Complete a five minute eBook survey at https://surveys.dal.ca/opinio/s?s=27818 for a chance to win prizes donated by Springer.
Prizes awarded daily until March 31st.
All names will also be included in the final draw for an Amazon gift card.
Thank you for your participation!
The Dalhousie Libraries are offering trial access to Films On Demand until April 3, 2015.
Films On Demand, a service of Films Media Group, is a web-based digital video service that allows you to view streaming videos anytime, anywhere.
Choose from thousands of high-quality educational titles in dozens of subject areas. You can also organize and bookmark clips, create and share playlists, and personalize folders.
To view the trial portion of these collections, use:
Username: Dalhousiedemo
Password: demopass
Master Career & Tech Ed Package
Archival Films & Newsreels Collection
Please send any feedback to Heather MacFadyen (heather.macfadyen@dal.ca) by April 3, 2015.
Beginning March 15, you can study at the Killam till 3 a.m. Sundays–Thursdays** and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. These late night hours will be in effect until Monday April 27.
Please note: The Help Desk, the Killam Library Service Point, and upper library floors will close at midnight. Students in those areas can move to the Learning Commons or atrium.
So, to review, our hours from March 15–April 27 are:
Sundays: 10 a.m.–3 a.m.*
Mondays-Thursdays: 8 a.m.–3 am.
Fridays: 8 a.m.–midnight
Saturdays: 10 a.m.–midnight**
*Access to the Killam Library from midnight to 3 a.m. is for Dalhousie and King’s students only. Students must have their student ID with them to get in. Regular library services are not offered during this time, students will have access to the South Learning Commons or the atrium.
** In addition to these late night hours, we’ll be extending our opening hours on Saturday and Sunday mornings, opening at 8 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. starting on March 28
PARKING & SAFETY
To improve safety, the McCain Building Parkade* across from LeMarchant Street will offer FREE parking from 11:30 p.m. until 3 a.m., Sundays through Thursdays during Night Owls.
If you’re walking or biking, consider becoming study buddies with friends or classmates who live near you, and head home together.
*The McCain Building Parkade is the main parking area for events at the Arts Centre each evening and a fee will be charged if you park there before 11:30 p.m. After 11:30 p.m., parking is free of charge until the Learning Commons and atrium closes at 3 a.m.
Have questions about Night Owls? You can call the Killam Library Service Point at 494-3617.
Good luck with your studies!
The Dalhousie Libraries have recently acquired Apartheid South Africa 1948-1980
This collection of primary sources contains British government files from the Foreign, Colonial, Dominion and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices spanning the period 1948 to 1980. The documents are organized into three chronological collections–1948-1966, 1967-1975 and 1976-1980 that span the history of South Africa from the start of Apartheid to its end.
The collection contains a wide range of English and Afrikaans diplomatic documents, letters, trial papers, news clippings autobiography, and more.
Illustrated explanations of how to use the database features can be found in the Page by Page Guide in the Help section.
It was hauntingly beautiful.
On February 13, ten members of the King’s Chorus, cloaked in black robes, silently marched into the third floor stacks of the Killam Library.
The group formed a circle and began to sing a capella. The first song was a Gregorian chant, Salve Regina. The second song was a hymn about winter, which was chosen for the weather, and the last song was a round based on a text from Psalm 137.
“We’ve had the idea to do something like this for a long time. We’ve always found the Killam possesses an eerie beauty when no one is there, and wanted to take advantage of that,” says Will Pearson, member of the Kings Chorus. “There is also something ruthless about the space; it is so quiet, and sometimes so tense because of all the fretful studying, so we envisioned the concert as a kind of cathartic activity for the books and the space. It was also an attempt to re-imagine the purpose of library space, and challenge its most sacred taboo, that of silence. We thought the books would like a bit of music.”
The performance lasted roughly ten minutes. Once they were finished, they left the third floor stacks as silently as they arrived, and exited the building.
