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Librarian Picks: Holiday Reads

By phchow on September 13, 2022

‘Tis the Season! Librarians at Asian Library have compiled recommendations for you to read while you relax during the upcoming winter holiday break. You are welcome to visit the Asian Library and check them out.

Call number: DS740.4 B76125 2023
Title: Hubilie de lie bao: ba bai nian lai de Zhongguo yu shi jie
忽必烈的猎豹: 八百年来的中国与世界
Author: Timothy Brook; translated by Feng Yida 卜正民著, 冯亦达译

This book explores China’s history from a new angle. The author, Professor Timothy Brook, started the book from a Chinese rare map at UBC Library. He shows how China’s past can help us understand its present and future. The book narrates 13 fascinating stories from the Yuan Dynasty to the Republic of China, revealing the Chinese people’s interactions with the outside world. The stories feature the “Persian Blue Princess,” whom Kublai Khan chose for the Mongol throne; Korean envoys who ended up in China by accident; the Italian Jesuit missionaries who introduced Renaissance ideas; and the masses of European traders flocking to ports like Canton. The book has been translated into six languages, including this traditional Chinese one, published this year in Taiwan.

 

Call number: SB103 S8227 2020
Title: Ren wen cao mu: 16 zhong zhi wu de qi yuan, xun hua yu chong bai
人文草木: 16种植物的起源, 驯化与崇拜
Authors: Su Shengwen, Zhao Shuang 苏生文, 赵爽

This book is captivating plant history book. It narrates the historical transformations of 16 plants, focusing on their roles in China’s history. The story of each plant can be read separately. It is suitable as a fragmented reading book for understanding plants, that connect people and places. You can discover the global travels of a potato; find out how the “golden apple” from ancient Greek myth became real; and learn about the lost classical works through the “Rose Bible”. You can also explore the original worship of gourds in different ethnic groups. It has over 100 beautiful illustrations throughout the book.

 

 

 

Call number: PL872.5 U26 Y67 2022
Title: Yoru ni hoshi o hanatsu 夜に星を放つ
Author: Kubo Misumi 窪美澄

Yoru ni hoshi o hanatsu 夜に星を放つ, roughly translated as “Releasing the Stars into the Night,” is a jewel of a collection of medium-length stories. Comprising five narratives, each intricately woven through constellations in the zodiac, it delves into various stages and moments in life: falling in love and parting, birth and death, friendships, and estrangements. Every story is absorbing and engaging, but what’s truly breathtaking is the emotional depth of the characters revealed through short phrases and small gestures. This book earned the author, Kubo Misumi 窪美澄, the prestigious Naoki Shō 直木賞 award in 2022, hailed as a “beautiful and pure novel” by one of the selection committee members. In an interview at the time, Kubo mentioned that she had written the book during the Covid-19 pandemic, aiming to brighten people’s hearts. If you appreciate well-crafted short stories, this book will not disappoint and will lift your spirit through its sheer beauty.

 

Call number: PN6790 J33 G34 2020
Title: Bōizu ran za raiotto ボーイズ・ラン・ザ・ライオット
Author: Gaku Keito 学慶人

Bōizu Ran za Raiotto ボーイズ・ラン・ザ・ライオット is a wonderfully crafted manga series originally published in Shūkan Yangu Magajin 週刊ヤングマガジン, a popular weekly manga journal targeting the young adult, primarily male audience. This short series captivates readers with a wonderful ensemble cast of cool, odd, and beautiful characters. It chronicles the adventures and heartbreaks of a group of high school students on the margins of their school and extracurricular communities. The main character, Ryō, a young transgender man, along with his circle of hip and eccentric friends, finds creative outlet in the fashion business. Through this journey, the friends authentically grow into themselves. The author, Gaku Keito 学慶人, is a transgender man, who has been awarded the Young Category Prize of the Chiba Tetsuya Award, which commemorates renowned manga artist Chiba Tetsuya ちばてつや. The prize is for emerging manga creators, and Gaku’s impactful winning entry, Akarui (Bright), can be viewed online.

