Have you missed some episodes of The Book of Negroes on CBC? Not to worry, Red River College Library subscribes to Curio.ca, a streaming video collection of the best in educational content from CBC and Radio-Canada. You’ll find plenty of streaming CBC educational content such as documentaries and news reports.

>> Click here for Curio

>> Click here for The Book of Negroes

The Book of Negroes

Based on the award-winning novel by Lawrence Hill, The Book of Negroes depicts the extraordinary life journey of Aminata Diallo, an indomitable African woman who cuts a swath through a world that is predisposed to underestimate her. Kidnapped by slave traders in West Africa and subsequently enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata must navigate her way through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge given to Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia and the treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone, before ultimately securing her freedom in England at the dawn of the 19th century.

Freedom to Read Week is an annual event organized by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council. It encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Freedom to read can never be taken for granted. Even in Canada, a free country by world standards, books and magazines are banned at the border. Books are removed from the shelves in Canadian libraries, schools and bookstores every day. Free speech on the Internet is under attack. Few of these stories make headlines, but they affect the right of Canadians to decide for themselves what they choose to read.

Challenged Works List

This selective list, prepared by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council, provides information on more than 100 books, magazines, graphic novels and other written works that have been challenged in the past decades. Each challenge sought to limit public access to the work in schools, libraries, or bookstores. Some challenges were upheld; others were rejected. Some challenges remain unresolved.

Read more: http://www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship-in-canada/challenged-works-list/

Challenges to Publications in Canadian Public Libraries

The Canadian Library Association’s Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom, in partnership with the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee, developed an annual survey to investigate challenges to books, magazines and DVDs in Canadian public libraries. The results of the most recent surveys are posted here.

Read more: http://www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship-in-canada/challenges-to-publications-in-canadian-public-libraries/

Written assignments can seem like a chore. Getting started is the hardest part, though eventually you select a topic and decide on the kinds of sources you will use to conduct your research.

The Internet offers more than a galaxy of information, and you may not have the time or expertise to filter out which information is both relevant and reliable. Plus, there are valuable print and media resources that are available.

RRC Library Research Guides

Here at RRC Library, we have done some of this filtering and gathering for you. You will find of all kinds of sources conveniently organized in the RRC Library Research Guides.

Here’s what the Research Guides can do for you:

• Get the ball rolling and guide your research
• Help you pinpoint your topic
• Lead you to relevant, reliable, and authoritative resources
• Present a balance of print, media and online materials

Visit the guides at http://library.rrc.ca/Search/Subject-Guides.aspx.

Credit: We are indebted to Norman Beattie, coordinator of Public Services at RRC Library, for his enormous contribution to the production and management of the RRC Library Research Guides. Thank you, Norman!

Check out the College-Wide Learning Outcomes display outside the Notre Dame Campus Library.

Red River College is in the process of renewing the current College-Wide Learning Outcomes (CWLO), which are designed to be incorporated into RRC courses and programs.

We’re proud to announce that last fall we completed a six-part blog series which highlighted hand-selected resources that would be useful in developing these learning outcomes, which are essential skills for success.  Check out each of the rectangles below for a link to each of our previous blog entries.

In addition we have now placed many of our College-Wide Learning Outcomes resources in the Library Window Display at the Notre Dame Campus.  You may also view a complete list of all books in our display online.  If you see something you like, just come to the Library and inquire at the Circulation Desk.

Check it out!

The Library would like to extend a thank you to Peter Denton on the occasion of his recent book signing at the Red River College, Notre Dame Campus Library.

We’d also like to say congratulations for his appearance in the Winnipeg Free Press on Saturday 5 December 2014: Gauging the health of Earth – Writer helping UN take planet’s pulse.

Check it out!

“technology & Sustainability” – Peter Denton

“technology & Sustainability” is the latest book authored by Peter Denton, one of our very own instructors at RRC.

Peter teaches in the areas of ethics and technical communications and writes about cultural changes that may be required to ensure a sustainable future for our planet.

The book is being launched at McNally Robinson on Friday 28 November but Peter will be offering his work in the NDC Library on December 2.

What: Book Signing
Where: Notre Dame Campus Library
When: Tuesday, 2 December 2014 at 12:30 p.m.

For more information see: http://www.rmbooks.com/author_details.php?contributor_id_1=2717

The Red River College Library would like to thank all those who responded to our “Library Art Contest”.  Students were asked to add their artwork to a Library Catalogue Card, which was provided to them.  The idea was to illustrate the front of the card, while incorporating the card’s original wording or concept.  Entries were judged on the quality of the artwork, the artistic interpretation and creativity.

• To see the prize winners, and their entries (click here)

Since we received so many awesome entries, we’d like to showcase some of the other entries we received.  Please enjoy this wonderful collection of artwork!

(Click the thumbnails below to view the full sized image)

The College Library has everything to do with College Wide Learning Outcomes.  Providing a broad coverage of current topics, a comprehensive library collection is critical to informing and updating students and faculty with the latest knowledge in their fields.

Libraries are not mere warehouses for books and other materials.  Through the teaching efforts of Library staff students learn information and digital literacy. These skills may not be taught explicitly in classrooms yet are necessary for students to be able to research and write papers, think independently and critically, and in general, be academically successful. Information competencies benefit students in the long run as they continue on with their future education and careers.

Like many other skills, information literacy must be learned and practiced, even in an age where large student populations own electronic devices, if not more so. On a daily basis, students who come into the Library or visit us online are introduced to a plethora of information resources including electronic books and streamed videos.  They learn how to access the electronic databases to do faceted searches, to narrow down or broaden the focus of their search, and evaluate resources.  And they learn to appreciate that even though Google is a powerful tool it is not the only search engine and it does not always give good results.

By solving technical problems in the computer lab and explaining to students the likely causes and steps to take to troubleshoot, our staff members are often lifesavers to students, teaching them to find the answers and solutions for themselves and giving them the confidence to explore and hence grow their own skills.

Authors: Can Li and John Mark Allen  – Red River College Library, Notre Dame Campus

The Red River College Library would like to thank all those who responded to our “Library Art Contest”.  Since we received so many wonderful entries, it was difficult to choose a winner. However, at the end of the process we have made the choice of two winners: Adam Brandt: Trouble at Lachine Mill and Amy Wood: Generals Die in Bed.

The winning entries are found below.  Please continue to watch the Library web site as we will soon be posting all the fantastic entries we received for this contest.  Thank you to all contestants!

Adam Brandt: “Trouble at Lachine Mill”

Amy Wood: “Generals Die in Bed”

Updated 14 Nov 14 – Added photos of winners receiving awards.

Adam Brandt – Norman Beattie

Paddy Burt – Amy Wood

Ally Week is a national youth-led effort empowering students to be allies against anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) bullying, harassment and name-calling.

It is usually held in September or October, often coinciding with National Coming Out Day on October 11, and October also being LGBT History Month. The event started in October 2005 and has grown since. This year Ally Week took place October 13-17, 2014.

The goal of Ally Week is to diminish stereotypes and exclusion while highlighting that peer support for LGBT students is stronger than the students themselves may have thought existed. People across the country can engage in a national dialogue about how everyone in and out of school can work to become better allies to LGBT youth.

Visit our the Notre Dame Campus Window Display

To increase LGBTT* awareness Library Services set up a window display at Notre Dame Campus where you can find additional information about the LGBTT* initiative at RRC.  As well, the RRC Library has many LGBTT* themed items in its collection. Check out some of the items that are currently on display in the Notre Dame Campus window display.

List of Items: http://library.rrc.ca/Search/Window-Display.aspx