative ways of knowledge-sharing that have existed millennia before the development of the printing press in Europe. Those stories range from the squashed bug flattened between the pages of an old book to textual traditions in non-Western societies that were suppressed by colonialism or Western scholarship.</p> <p>The stories we tell about the past shape the way we live in the present, Gillespie says.</p> <p>Recovering knowledge people have ignored, neglected, stolen or excluded, recovering knowledge, sharing it, doing it truthfully, openly, is necessary for our world to thrive, she adds. "It's also a tool for cultural resilience&nbsp; a way of giving hope for the future by affirming the cultural vitality of the past."</p> <p><img alt="Top view of Alexandra Gillespie examining a book" src="/sites/default/files/0302SilkRoadsBookProject024-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>Among the projects most important collaborators are members from Indigenous communities, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Munsee Delaware Nation, both located in what is now Ontario. Since the Munsee homeland is in what is now New York and New Jersey, that collaboration is carried on through IAS faculty. Meanwhile in Nepal, 勛圖惇蹋 collaborators are working with the local community to clean and catalog a collection of manuscripts in a monastery.</p> <p>Akbari says the project developed organically and soon spread into a web of connections of interested researchers.</p> <p>It started very early on with conversations among medievalists at Toronto, she says. She hopes Hidden Stories will generate research, speak to a wider public, create exhibitions and effect change in curricula.</p> <p>The book is a conduit that lets us find ourselves in the past, she says. Its about the different ways of accessing the past, telling those stories in a good way, respecting the evidence and respecting how people have told the story over time.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 20:14:13 +0000 lanthierj 178451 at 勛圖惇蹋 celebrates official opening of Robarts Common /news/u-t-celebrates-official-opening-robarts-common <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">勛圖惇蹋 celebrates official opening of Robarts Common</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Robarts-Common_July-2022-1-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5L06c0nK 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Robarts-Common_July-2022-1-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=JF4VrT-K 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Robarts-Common_July-2022-1-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zawY4_-a 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Robarts-Common_July-2022-1-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5L06c0nK" alt="exterior view of the new Robarts Commons in summer"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-09-13T09:19:08-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 13, 2022 - 09:19" class="datetime">Tue, 09/13/2022 - 09:19</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Robarts Common, the new five-story addition to Robarts Library, provides room for 1,200&nbsp;students to study in quiet or to socialize in soundproofed rooms&nbsp;and accessible spaces (photo by Matt Volpe)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/advancement-staff" hreflang="en">Advancement Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-palmer" hreflang="en">David Palmer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/robarts-library" hreflang="en">Robarts Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/governing-council" hreflang="en">Governing Council</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto community recently gathered at a special ceremony&nbsp;to formally open Robarts Common, the new five-story addition to Robarts Library that was&nbsp;designed as a dedicated space for students.</p> <p>With ample natural light, room for 1,200&nbsp;students to study in quiet or socialize in soundproofed rooms&nbsp;and accessible spaces for the entire U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T community, Robarts Common is a human-centred, collaborative area. Opening in advance of the 50th&nbsp;anniversary of Robarts Library, Robarts Common is part of a wider revitalization of the iconic building in the heart of U&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ts downtown campus.</p> <p>The stunning new space was made possible through the support of a generous gift from the late&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chancellorscircle.utoronto.ca/members/russell-morrison-and-katherine-morrison/"><strong>Russell</strong> and <strong>Katherine Morrison</strong></a>, along with support from more than one thousand other donors.</p> <p>Russell and Katherine Morrison understood well the librarys central place in a students intellectual development and educational experience, said 勛圖惇蹋 President&nbsp;<strong>Meric Gertler</strong>&nbsp;at the official Robarts Common opening ceremony on Sept. 9. They were profoundly dedicated to ensuring that U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T students would have access to the very best library and study spaces state-of-the-art, comfortable and beautiful. And through their vision and generosity, they have done just that, together with the many other donors who have made these light-filled spaces possible.</p> <h4>A dream to create an amazing space for students</h4> <p>Dedicated spaces like the new Robarts Common are vital not just for the student experience but also as a way to encourage more open inquiry and research, more democratic debate and more civic engagement all critical factors in the future success of our country and, indeed, our world, said Chair of 勛圖惇蹋s Governing Council&nbsp;<strong>Janet L. Ecker</strong>.</p> <p>Robarts Common is the realization of a dream shared by my late parents, along with so many others who gave generously to help create this amazing space, said&nbsp;<strong>Robert Morrison</strong>, the son of Russell and Katherine. This glorious new building will highlight the importance of the library in student life, and will inspire discovery, daring creativity, and a life-long thirst for knowledge.</p> <p>The Morrisons, who donated $40&nbsp;million to U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T, were both ardent supporters of 勛圖惇蹋 Libraries. Katherine Morrison was among the first generation of students to use Robarts, which opened in 1973, and she recalled spending most of her time there during her graduate studies a key factor in the Morrisons inspiration to support Robarts Common. The university awarded Russell and Katherine Morrison honorary degrees in 2004 in recognition of their tremendous dedication to students and higher education.</p> <p>Devoted entirely to student use, the new addition is a campus living room and is available to anyone from across U&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ts three campuses. Robarts Common includes hundreds of spots for quiet reading, eight dedicated group study rooms, ample, comfortable seating&nbsp;and full connectivity. The addition represents a significant enhancement for the nearly 18,000&nbsp;daily visitors to Robarts Library.</p> <h4>A campus jewel, Robarts Common was supported by more than a thousand donors</h4> <p>Robarts Common reflects U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T Libraries global stature, and our special place at the heart of the U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T community, said 勛圖惇蹋 Chief Librarian&nbsp;<strong>Larry Alford</strong>. It is a crown jewel for the university libraries, a much-needed element of the revitalization of the historic Robarts Library, and an extension of our work not just in supporting our community but building it.</p> <p>[Robarts Common] will only amplify Robarts Librarys role as U&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ts heart, said&nbsp;<strong>Rion Levy</strong>, who is a third year Faculty of Arts &amp; Science student at Victoria College studying literature and critical theory and material culture&nbsp;and semiotics, as well as co-editor-in-chief&nbsp;of&nbsp;<em>The Strand</em>&nbsp;newspaper. Its student-centred architecture and design has already drawn students in, and Im sure it will quickly become a favourite spot for all kinds of scholars here.</p> <p>The official opening of Robarts Common comes during the first year of 勛圖惇蹋s <a href="https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/">Defy Gravity campaign</a>, which aims to raise $4&nbsp;billion towards the universitys highest priorities as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/ways-to-participate/">inspire 225,000&nbsp;alumni to get involved</a>&nbsp;as volunteers, mentors, donors, participants&nbsp;and leaders, and contribute their time and talent to the university one&nbsp;million times collectively.</p> <p>Robarts Common embodies the spirit of Defy Gravity and how U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T and 勛圖惇蹋 Libraries&nbsp;continue to re-imagine the role of the modern library as a symbol of free and open inquiry, said&nbsp;<strong>David Palmer</strong>, U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T vice-president, advancement. This is a people-focused place&nbsp;for&nbsp;scholars at every level,&nbsp;who will forge&nbsp;bold new ideas and life-long connections impacting not only their lives, but the wider world.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 13 Sep 2022 13:19:08 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 176555 at