 

 

Call number: PN6790 K62 K8 2022
Title: Kŭ kil ro kal pa en: chŏlmŭn manhwaga t’ema tanp’yŏn jip
그 길로 갈 바엔: 젊은 만화가 테마 단편집
Author: 재활용 and four others

To deviate, to digress, to leave the expected path and go this way instead of that way—what does it mean, in the grand scheme of our lives? What will happen, to us or to society? Kŭ kil ro kal pa en 그 길로 갈 바엔 is a collection of themed short stories in graphic novel format, by new and upcoming artists. The given theme was “deviance/digression” and the title translates roughly to “Rather Than Going That Way”. There is a lighthearted school/romance comedy, a surreal/horror story, a dreamy introspective end-of-life tale, and more. One might dance with an alien; one might deliver oracles via eggs. Perhaps because these are newer artists, the material reflects a bold energy and original ideas, together with a less-processed feel. It is like sitting in your neighborhood café listening to live sessions by the best local bands.

 

 

Call number: QH541.13 C475 2022
Title: Tongne esŏ chayŏn ŭl kwanch’al hanŭn 9-kaji pangpŏp
동네에서 자연을 관찰하는 9가지 방법
Author: Ch’oe Sŏng-yong 최 성용

In our polished urban environment, what little nature there is has been artificially managed to such a degree that we couldn’t possibly find anything interesting to observe. Is it true? The author finds a scary-looking wasplike insect building its nest over the doorway of a barbershop and is suddenly struck by curiosity: what is that bug with the alarmingly narrow, bright yellow waist? What’s its name? Is the nest going to become a hive? Most importantly, does the insect sting? Finding the answers to these questions is the beginning of a six-year observation period in which the author, who used to travel across the country to watch birds and study trees, stays put in a smallish satellite city and documents the urban life that you can see from your sidewalk, but only if you keep your eyes open. This book is of course on the nature you can observe in Korea, but it will be a fun introduction to the kind of attitude a budding citizen scientist might have.

 

 

Call number: PK2098 S7 G6165 2007
Title: Godāna ਗੋਦਾਨ (in Panjabi)
Author: Premchand

“Godaan” refers to the donation of a cow in charity to absolve one of sin and receive divine blessing. Hori, a poor peasant who yearns to own a cow, finds himself strung up and bound by a series of dream-crushing events despite doing as much as possible to uphold his duty to his family. The honest man in Hori drowns under the hardships he unfairly faces. Premchand weaves a story of village politics, colonial landownership, and the burden of having a dream. Still, there is hope that Hori will fulfill his life’s desire of owning a cow. The question is: How far will he go in the struggle for survival and self-respect? This story will bring tears, it will bring laughter, but most of all, this story will remind you of the blessings of being human.

 

 

Call number: PR9499.3 G644 B55155 2022
Title: Āndhārī आंधारी (in Hindi)
Author: Namita Gokhale; translated by Prabhat Ranjan

The blind matriarch, Matangi-Ma, lives on the topmost floor of an old house where she hovers unseeingly over the lives of her family. One day, the world comes to a standstill, forcing Matangi-Ma’s long-time companion Lali, her three overprotective children, and her growing grandchildren to look inward at the lives they’re leading. Structured with the warp of memory and the weft of conjoined lives, the novel follows generations trying to break out of the stranglehold of the all-encompassing Indian family. Ebbing and flowing like the waves of a pandemic, the novel is a clear-eyed chronicle of the tragedies of India’s encounter with Covid-19, the cynicism and despair that accompanied it, and the resilience and strength of the human spirit. We are prompted to remember the true meaning of family, and the value it holds.

 

 

 

Posted in Carousel, Chinese language, Collections, Festivals, Japanese language, Korean language, South Asian language | Read More | No Comments

Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office Impact Report 2021/2022

By feedwordpress on September 13, 2022

Recently the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office released its 2021/2022 Impact and Activity Report, showcasing some of the year’s highlights and accomplishments.

For more information, or to share feedback please contact scholarly.communications@ubc.ca

Read the Report

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Upcoming Closure [UPDATE]

By feedwordpress on July 6, 2022

The Rare Books and Special Collections and University Archives temporary reading room (IKBLC 142) will continue to be temporarily closed until January 31, 2023 to accommodate a facilities upgrade project. As a result, there will be some changes to library services.

University Archives (as well as RBSC) will provide remote reference services (by phone and e-mail), some reproduction services, and digital instructional support (when feasible) during this time. In addition, some collections maybe be inaccessible until early 2023. Please contact us for more information on supports available for remote research and instructional support requests.

