Blog Archives

Explore the Quebec skiing history collection

Mrs. G.A. Wendt holding skis, Mount Royal (1921)

A newly highlighted collection at McGill Libraries captures this rich history of skiing in Montreal and Quebec during the first half of the twentieth century. The collection consists of photographs, hotel advertisements and informational pamphlets, postcards, and ephemera illustrating the …

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Brilliant Blues for Winter Days

Japanese print of people on a beach with water and trees

By Octavian Sopt, Senior Documentation Technician, Rare Books and Special Collections At the onset of gray winter weather, I think about the multitude of vibrant colors that filled the exhibition cases in the 4th floor lobby of the McLennan Library …

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A Noble Fragment

We had the great pleasure of chatting over a video conference call with author and journalist Michael Visontay, residing in Sydney, Australia, following the release of his most recent book Noble Fragments. It recounts the riveting story of Gabriel Wells, …

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Holiday Remix | Rover’s Dinner Party

La version française suit. This festive scene is taken from Rover’s Dinner Party, was a part of the Aunt Louisa’s Toy Books series, published by Frederick Warne & Co. in the mid-to-late 19th century. This popular line of illustrated children’s books blended entertainment …

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Year-End Roundup: 2025 Most Searched and Borrowed Resources

This year, thousands of community members clicked, streamed, borrowed, bookmarked, binged, and dove deep into our collections. Now it’s time to look back at the topics and resources that defined your year. Whether you’re cozying up at home or logging …

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McGill Libraries Uncovers Royal Bible Formerly Owned by King Charles I

La version française suit. The Cataloguing Team is part of McGill Libraries’ Collection Services and they process thousands of items each year, enhancing the searchability of the library materials. These materials include new acquisitions, as well as backlog collections. One …

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Apple Season in Saguenay

Saguenay Cook Book

Apple season is here! Try your hand at making a scrumptious Apple Dumpling or a custard! You’ll give yourself a chance to time-travel back to 1944. This recipe comes Mrs. Finley McLeod from the Saguenay Cook Book, published by the …

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Something to Write Home About

Close up of student on top of collage featuring student on top of Eiffel Tower Old McGill Yearbook page from 1931/

Meet “Orvil,” a wide-eyed McGill freshman of 1930 whose letters home published in the 1931 Old McGill Yearbook are equal parts endearing, funny, and just a little bit cheeky. From missing the pigs back on the farm to navigating poetry …

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The Journey of the Jingjiao Stele: From Tang China to Montreal

La version française suit. By Sophie Becquet, McGill Visual Arts Collection Student Intern (2024-) The Jingjiao (景教) Stele, or Xi’an Nestorian Stele, holds far more than meets the eye, bridging East and West through its cultural and religious significance and …

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McGill Lends Medieval Treasures to Pointe-à-Callière’s Chevaliers/Knights Exhibit

The two leaves on display as part of the Knights exhibition at Pointe-à-Callière Museum.

La version française suit. McGill Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections is proud to contribute to Pointe-à-Callière Museum’s latest exhibition, Chevaliers/Knights, currently on view in the Old Port of Montreal until October 19, 2025. Two exquisite 15th-century manuscript leaves from …

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