Blog Archives

January Screenshare

Click here for instructions on how to download and set zoom and desktop backgrounds. For the type enthusiasts out there, this is a 20th century condensed gothic font. It is a sans-serif, upper and lower case font that includes numerals …

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Virtual Puzzles: Winter fun & a splash of colour to ring in 2021

Outdoor activities are front and center this holiday break. If you are looking for a fun way to stay warm after an afternoon of sledding or skiing, try your hand at solving these jigsaw puzzles featuring vintage images courtesy of …

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Trot away from 2020 with our DIY rare holiday phenakistoscope

This holiday season is unlike any other. As we move into a new (and hopefully better) year, the Library wishes you much peace, rest, and health coupled with lighthearted moments of reflection, joy, and discovery. Once again, we have remixed …

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De-Stress + Sketch: It Matters!

By Michelle Macleod, Assistant Curator, McGill Visual Arts Collection Lire la version française De-Stress and let your creative side take flight with McGill’s Visual Arts Collection. Sustained looking at an artwork can unlock greater appreciation. Sketch, sculpt, quilt, or paint …

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Tourism and Taunting: Martin Lister and William King’s 1698 Travel Tracts

By Dr. Mary Hague-Yearl, History of Medicine Librarian, Osler Library of the History of Medicine Lire la version française Does the pandemic have you feeling like a zombie? Grab your ticket and enter our historical portal! Your ticket will be …

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Busy behind-the-scenes: McGill Library’s Digitization-on-Demand

ballerina string puppet on a green backdrop

By Greg Houston, Digitization & New Media Administrator and Elis Ing, Liaison Librarian, Rare Books and Special Collections Lire la version française While our doors may be closed, we are still hard at work. With such rich collections of unique …

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Sweater Weather: Cozy Notes from the Archives

By Aeron MacHattie, Archivist, Rare Books & Special Collections Lire la version française As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, there is nothing better than a woolly knit or a fuzzy fleece for keeping warm. Whether it’s a …

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Theodore A. Harris’ “The Long Dream, After Richard Wright” and the Activists in Our Collections

Philadelphia-based artist, Theodore Harris, insists on the power of visual art to reveal diverse perspectives, speaking of our collective past, present, and future in a contentiously shared world.  Presenting as keynote at Culture Shock, a yearly event co-hosted by The …

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Dr. Barbara Althea Jones: a fascinating figure in McGill’s history

Dr. Barbara Althea Jones was born in Barataria, Trinidad in the late 1930s. She had a promising career in plant genetics, and was an accomplished poet, performer, and visual artist. She was also an activist, outspoken on the topic of …

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Let’s Feast! Historical Cooking Challenge

In March the library staff took on the challenge of cooking from historical recipes (read about it here). Adapting historical measurements and ingredients proved to be great fun. Now we throw that challenge out to you. Choose a recipe, make …

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