We regret the inconvenience this may cause to researchers and other visitors.

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UBC, the UEL, and How They Got That Way

By feedwordpress on June 21, 2022

Anybody who has ever attended or worked at the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus knows that it is not actually part of the City of Vancouver – despite the fact that its mailing address clearly states “Vancouver”.  Together with the University Hill neighbourhood and Pacific Spirit Regional Park, it actually forms an “unincorporated area” – part of Electoral Area A within the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

Electoral Area A, commonly known as the “University Endowment Lands” or UEL, is subject to several overlapping jurisdictions: Metro Vancouver, the provincial government, Musqueam First Nation, and of course UBC itself.  However, there is nothing that can be considered an elected local government, answerable to people who live and/or work there.  The resulting governance situation can be confusing for students, residents, and businesses alike.

However, this was not always the case.  In fact, it is likely that few people know the historical circumstances that led to this situation.  Those circumstances centred, as so many things do in Vancouver, on money, real estate, and politics – and the issue was decided by the votes of only a few hundred local residents.

Vancouver as originally incorporated in 1886 included only the areas immediately south of Burrard Inlet and around False Creek.  Its southern and western boundaries were what are now 16th Avenue and Alma Street, respectively.  The lands beyond those boundaries – still covered in old-growth or second-growth forest except for scattered farms and homesteads – remained unorganized.

In 1892 the District Municipality of South Vancouver was established, extending west of Boundary Road (Burnaby) and south of Vancouver.  It was also defined as enclosing the land “along the low water mark” of the North Arm of the Fraser River and the south shore of English Bay, including Point Grey itself.

In 1908 South Vancouver was divided roughly in half, at what is now Cambie Street.  The western part was incorporated as the Municipality of Point Grey, and included “all of that portion of the said present Municipality of South Vancouver lying west of the line of division”.

In 1910 a provincial University Site Commission selected the western end of Point Grey as the site for the proposed University of British Columbia.  In response, the government reserved 175 acres from their extensive Crown land holdings in that area of the Municipality of Point Grey for UBC’s future home.  The Province also reserved about two million acres in the interior of British Columbia as a source of financial support for the university.  Proceeds from the sale of these lands were to be used to fund its construction and maintenance.  However, it was soon discovered that the reserved lands did not have enough value to ever provide significant revenue.  The government eventually exchanged the original endowment for about 3000 acres adjacent to the Point Grey site.  Both the university site and the surrounding University Endowment Lands were Crown land owned by the Province, but still located within the municipal boundaries of Point Grey.

Map of Point Grey showing proposed streets on future UBC campus site

Vancouver Map and Blueprint Co. Ltd. (1910). [Map of Point Grey showing proposed streets on future UBC campus site – cropped]. UBC Rare Books and Special Collections.

From an early date the Municipality had high hopes for the development of the Point Grey lands.  A map dated 1910 shows a proposed network of roads extending westward to the end of Point Grey, culminating in a park or “Village Green” near the site of today’s Rose Garden.  Beginning in 1909 the town had campaigned for the University Site Commission to consider the area for the site of UBC’s campus.  A petition that year asked municipal council to borrow up to $375,000 to build roads and other infrastructure to serve the lands around the point if the Commission chose that area (Vancouver Sun, 19 January 1929).

Construction of the campus began in 1914, but was suspended at the outbreak of the First World War, and further delayed by financial shortfalls and government inaction.  UBC opened its doors in 1915 at the “Fairview campus” near Vancouver General Hospital.  It took a 1922 student publicity campaign, culminating with the “Great Trek” parade and the presentation of a petition with 56,000 signatures, to convince the provincial government to renew construction at Point Grey.

The following year, the Province began planning the development of the UEL for sale as residential properties.  Lots had to be surveyed; roads, sewers, and other infrastructure had to be built.  The question of how to pay for this work soon became a source of tension between the Province and the Municipality of Point Grey.