“We were grateful for the chance to bring our music into a space that is usually so silent. It made the songs more significant and powerful,” says Will. “We decided to sing in the literature section. Hopefully the thousands of characters in all those books enjoyed our performance.”
Next up for the King Chorus, a concert based on the first song they sang, Salve Regina, on March 28th at First Baptist Church, starting at 7:30 p.m.
More details can be found on the Kings Chorus website.
Top row, left to right: Maggie Pearson, Hannah Muhajarine, Valerie Collins, Mikaela Kyle, Anne White, Will Barton
Bottom row, left to right: Karis Tees, Will Pearson, Evelyn Elgie, Olivia Tucker
When: Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Special Collections & Archives Reading Room, fifth floor, Killam Library
Dr. James Raffan is a prolific writer, speaker, geographer and Kickass Canadian (kickasscanadians.ca/james-raffan). Over the years he has produced a number of bestselling books, including his most recent work, Circling the Midnight Sun: Culture and Change in the Invisible Arctic, which he will read from on March 10. Circling the Midnight Sun was a finalist for the 2015 BC National Non-Fiction Book Prize and named a “best book” of 2014 by the Globe and Mail.
He has also written for media outlets including Canadian Geographic, National Geographic, Explore, The Globe and Mail, as well as for CBC Radio and The Discovery Channel.
Praise for Circling the Midnight Sun:
“To me it’s the most exciting region on the planet, and while we all talk about how it, the Arctic, is being affected by climate changer, how many of us have actually been there to find out first hand? James Raffan has and he takes “being there” very seriously – just look at where he went. Sir John Franklin would envy this voyage! But thanks to the trip, James answers today’s big Arctic questions and you may well be surprised at some of the answers. Circling the Midnight Sun is a fascinating read.”
— Peter Mansbridge, Chief Correspondent and Anchor, CBC News, The National.
“James Raffan has taken an unusual and difficult journey—around the world in Arctic latitudes. In doing so, he has visited a diverse sampling of what Canadian Inuit would call “ukiuqtaqturmiut”—the people of the Arctic, an agglomeration of races, languages and cultures united only by their residence in the globe’s northern-most countries and territories. This wonderful and informative volume has given voice to their stories— human stories— often lost or ignored in a world newly-enamoured of the Arctic but increasingly focused on the physical or economic aspects of climate change.”
— Kenn Harper, author of Give Me My Father’s Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo and In Those Days: Collected Writings on Arctic History. Volume 1: Inuit Lives.
“By tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage, James Raffan puts a human face on the circumpolar North.”
— Michael Byers, author of International Law and the Arctic & winner of the 2013 Donner Prize
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear James read and exchange ideas about one of Canada’s most mystical regions.
Imagine creating a simple machine that will water your plants. Or hacking your coffee maker so that it will make coffee before you get out of bed. Artists, designers, hobbyists, and tinkerers are learning new and easy techniques to bring such projects to life.
The Dalhousie Libraries, in partnership with the Halifax Makerspace, want to get you started in the basics of electronics and the Arduino platform. Arduinos are a piece of technology that you can fit in the palm of your hand, connecting your project to electronics, giving it “life.”
Throughout March, we’re hosting Makerspace Workshops every Tuesday. Read on to learn more about what you can make.
Makerspace Workshop, Part I
Tuesday, March 10/12:00–1:30 p.m.
Killam Library, Room G70
Contact libsys@dal.ca asking to register for the Makerspace Workshop, Part I.
No prior knowledge is necessary and we provide all the materials you’ll need. This first workshop in the series will teach you how to set up an LED that’s controlled by a small program and one that’s controlled by a dial. Later workshops will explore buttons, motors and sensors.
Makerspace Workshop, Part II
Tuesday, March 17/12:00–1:30 p.m.*
Killam Library, Room G70
Contact libsys@dal.ca asking to register for the Makerspace Workshop, Part II.
In this workshop, we will use buttons and multiple LEDs to dive deeper into programming. Topics such as logic, binary, arrays, and loops will be covered.
