Monday, May 14, 2018

Introducing the Waterloo Digital Library

Professor Don Cowan (seated) demonstrates a computer to an audience of high school students in this scanned photograph from 1965 available from the Waterloo Digital Library collection.

The Waterloo Digital Library (WDL) is a new and easy-to-use repository for exploring select items from the Library’s Special Collections & Archives (SCA). Curious about the University of Waterloo’s history? Want to know how Kitchener-Waterloo has changed over time? The WDL can help!

Managed through a partnership with SCA and the Library’s Digital Initiatives (DI) department, the WDL includes items from the University of Waterloo Bibliography, digitized images from the Kitchener-Waterloo Record Photographic Negative Collection and archival collections documenting the region’s history – as featured in the Waterloo Region Record. There are currently over 2,000 images and documents discoverable by students, researchers, or those just wanting a "cool pic" …something Digital Archivist Danielle Robichaud recognizes is a popular point of interest.

Although the site will continue to grow over time, not everything will be added to the WDL - items that are fragile, highly-used or support teaching and learning at Waterloo will be prioritized. The Head of SCA, Nick Richbell, explains that department staff still want to help people “experience the wonder of touching this material.” From an instructional standpoint, associate professor Ian Milligan sees the potential for this resource to inspire a new generation of students, “many have a real interest in the University's history - how Waterloo was different in the 1960s, for example, or how our unique student culture evolved.”

While DI staff work on enhancing the site’s functionality, moving toward hosting new types of digital content, Robichaud is managing the digitization and ingestion of archival materials. Recent additions include early student publications Math Medium and the Arts Lion. Work on the WDL will continue over the years, providing global access to the archives in a more efficient and accessible way, increasing their discoverability, use and impact. You can help the Library continuously improve the WDL by providing your feedback.

Learn more about the Waterloo Digital Library on Library News, or by visiting Special Collections & Archives.

New Sustainability Certificate offered to all University employees

The Sustainability Office is excited to announce the offering of a Sustainability Certificate to all University employees. This series of in-class courses is intended to help Waterloo embed sustainability into campus culture, one of the major goals of the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

“Talking with employees around campus, there is clearly an interest in sustainability,” says Mat Thijssen, Waterloo’s Sustainability Manager. “Only about one-in-three staff respondents in our 2016 campus-wide survey felt well-informed about sustainability issues, but over 70% wanted to learn more. This is certainly an opportunity area.”

First piloted during the winter term, this series includes seven modules that cover key local and global sustainability issues, what Waterloo is doing and where it’s headed, and tools and resources for employees to integrate sustainability into their own departments and beyond.

For more information and to register for the spring term, visit the Sustainability Certificate webpage.

Professors named to labour council expert panel

The Labour Market Information Council (LMIC) has named Waterloo professors Ellen MacEachen and Ana Ferrer to a newly formed 14-person Labour Market Information Experts Panel.

The members are drawn from across the country and include academics from universities such as the University of Ottawa, New Brunswick and the Université de Montréal, as well as other industry experts. The LMIC created the panel to help guide the development, evolution and priorities of the Council.

MacEachen, professor and associate director in the School of Public Health and Health Systems, researches the design and performance of work and health systems in relation to fast-changing economic, social and technological environments of the global economy. Ferrer, an Economics professor and incoming Associate Dean of Arts, Research, examines the economic implications of immigration, education and family economics.

The LMIC identifies cross-Canadian priorities for the collection, analysis and distribution of labour market information, and helps get better value from existing labour market information investments across Canada. It also fosters the exploration of new opportunities for collaboration between governments and stakeholders.

Monday's notes

The annual UW Blooms takes place in the Student Life Centre's Multipurpose Room today from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Bring your garden items to exchange at this annual event. Popular items include plants, seeds, magazines, cook books, and other garden-related items. No registration is required.

The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI) invites Waterloo students and scholars involved in India-related research to an information session entitled "India, Canada and Shastri India-Canadian Institute - A Canada-India Bridge for Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: New Funding Opportunities for Collaborative Educational and Research Activities with India" on Friday, May 25 in DC 1302 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Presenting will be Professor Girish M. Shah (President of SICI) and Professor Margaret Walton-Roberts (Executive Council). They will provide information about the Institute’s recent funding activities and research possibilities. 

Shastri is a binational organization that promotes understanding between India and Canada through academic activities and exchanges. Shastri’s initiatives support the creation of binational links between academia, government, the business community and civil society organizations by funding research and hosting seminars. More information can be found at the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute website. Please RSVP to waterloo.international@uwaterloo.ca.

Local candidates will gather at Wilfrid Laurier University on Wednesday, May 16 to debate post-secondary issues in the lead-up to the June 7 provincial election. The debate will feature candidates for each major provincial political party and will be moderated by the CBC One radio host Craig Norris. The event begins at 10:00 a.m. at WLU's Lazaridis Hall and is free and open to the public. Among the hosts of the event are FAUW, UWSA, Feds, and the GSA, to name a few.

Bo-ooooring! As part of a plan to redesign the Q Lot on East Campus to maximize parking space and ensure safe walkways, Parking Services has advised permit holders that an engineering company will be drilling boreholes in various areas of the lot on Friday, May 18. "There will be 16 holes in total," says the note from Parking Services. "Each hole takes approximately half an hour to drill, analyze, document and back fill. Each hole will be filled and cold patched immediately."

There will be no hazard to pedestrians or vehicles, and the contractor will be doing their best to ensure parking spaces aren't unduly affected, however there may be minimal delays in laneway movement. Flag staff will be on site to assist with navigation. 

"All drilling will be completed on the 18^th regardless of weather conditions," says Parking Services. "Your patience is appreciated."