The sun is finally making an appearance today and we rushed outside to take these pictures before the clouds roll back in. Click the ones below for the full and glorious view!
Planted by Killam staff in memory of a colleague who passed away in 1996
Tulips & johnny jump ups in front of the Accessibility Centre
Students Brooke Allan, Mhari Lamarque, Ashley White, Ellie Scotland. Missing: Huan Liu
Thanks to the Dal Libraries’ Green Team, four-bin waste containers have been available on all floors of the Killam Library since the fall of 2010. These bins encourage people to separate waste by Paper, Recyclables, Organics and Garbage (“PROG”). Their presence has significantly improved waste placement–previously, people on most floors of the library had little choice but to toss everything into garbage bins.
In March 2011, a student team (pictured above) from ENVS 3502 Environmental Problem Solving II conducted waste audits in the library to analyze compliance levels in the PROG bin systems. The students found that the paper and organics bins were the least contaminated, while recycling and garbage bins showed the greatest levels of contamination from items that did not belong in them, like coffee cups and food. As in the 2010 waste audit, the most commonly misplaced items were disposable coffee cups (these should be placed in the garbage–their cardboard sleeves go in the organics bin).
The students’ recommendations include designing an educational sustainability tour addressing proper waste disposal, putting a waste diversion visual link on the Dal website, adding a fifth bin for liquid waste, and creating more informational signs highlighting where waste items should be placed.
High teas were held this morning at the Kellogg and Law libraries, showing the Brits that we too can party up Buck House style.
Pearls, fascinators and tiaras lent a distinct air of elegance to the scene, as guests sipped an assortment of teas out of the finest china and nibbled cucumber sandwiches and sweets. The dinner rings sported by the Law Library ladies would perhaps have been considered a trifle outre if seen inside Westminster Abbey, but within the confines of the Cassels Brock Student Lounge were perfectly acceptable. Royal hats-off to Mary MacDonald: it was she who first conceived of the Kellogg high tea (Mary is missing from the photo because she took it).
Long life and happiness, Will and Kate, from all of your ardent fans at the Dalhousie Libraries!
Penny David, Cindy Miller, Kathy Eisan, Nadine Day-Boutilier, Carol Pottie, Gail Fraser, Asmaret Gheabreab, Linda Young (Kellogg)
Karen Tarum, Anne-Marie White, Debbie Ritchie, Lisa Drew (Law)
High tea at the Kellogg
Only the finest china and silver would do
Gail Fraser looking stunning in her fascinator
The aforementioned rings
Would this be the Lapsang Oolong? (Tim Ruggles)
Cindy Miller, undisputed library Queen of the Day
Feast and merriment to follow
Labour Day has been officially celebrated in Canada on the first Monday of September since 1894. Its origins can be traced to a 1872 strike by the Toronto Printers Union. But did you know that May Day is also celebrated by labour and union organizations?
May Day, or International Workers’ Day, is another day to celebrate the international labour movement’s fight for things like the eight hour work day. It is an official holiday in over 80 countries and celebrated around the world!
The Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections (DUASC) has been documenting the labour movement in Nova Scotia for over 40 years. We hold the records of dozens of labour unions and activists. Labour has also been a research interest for Dalhousie faculty members for many years.
Here’s a couple interesting letters from the Roscoe Fillmore fonds (MS-10-1). Fillmore was a farmer and activist in the Annapolis Valley in the 1930s and 1940s. He helped organize a group known as the Centreville Socialists. Drop in to DUASC and ask about our labour records. You might be surprised by what we have!
Letter from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Roscoe Fillmore (Maritime labour activist) - Roscoe Fillmore fonds (MS-10-1, File B8)
Jack London's letter of resignation from the Socialist Party - Roscoe Fillmore fonds (MS-10-1, File B10)
Check-in to the Sexton Library with your Foursquare App!
Our “Newbie” special while supplies last:
Win a chocolate treat!
Haven’t discovered Evernote yet? This hugely popular multiple award-winning FREE app, they say, “turns your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad into an extension of your brain.” Gotta love that…Evernote lets you create text, photo and audio notes and instantly synchs them up from your mobile to your Mac or Windows desktop.
Evernote’s great for research and class notes. Did we mention it’s free? Go Evernote!
Did you know that this Friday is International Dance Day? In 1982, the International Dance Committee founded International Dance Day. The committee picked April 29 to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, who was born in 1727 and was a great reformer of dance, particularly ballet.
To help with the festivities, Archives and Special Collections has highlighted three of our archival collections that document dance in Nova Scotia:
These collections are just a small portion of our archival records that document visual and dramatic arts across the province. Drop by the archives to see some dance history!
And if you’re looking for somewhere to do some dancing, Dance Nova Scotia is hosting a Flashmob and Free Salsa Lesson this Friday down at the Sackville Landing on the Waterfront. There are three times (12:10, 12:40, and 1:10).
Check out the International Dance Day – Canada Facebook page for more information on how arts and cultural organizations across the country are celebrating!
Procedures Consult is an online multimedia training and reference solution that helps physicians, medical residents, and students prepare for, perform, and test their knowledge of top medical procedures. The Kellogg Library has arranged for a free trial of this resource until July 18, 2011. Access is from on and off campus.
For additional information about this resource, visit
Got three minutes? Watch this video on how to find library materials with WorldCat, our online catalogue.
WorldCat will link you to the Dalhousie Libraries’ catalogue, the Novanet catalogue, and also to libraries from around the world. It indexes books, articles, scholarly journals, videos, music and more!
We have lots more useful tutorials online, take a look!
Researchers in the sciences might be interested in F1000 Posters, a free new tool from Faculty of 1000.
F1000 Posters is an open access repository which covers posters from the leading biology and medicine conferences. Since its launch in June 2010, it has grown considerably, and now includes posters from over 180 international meetings. F1000 Posters aims to provide indefinite access to the latest developments presented at conferences, often several months or even years before they are published. Browse posters by faculty and consider depositing your own–it’s easy and free!
Faculty of 1000, a BioMed Central database offered by the Dal Libraries, reviews the most interesting papers published in the biological sciences, based on the recommendations of a faculty of well over 1000 selected leading researchers.