*If you didn’t make it to the first session, please arrive by 12:15 p.m. so we can do a quick review of the basics.
Makerspace Workshop, Part III
Tuesday, March 24/12:00–1:30 p.m.*
Killam Library, Room G70
Contact libsys@dal.ca asking to register for the Makerspace Workshop, Part III.
Want your electronic project to interact with the physical world? In this workshop, we’ll learn how to use a flex sensor as a mechanical input and a servo as a mechanical output.
*If you didn’t make it to the first session, please arrive by 12:15 p.m. so we can do a quick review of the basics.
Makerspace Workshop, Part IV
Tuesday, March 31/12:00–1:30 p.m.*
Killam Library, Room G70
Contact libsys@dal.ca asking to register for the Makerspace Workshop, Part IV.
Are you looking to control something much bigger than we have worked with so far? This workshop will explore relays and motors to show how you can bring more power to your projects.
*If you didn’t make it to the first session, please arrive by 12:15 p.m. so we can do a quick review of the basics.
Between February 12 and March 12, Dalhousie University has trial access to the online version of the Oxford Arabic Dictionary (On campus use) . The dictionary covers Modern Standard Arabic and can be searched in English and in Arabic. As well as definitions, you’ll find articles, quizzes and grammar details to help increase your command of the language. Feedback can be sent to Heather MacFadyen (heather.macfadyen@dal.ca).
Dalhousie Libraries have also subscribed to two additional online resources connected to Islamic and Arabic studies.
Encyclopaedia Islamica Online is based on the Persian Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif-i Buzurg-i Islāmī, one of the most comprehensive sources on Islam and the Muslim world. A unique feature of the Encyclopaedia Islamica Online lies in the attention given to Shiʿi Islam and its rich and diverse heritage. In addition to providing entries on important themes, subjects and personages in Islam generally, Encyclopaedia Islamica Online offers the Western reader an opportunity to appreciate the various dimensions of Shiʿi Islam, the Persian contribution to Islamic civilization, and the spiritual dimensions of the Islamic tradition. Sixteen volumes have been completed to date. With new volumes continuing to be added, the encyclopaedia is expected be a major comprehensive reference works for Islamic studies
Encyclopaedia of Islam Online
sets out the present state of our knowledge of the Islamic World. It is a unique and invaluable reference tool, an essential key to understanding the world of Islam, and the authoritative source not only for the religion, but also for the believers and the countries in which they live. This subscription includes both the second edition (“EI2”) and the third edition (“EI3”) which a work in progress and started publication in 2007.
Encyclopedia of Arabic language and linguistics
The Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics Online comprehensively covers all aspects of Arabic languages and linguistics. It is interdisciplinary in scope and represents different schools and approaches in order to be as objective and versatile as possible. The Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics Online is cross-searchable and cross-referenced, and is equipped with a browsable index. All relevant fields in Arabic linguistics, both general and language specific are covered and the Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics Online includes topics from interdisciplinary fields, such as anthropology, psychology, sociology, philosophy, and computer science.
Encyclopedia of Ancient History
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History is the only comprehensive collection of twenty-first century scholarship available on the entire ancient Mediterranean world. Our board of experienced and internationally diverse editors has collected over 5,000 original entries spanning the late Bronze Age through the seventh century CE. Entries extend to all Mediterranean civilizations, including the Near East and Egypt, and represent an unprecedented level of coverage of the ancient world.
When: Friday, March 13 at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library
Award-winning writer/designer/visual literature pioneer Warren Lehrer is coming to Halifax to present a multimedia performance/reading of his new “illuminated novel,” A Life in Books: The Rise and Fall of Bleu Mobley.
Lehrer is known as a pioneer in the fields of visual literature and design authorship. His books have been acclaimed for capturing the shape of thought and reuniting the traditions of storytelling with the printed page.