During the 1923 Point Grey municipal elections, George A. Walkem of the UBC Department of Mechanical Engineering ran for the position of reeve (equivalent to mayor).  Walkem’s position was that the Province “should develop the grounds … and on completion turn the entire site over to the municipality, debt free”.  He cited the development of Shaughnessy by the CPR, which turned over the high-end neighbourhood to Point Grey upon completion, as a precedent (Vancouver Sun, 5 January 1923).  Walkem insisted that once the University was established at Point Grey the surrounding lands would increase in value, so that their sale would pay off any debt incurred from developing the area (Vancouver World, 10 January 1923).  Walkem would go on to win election and serve as reeve for two years.

In a meeting with Point Grey municipal council on November 19, 1923, Provincial Engineer E.A. Cleveland outlined the provincial government’s own plans.  According to Cleveland, about 100 acres had already been cleared and made ready for the necessary improvements.  He told the council that this initial offering was “an experiment on the part of the government”.  If it was successful, further tracts within the UEL would opened up in a similar manner.

Sample of clippings regarding University lands, November 1923

Scrapbook #16, p. 31 (November 1923). [Newspaper clippings from Vancouver “World”, “Province”, and “Sun” regarding development of University lands]. UBC Scrapbook Collection. University of British Columbia Archives.

Contrary to what Reeve Walkem had suggested, Cleveland explained that the cost of those improvements would ultimately be borne by the buyers of the building lots through their property taxes.  However, the immediate financing of that work had to be addressed.  It was eventually agreed that the provincial government would continue development of the site and finance all improvements.  Point Grey would take them over upon completion and reimburse the Province for the work, issuing bonds to raise the money.  The Municipality could then assess a local improvement tax on those properties to retire the bonds.

However, the Province insisted that assessments on the built lots not be raised for an extended period.  The government’s concern was that the UEL lots were likely to be of higher value than other properties.  Assessed at a higher rate, they would carry a disproportionate share of costs of other municipal improvements, and so be less attractive to buyers.  Point Grey council, however, did not want this limitation imposed, arguing that “the provincial government should not expect an artificially-low tax assessment for its buyers when such a privilege was not open to the ordinary ratepayer” (Vancouver World, 20 November 1923).

Apart from toney Shaughnessy, the neighbourhoods known today as Kerrisdale, Marpole, and West Point Grey, and a few farms, most of the Municipality consisted of undeveloped land which generated no tax revenue.  With such a narrow tax base, the council did not want to be made responsible for new local infrastructure that it could not pay for.  The provincial government also saw this, and suspected that Point Grey would eventually treat the UEL area as a “cash cow” supporting the entire municipality.

By the spring of 1924 the assessment question still threatened to block a final agreement.  Minister of Lands T.D. Pattullo was quoted in the Vancouver Sun on April 12 saying “that the new subdivision cannot pay for all its own improvements and also be saddled with the cost of improvements in other parts of the municipality is [a position] that we cannot very well recede from…”.  He then hinted at a possible consequence of not reaching an agreement:

Our only alternative would be to establish a new municipality, which, of course, we do not wish to do.

The suggestion that UBC and the lands surrounding it could be carved off from Point Grey caught the imagination of at least one editorial writer at the Sun:

To permit the formation of a Greater Vancouver without embarrassment and hindrance, Government and University holdings in Point Grey should be created into a separate municipality to be known as University Municipality….
It would take years to develop this tract of land under Point Grey government, because Point Grey is an expansive municipality with troubles of its own.
Separated from Point Grey, this tract could be developed by the University and the Government in a manner that would yield most profits from this area which will be a future important residential section of Vancouver. (Editorial, Vancouver Sun, April 16, 1924)

View of University Boulevard after paving and landscaping

Frank, Leonard (26 March 1929). [View of University Boulevard after paving and landscaping]. UBC Archives image UBC 1.1/117

Negotiations dragged on through the spring and summer.  In August Pattullo issued a statement reiterating the government’s stance, and repeated his threat to remove the University and the UEL from Point Grey if no agreement could be reached.

By this time the improvement work was nearing completion.  On 108 acres, containing the first 100 lots to be sold, about 26 miles of pipe for water, sewers, and drains had been laid, with connections up to the property lines of every lot.  Contracts for paving 2 ½ miles of road and 1 ½ miles of sidewalk were about to be awarded, and that work would be done within six weeks.  According to Pattullo, immediately upon completion of the paving, those 100 lots would be put on the market so that “purchasers may have their homes built by the time the University opens its new home” the next year (Vancouver Sun, August 19, 1924).

