Category: Themes, Displays, and Library Events

Library Hall of Fame

October is Canadian Library Month and International School Library Month. As we celebrate CLM and ISLM each year, we highlight notable librarians who have made significant contributions to libraries and librarianship. We also celebrate librarians who have raised the profile of libraries and librarianship with their fame in other fields. Here are the 2024 inductees into our Library Hall of Fame:

Ed Greenwood

Ed Greenwood (source)

Ed Greenwood is a library clerk from rural Ontario. He is more famous for his prolific creativity in the world of role playing games and fantasy literature. He is the creator of the Forgotten Realms game world, which he first developed as a young child and integrated with Dungeons and Dragons. He would go on to develop intricate role playing game worlds, and write myriad novels, novellas, short stories and articles for fantasy and gaming magazines. He has won numerous awards and honours, including induction into the Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Leslie Weir

Leslie Weir (source)

Since 2019 Leslie Weir has served as Librarian and Archivist of Canada. She is the first woman to hold this post. Weir has served in many important roles in Canada’s academic libraries, including President of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, and University Librarian at the University of Ottawa. She has been honoured with numerous awards during a distinguished career.

Ken Roberts

Ken Roberts (source)

Ken Roberts is a Canadian librarian. He had distinguished career in many positions, including President of Canadian Library Association, and Chief Librarian in the Hamilton Public Library. He is also a well known as an award winning writer of books for children and young adults, including Past Tense, a Governor General’s Award nominee. Roberts has won numerous honours during his career. One supporter offered this high praise of Roberts, “What stands out for me with Ken is that, in spite of all his accomplishments, he is a librarian first and foremost, and a humble man.” (source)

Find out more:

Ed Greenwood

Leslie Weir

Ken Roberts

Previous Library Hall of Fame Inductees:

Brian Deer
Zoia Horn
Nancy Pearl
Gene Joseph
Jessamyn West
Zenodotus

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

The School Library, and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School, are closed on Monday, September 30, in observance of Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. “The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.” (canada.ca). As always, we urge you to consider how “Truth & Reconciliation” can be pursued throughout the year beyond September 30.

Find out more:

IPC

Come down to the School Library to check out our Indigenous Peoples Collection. As we observe Truth and Reconciliation Week here at Lord Tweedsmuir, what better time than now to take advantage of some of the excellent resources in our collection to learn more about this history and the current issues around Truth and Reconciliation?

Orange Shirt Day

Wear an orange shirt to school on Thursday, September 26

September 30th is Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada. Our school will be closed that day as the nation takes time to face the truth of our history and considers a path forward of reconciliation. As a school community, we continue to learn more about Truth and Reconciliation. At Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary, we encourage all students and staff to wear an orange shirt in school on Thursday, September 26, as well as on September 30th.

source: Province of British Columbia

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established as the Canadian government’s formal recognition of the importance of Orange Shirt Day, observed on September 30 over most of the last decade, as part of the overall effort of raising awareness and provoking discussion about the impact of Residential Schools in Canada, and finding the path toward reconciliation.

Banned Books Week

September 22 to 29 is the ALA’s “Banned Books Week.” While we in Canada observe the similar “Freedom to Read Week” in the new year, we can also join with our American neighbours in recognizing the very real threats to freedom and democracy that are posed by the massively sharp rise of book banning. The US has seen an especially concerted attack on books for teens about marginalized communities. We are not immune from such fascist tactics in Canada, as book challenges have risen in step with the rise of far right propaganda, and in most cases are centered on schools, classrooms and school libraries.

Find out more about Banned Books Week.

National Indigenous Peoples Day

From the Government of Canada:

“June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Canadian Constitution recognizes these three groups as Aboriginal peoples, also known as Indigenous peoples.

Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose June 21, the summer solstice, for National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day. For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.”

Find out more:

 Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Indigenous Peoples and Communities

Indigenous arts, culture and heritage

Indigenous Peoples Collection

Celebrate National Indigenous History Month in Canada by learning more about First Nations, Metis and Inuit people. Come down to your School Library to browse through our Indigenous Peoples Collection. This section of the School Library is devoted to titles from authentic indigenous writers.

All titles in the Indigenous Peoples Collection are designated with spine labels bearing the “IPC” prefix. Sublocations in the IPC include:

  • Coast Salish
  • Northwest Coast
  • First Nations
  • Inuit
  • Metis
  • Urban
  • Global
  • Own Voice
  • Truth and Reconciliation

and more…

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada.

National Indigenous History Month

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada. Join us in your School Library as we learn more about the history of the Indigenous People of Canada, including the First Nations, Metis and Inuit.

Find out more:

Canada.ca