A Life in Books, Lehrer’s first novel, contains 101 books within it, all written by Lehrer’s protagonist— who is a controversial author that finds himself in prison looking back on his life and career. In this funny and thought provoking performance, Lehrer presents an overview of Bleu Mobley’s life in books via many of Mobley’s cover designs and other biographical materials, including animations and video performances of Mobley book excerpts.
Don’t miss this chance to see William Lehrer’s multimedia presentation of A Life in Books in person!
Reviews for A Life in Books:
“In A Life In Books, Warren Lehrer has written a profound commentary on this nausea-inducing unique moment in the grand transition from Silly Mind to Machine Mind. Amusingly and smartly enough, he may have helped transition ‘the last great American novel’ to the first ‘great illustrated novel’ which is how novels started. A Life In Books is brilliant, beautiful, delicious for eyes and mind.”
– Andrei Codrescu poet, novelist, journalist, public radio commentator
“In Warren Lehrer’s ingenious, one-of-a-kind novel, A Life In Books: The Rise and Fall of Bleu Mobley, we see all the covers of all 101 books supposedly written by the narrator over the last several decades… A tour-de-force!”
– Kurt Andersen Studio 360
“For anyone who has ever resisted judging a book by its cover, now’s your chance: In A Life In Books, author and graphic design visionary Warren Lehrer crafts a vivid kaleidoscopic odyssey that frames one man’s life through not one, but one hundred different books—and book jackets. In this quirky, yet unmistakably modern evocation of the illuminated manuscript, Lehrer’s book reminds us that we are what we do. And, for that matter, what we publish.”
– Jessica Helfand graphic designer, writer, educator, founding editor Design Observer
“A meticulously illustrated chronicle… Lehrer’s 101 cover designs for Mobley’s books are pitch perfect. And like the best film title sequences, which establish moods or introduce plotlines, these fictional covers are vehicles by which Lehrer illuminates Mobley’s tale of success and failure… Lehrer has created a parallel art world”
– Steven Heller The Atlantic
This presentation is jointly sponsored by Dalhousie Libraries, the Mount Library at Mount Saint Vincent University, the Patrick Power Library at Saint Mary’s University, the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design Library and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design Department of Design. A special thank you to the Halifax Central Library for their support of this event.
Interested in learning how to design models for use on the Dal Libraries’ 3D printers?
We’re hosting some Introduction to 3D Design workshop where we’ll teach what you need to know to create your own 3D models. The workshop will walk you through some of the basic tools in Sketchup. By the end of the session you’ll have a simple farmhouse model of your very own.
No previous experience is required to participate in the introduction course. With your new-found Sketchup skills, you’ll be well on your way to bringing your ideas into reality with the Dal Libraries’ 3D Printing service.
We’re also offering a few intermediate 3D design sessions. The intermediate workshop builds on the intro workshop introducing students to more advanced Sketchup tools and using those tools to design a more complex model. It is recommended that those interested in attending the intermediate course have participated in the introduction course.
In the days following the workshop, we’ll print you a free copy of your model and notify you when it’s ready to be picked up
Below are the dates and times for the winter term. All classes will take place in Killam G70.
Feb 19, Thurs Introduction to 3D Design Workshop: ‘Farmhouse’ 12:30-1:30
Feb 27, Friday Intermediate 3D Design Workshop I: ‘Star Castle’ 12:00-1:00
Mar 19, Thurs Introduction to 3D Design Workshop: ‘Farmhouse’ 12:30-1:30
Mar 26, Thurs Intermediate 3D Design Workshop I: ‘Star Castle’ 12:30-1:30
Apr 9, Thurs Introduction to 3D Design Workshop: ‘Farmhouse’ 12:30-1:30
Apr 10, Friday Intermediate 3D Design Workshop I: ‘Star Castle’ 12:00-1:00
To register, contact libsys@dal.ca and indicate which session(s) you’d like to attend. The workshops are open to members of the public.
The farmhouse model as it looks in Sketchup.
The finished product, once printed on the 3D printer.