Minister Pattullo and Provincial Engineer Cleveland met with Point Grey council on August 29 in an attempt to reach a final decision.  When newspapers reported on the meeting the next day, it was obvious that while the assessment question had been side-stepped, the main issue – that the UEL properties could not be exploited to support improvements elsewhere in Point Grey – had been settled in favour of the Province.  Both sides publicly agreed that neither the Province nor the eventual purchasers of the improved UEL lots would assume any of the Municipality’s current financial obligations.  Whatever taxes or fees might come from from the UEL properties, regardless of their assessment, would not go towards those old debts.  The neighbourhood would be responsible only for its own improvements and for its share of the general cost of Point Grey’s municipal administration.

However, conflict re-emerged when the government introduced the Point Grey and District Lot 140 Agreement Act to the legislature in December.  The proposed act called for Point Grey to take over the administration of the entire UEL – some 3000 acres – rather than just the land currently being readied for sale.  Also, the Province would have the power to put on the market any additional amount of land without municipal consent.  Finally, the legislation included a clause that empowered the government to take those lands (officially known as “a portion of District Lot 140, Group 1, New Westminster District”) out of Point Grey entirely if the Municipality objected to the government’s terms.

Sample of clippings regarding removing University lands from Point Grey, March 1925

Scrapbook #16, p. 134 (March 1925). [Newspaper clippings from Vancouver “Province” and “Sun” regarding removal of University lands from Point Grey]. UBC Scrapbook Collection. University of British Columbia Archives.

Point Grey council saw these as unilateral changes to the deal they thought they had reached with the Province.  They feared that the immediate transfer of such a large area would be a burden to Point Grey ratepayers.  Council insisted that they would only take control of the 108 acres initially intended for sale, with the rest to remain as Crown lands until they were similarly ready for the real estate market.  Based on their conversations with the Provincial Engineer the previous year, they had assumed the plan was intended as an “experiment” to test public demand for those properties, and that further negotiations would be necessary to decide how to dispose of the remaining lands.

There was no provision for Point Grey residents to approve this deal through election or referendum.  Feelings ran so high, however, that a referendum was scheduled for March 28, 1925.  The question was put to voters: were they for or against the transfer of the UEL from the Crown to municipal administration on the government’s terms?  Minister Pattullo and the British Columbia government stood firm: vote yes, or the Municipality of Point Grey would lose the University, the UEL, and ironically the geographical Point Grey itself.

The government’s threats had no effect, as the proposal was rejected in a landslide vote of 860-264.  It was one of eleven measures submitted for approval that day, all of which were rejected – it is possible that the voters of Point Grey were simply of a mind to say “no” to everything.  However, regarding the University lands question it is almost certain that the heavy-handed approach of the provincial government played a role as well.

The government lost no time in responding: Minister Pattullo made it clear that the Province would take the UEL out of Point Grey.  However, they would administer it as an unorganized territory.

While it was never said outright, the decision not to immediately set up a new municipality was likely due to the immediate need to upgrade the area’s water supply.  According to Minister of Public Works W.H. Sutherland:

The [water] pressure at the University is now so low that it affords no fire protection at all….  We have to pay an abnormally high rate on our insurance.  We … shall probably have to put in a storage tank, acquire fire fighting apparatus including pumps, and organize a volunteer fire brigade among the students and employees.  We can not afford to have a disastrous fire in the new University buildings. (Vancouver Evening Sun, March 30, 1925)

This was a time-sensitive priority, for the sake of the University facilities still under construction as well as for the building lots that were due to go on sale on May 1.  It was likely simpler for the Province to deal with this directly, without any additional political distractions.

The idea of a new municipality still had some public support:

“Students Wish to Establish Town in Wesbrook’s Memory…”

[S]tudents who have been wishing to find some way of commemorating the memory of the late Dr. Francis Fairchild Wesbrook will now likely turn their attention to a plan asking the provincial members to form a new municipality called Wesbrook, B.C….
Already several members of the Alumni Association have expressed their willingness to support the movement…. (Evening Sun, March 30, 1925)

“VARSITY MAY RULE DISTRICT”
“Rejection of Pt. Grey Pact With Gov’t May Result in Novel Municipality Being Formed”

A university municipality with undergraduate mayor and undergraduate councilmen may result from the Point Grey voting Saturday, the ratepayers of that municipality having turned down the University Lands Agreement submitted by the government….
[It would give] students a chance to obtain practical insight into civic administration…. (Vancouver Star, March 30, 1925)

Map of proposed development of UEL lands, 1926 (UBC Archives image 1.1/569-2)

BC Department of Lands (1926). University Endowment Lands … Plan showing General Arrangement of Blocks and Roads [map]. UBC Archives image 1.1/569-2.

