Audrey Lapierre (front), Geoff Brown, Sandra Dwyer
Lapierre Enjoying Job Split
Health Sci Libguide Gets Kudos
Karen Neves
Colford Wins Atlantic Book Award
Ian Colford, Dalhousie’s Assistant University Librarian Collections, has just won the 2009 Margaret and John Savage First Book Award for his debut short story collection Evidence (Porcupine’s Quill, 2008). Winners of the Atlantic Book Awards were announced on April 15 at a gala ceremony held at the Alderney Landing Theatre in Dartmouth. The event, co-hosted by author and CBC Radio host Stephanie Domet and actor/humorist Bill Carr, conferred nine awards in a celebration of Atlantic Canadian writing and book publishing.
The stories in Evidence draw upon Colford’s travels in Italy, Turkey, Greece, and Portugal. Also nominated were Catherine Banks’ Governor-General’s Award-winning play, Bone Cage (Playwrights Canada Press) and Mark Blagrave’s novel, Silver Salts (Cormorant Books). Colford’s Evidence has also been shortlisted for the prestigious Thomas Head Raddall Fiction Prize, winner to be announced at the Atlantic Ink Writers Festival in May. Congratulations Ian!
Colford’s Literary Star On the Rise
Ian Colford, Assistant Librarian Collections, continues to make the news as a literary celebrity. His book of short stories Evidence has just been shortlisted for the “Margaret and John Savage First Book Award”, one of the 2009 Atlantic Book Awards. Winners will be announced April 15, at a gala celebration at the Alderney Landing Theatre in Dartmouth, co-hosted by actor / humorist Bill Carr and CBC Radio host and author Stephanie Domet (winner of the 2008 Margaret and John Savage First Book Award).
Evidence has also been shortlisted for the prestigious 2009 Thomas H. Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize ($15,000). The award recognizes the best work of fiction written by a native or resident Atlantic Canadian published in the previous calendar year. The finalist will be announced during Atlantic Ink: The Writers Festival May 4-9, 2009.
In the meantime Ian will be giving two readings: the first at 7 pm on March 18 at the SMU Art Gallery (with Montreal writer Harold Hoefle), and again on March 19 at 8 pm at the Carleton on Argyle St. (with Dal English Professor Darryl Whetter). Can’t make either one? Listen to an interview with Ian on Take 5, CIUT 85.9 FM instead.
Congratulations Ian!
Mick Bottom Appointed LC Tech Lead
We’re very happy to announce that, having successfully completed his 6-month probation, Mick Bottom is now officially the Learning Commons Technical Lead. Mick says:
“I am very pleased to have passed my probationary period. The past six months seem to have flown by and I have enjoyed every minute. I think the Killam Library is a fantastic place to be and there is also a fantastic group of people within it. I feel honoured to be part of that team.
The Learning Commons is already a terrific resource for students and more enhancements to the user experience are on the way in the coming months – watch this space!”
Document Delivery Welcomes Amy Harding
Document Delivery is very pleased to welcome Amy Harding, who began a term position on January 12th for the duration of Clare Cheong’s maternity leave. Amy obtained her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and while a student at Harvard was Circulation Supervisor at their Lamont Library. In 2005-06 Amy worked with the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia as the Atlantic Book Festival Coordinator, and in 2007 Amy was a teaching assistant with the Ryerson University’s Writing Centre.
Welcome Marrilee Wilson
Please join the Killam Circulation and Document Delivery departments in welcoming our
newest member, Marrilee Wilson. Marrilee joined the Killam Library staff in december 2008.
Marrilee has worked in a number of different departments across campus, including International Student and Exchange Services, Housing, Conference and Ancillary Services, Dalhousie University Bookstore and Dalhousie Counselling Services. She also has extensive customer service experience from outside the Dalhousie Community.
We look forward to working with you, Marrilee!
Colford’s Evidence Makes Globe and Mail Top 100
There’s a celebrity among us. Ian Colford made the national news on November 29 when his book of short stories Evidence (Porcupine’s Quill Press, March 2008) was listed as one of the top five first fiction books of 2008 in the Globe and Mail’s Top 100 Books of the Year.
Evidence, which was launched at the Killam Library on April 24, 2008, is a series of “linked stories” narrated by Kostandin Bitri, a wanderer who has been uprooted by war from an unnamed eastern European country. Ian says, “My favourite books have always been those that persuade the reader to turn the page, not because of a plot-driven story line, but because the world the author has created is so odd and so compelling — that is, familiar while at the same time utterly outside our experience.” The publication of Evidence last spring was hailed in two excellent reviews, one in the Books section of the Globe and Mail (July 19/08), where Jim Bartley called it “a rich, shadowed, mind-tweaking puzzle of a book”; and in The Star (July 13/08), which described Evidence as “something of an exotic work of Canadian fiction, presenting history and geography in expressionistic, psychological terms.”
Visit Ian’s website for more info about him and his writing.
Ian is currently working on a novel set in South America during a period of political instability. Keep an eye on the Globe’s book section because it’s obvious our talented colleague has a lot more to say!
Nancy Melvin New Killam Reserve Coordinator
Nancy Melvin, who has been working in the Killam Circulation Dept. since 1979, has been officially appointed Reserve Coordinator effective April 2008.
Nancy’s work involves cataloguing Reserve materials (professor copies and photocopies), then setting up the courses in Aleph and adding in the Reserve materials. They are then put in Novanet’s Reserve module, making them searchable online. The new eReserve system which was put into effect this month now means that if materials (particularly journal articles) are available electronically, links to the full text are added to the Reserves. Nancy says, “Hopefully this will make things much easier for the students–they won’t have to wait for materials to be returned, they can read them online whenever they want.”
Congratulations on your new position, Nancy, our Reserves are in very good hands!
Helen Powell Appointed Design & Technology Librarian
It is my pleasure to inform you of the appointment of Helen Powell as the Design & Technology Librarian, Sexton Design and Technology Library.
Helen brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position and is well known and respected in both the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture and Planning. In the past year she has been instrumental in reshaping the Library to focus predominantly on public services, preparing it for an expanded role on the Sexton campus. She has already begun planning for the possibility of a new library / Commons to be an integral part of a proposed new Engineering building.
Helen has the skills and determination to grow the influence and value of the Sexton Design & Technology Library on the Sexton Campus and will be a valuable asset to the Library’s administrative team.
Please join me in welcoming Helen to her new position and wishing her well as she assumes her new duties.
Bill Maes, University Librarian