The Literary Ritual of Conundrum Suppers

Shakespeare added thousands of words to the English language, wrote both drama and poetry, and even bought himself a noble title! But was he a riddler? Apparently, literature and riddles have always been related.[1] As The Riddle Project dove into …

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Birks Windows

Zoom Backgrounds | McGill Library & More

Secret study spots, sun-lit nooks, silence in the stacks – we miss it all. Most of all, we miss seeing our users. So we created some library-themed and campus Zoom backgrounds to help the community feel connected while working remotely …

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Oswego Palladium. October 28 1919.

Dress the Part! The Costumes of Conundrum Suppers

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Protestant Churches would often host fundraising events called Conundrum Suppers. At these events, guests would order from menus entirely composed of riddles! Yet riddling menus were not the only entertainment. Performances and …

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Portrait of Dinah Lauterman

A French version follows. Une version française suit. By Jane O’Brien Davis, Museum Database Assistant, McGill Visual Arts Collection What’s in a name? The Blackader-Lauterman Library of Art and Architecture is named after two people: Gordon Home Blackader and Dinah Lauterman. …

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The Biblical Business of Riddling Repas

In many ways, the history of the riddle is the history of the Bible.[1] Riddles are scattered throughout both the Old and New Testaments, present in some of the most well-known stories, such as the riddle Samson told at his …

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Good dinners by William Heath Rare Books and Special Collections

Comical Conundrums: What’s So Funny?

Have you ever ordered food, just to be greeted with a dish of roaring laughter? At the fin de siècle of the 20th century, guests would gather at events called Conundrum Suppers, in which diners would order from menus written …

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Close up of gold cover of "Mrs. Beeton's Everyday Cookery and Housekeeping Book"

Let’s feast! Modern takes on rare recipes

Today’s Library staff cooking challenge illustrated just one of the myriad creative ways that Library collections can be brought to life! McGill’s Rare Books and Special Collections is home to around 3,000 cookbooks dating from the early 19th through to the …

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Call Me By My Name: The Nomenclature of Riddling Dinners

When we first discovered Conundrum Suppers – events in which guests order from menus written entirely in riddles – the name seemed oddly fitting. It described a meal served forth as  unsolved puzzles. Funnily enough, it is because of the …

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~11,300 LibQUAL+ survey responses have helped McGill Library continuously improve since 2003

Over the past two decades, McGill Library has administered the LibQUAL+ survey on a quasi-annual basis to assess satisfaction with collections, services, and spaces. After survey results are analyzed, we act to make needed improvements. Increasing the number of our …

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Group of Library staff members holding up McGill flags and signs that say "#McGill24"

What difference will you make? McGill24 2020

McGill24, the University’s fifth annual day of giving is almost here! On Wednesday, March 11, donations will be made around the world with the aim of impacting the current and future McGill community. If we all come together for a …

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