Some commentary was more satirical in nature:

The New Municipality
By P.W. LUCE

… No man will be allowed to vote unless he holds the degree of Bachelor of Arts.  Votes of money by-laws will be confined to Masters of Arts.  Men who hold two or more degrees may vote two or more times, but in no case will absent-minded professors be allowed to vote for last year’s candidates at next year’s election….
All newcomers into the municipality will be considered as freshmen ratepayers, and must be initiated, before casting a ballot.  Those who object will be taken to the westerly boundary and shoved off into the saltchuck….
Whenever there is a surplus in the treasury the professor of mathematics who happens to be treasurer that year will be requested to go through his books carefully and find out how the mistake occurred.  If there has been no mistake and there really is money on hand, the shock will probably kill all the members of the council, and a beautiful experiment will come to an untimely end. (The Province, March 30, 1925)

Official confirmation of the Province’s intentions came in a letter from Pattullo to Point Grey council on April 8, which read, in part, “I beg to inform you that it is the intention to withdraw the University lands from the confines of the Municipality of Point Grey”.  A provincial order-in-council would later set the new boundaries at Camosun Street, 16th Avenue, and Blanca Street.

Responses from council were low-key and tinged with regret, but the general feeling was that it was all the government’s doing and it was out of their hands.  “I regret that the Government has taken this course,” councillor T. B. Bate was quoted in the Morning Sun on April 9. “Undoubtedly, had the Government given Point Grey anything like an equitable agreement, I feel sure that the residents of Point Grey would, without the slightest hesitation, have taken over this area, and that it would have been in the best interests of all parties concerned. But the agreement, as it stood, was absolutely detrimental to the interests of taxpayers”.

University Endowment Lands Plan of Unit No. 1

BC Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resources (1923). University Endowment Lands Plan of Unit No. 1. UBC Archives image UBC 1.1/569-3

Ironically, considering that it was the selection of Point Grey as the site of UBC’s permanent campus that spurred the residential development of the area, the University administration had little involvement in this dispute.  No recorded public statement regarding the matter was ever made by President Leonard Klinck, or (apart from George Walkem during his 1923 election campaign) by any other University official.

Also, almost no discussion of the matter was noted in the minutes of the UBC Board of Governors – the governing body responsible for property and business affairs of the University, and therefore the body presumably most directly concerned with the political status of the Point Grey lands.  One exception is recorded in the minutes of the meeting of 31 March 1924, when the Board approved sending a letter to Minister Pattullo “in regard to placing reserve on University site and adjacent lands”.  While this is vague, it might have been in connection with Pattullo’s suggestion of 12 April to create a separate municipality if no agreement could be reached.  Almost exactly a year later, on 30 March 1925 the Board approved a map submitted by Provincial Engineer Cleveland “showing the changes in the boundaries of the University site”.  Almost certainly this map was intended to show the areas to be separated from Point Grey Municipality.

Aerial view of Point Grey showing new UBC campus (right) and early development of UEL Lot No. 1 (centre)

Royal Canadian Air Force (19 September 1925). [Aerial view of Point Grey showing new UBC campus (right) and early development of UEL Lot No. 1 (centre)]. UBC Archives image UBC 106.1/197.

The UBC campus and the UEL were placed under the control of the Department of Lands, which would carry out the Province’s development plans.  Lots on the first 108-acre unit – part of today’s University Hill – were placed on the market in May.  Two years later, lots in a second subdivision of 83 acres were offered for sale.  However, by 1930 the costs of surveying and servicing University Hill had outstripped the demand.  UBC never saw any money from those sales – the revenue went towards debt retirement and general operating expenses.  Development slowed during the Depression, and the last remaining lots were not sold until well after the Second World War.

