Blog Archives

The “Her Natural History” Social Media Campaign: Highlighting female contributions to biodiversity research

From collecting specimens and serving as scientific illustrators to conducting and publishing research, authoring natural history books, and more, women have overcome many social and cultural obstacles and gender barriers to help further our understanding of the natural world. Biodiversity …

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What’s Lincoln’s Bloodstained Towel Doing Here?

Many Montrealers are unaware of the many weird and wonderful things held right downtown at McGill University. The Library has items dating back over four thousand years that make up some of the most important research collections in the world. …

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Gardening in difficult times

Social distancing has made me long for two things: the company of other people, and time outside in nature. In the last month or so, I have started seedlings and am planning to plant a small balcony garden near the …

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#Quarantunes: a ROAAr staff selection

Many, many (like a thousand) years ago, when I was a very anxious university student, I got the idea to make mix-CDs for people. It seemed like it would make for a nice distraction. I posted an anonymous ad online, …

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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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Dress the Part! The Costumes of Conundrum Suppers

Oswego Palladium. October 28 1919.

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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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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Comical Conundrums: What’s So Funny?

Good dinners by William Heath Rare Books and Special Collections

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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Out of Harm’s Way : Second World War scrapbooks shine a light on the experience of evacuee children brought to Quebec

La version française suit By Elis Ing, Liaison Librarian, Rare Books and Special Collections During the Second World War, Marjorie Kathleen Tovey, headmistress of a small independent school in Hertfordshire, England, decided to evacuate her students to Canada, just as …

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A monumental scan : Nobbs’ Bird’s-Eye View of McGill University

McGill crest detail from Nobbs' Bird's Eye View with scan in the background.

La version française suit By Greg Houston, Digitization Administrator & New Media Administrator Since its inception in 1996, the library digitization lab — formerly the Digital Collection Program — has captured and provided access to millions of pages and objects …

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