For its part, Point Grey merged with the City of Vancouver in 1929.  The University lands remained separate, and are still separate to this day.  There is no municipal government.  The University now controls most of what happens on the campus itself and the residential areas immediately surrounding it – collectively known as “University Town” – with input from the University Neighbourhoods Association.  University Hill and the “University Village” mini-mall on University Boulevard are still part of the UEL, governed by the Regional District and with services provided by the provincial government and paid for with residential and commercial taxes.  Local schools are governed by the Vancouver School Board.  Finally, as it is part of their traditional un-ceded territory, Musqueam First Nation has an increasing amount of influence on how the area is developed and governed, especially with their leləm̓ neighbourhood now nearing completion.  There is no local government, and the overlapping jurisdictions can be confusing for residents and businesses alike.

University Endowment Lands streetscape

Frank, Leonard (26 March 1929). University Endowment Lands streetscape. UBC Archives image UBC 1.1/651-2

Occasionally, the idea to form a new municipality is brought up again.  However, residents voted against it in a 1995 referendum.  Apart from a detailed proposal published in The Ubyssey student newspaper in 2011, no other serious attempt to revive the issue has been made since.  The other possibility would be a merger with the City of Vancouver.  This was proposed most recently in a 2006 Metro Vancouver planning report, but has otherwise also garnered little serious support.

The unique governance structure of the UBC-Vancouver campus remains intact.  Almost a century after the campus and the University Endowment Lands were established as a separate entity, it is assumed that it has always been this way, and will be for the foreseeable future.  Its origins – in a relatively minor political dispute decided by a small-town vote – remain largely unknown to students, staff, and residents alike.

Sources

Posted in History, UBC_history, UEL | Read More | No Comments

We’re moving (but only temporarily)

By feedwordpress on April 27, 2022

The Rare Books & Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room on Level 1 of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (IKBLC) will be temporarily relocated to IKBLC 142 beginning May 9th, 2022, due to construction for an upgrade project.

To prepare for this relocation, the Rare Books & Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room (IKBLC 110) will be closed to the public on May 5 and May 6th and will reopen on Monday, May 9th. University Archives’ staff have already been relocated to Level 2 of IKBLC, but can still be reached by phone and e-mail and in-person consultations can still be arranged.

Also, before visiting please contact us, as some of our collections will be inaccessible until early 2023, due in part to this project.

See below for location of satellite Reading Room to open May 9th.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause to researchers and other visitors.

Map - relpcated meeting room

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Collection Spotlight: Earth Day, April 22, 2024

By feedwordpress on April 19, 2022

April 22, 2024 is Earth Day!

Earth Day is an annual event held to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote action to protect the planet. The first Earth Day was held in 1970, and since then, it has grown into a global movement with participation from over 190 countries.

UBC is celebrating Earth Day with various events including bike repair info, a beeswax wrap workshop and a children’s gardening workshop, all put on by the UNA (University Neighbourhoods Association).

You can also celebrate by stopping by UBC Education Library and browsing the Earth Day book display located in the breezeway on the main level.  The display features books about sustainability, conservation, and the natural world.

This Earth Day, let’s acknowledge our strides in protecting the planet while recognizing the challenges that persist. From individual actions to global initiatives, our efforts matter. Let’s pledge to live sustainably, advocate for the environment, and work together for a healthier planet. #EarthDay2024 🌍✨

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Collection Spotlight: International Women’s Day – Wednesday, March 8, 2024

By feedwordpress on February 25, 2022

International Women’s Day is Wednesday, March 8, 2024. Below are some recommended titles found at UBC Education Library to add to your reading list.

Click on the book cover or title to take you to the UBC Library catalogue record for the item.

Juvenile Literature: Collective Biographies

25 women who fought back
Jill Sherman.
HQ1236 .S49 2019

Discover 25 women who challenged the status quo and fought for what they believed in.

From all corners of the world, these women show us that barriers are meant to be broken and obstacles can be overcome.

Learn about some of the fierce women who persevered in the face of adversity to fight for what they thought was right.

Little dreamers: visionary women around the world
Vashti Harrison.
CT3207 .H37 2018

“Brief, illustrated bios of women creators around the world”–
Featuring the true stories of women creators and thinkers from around the world, throughout history, this book shows that sometimes seeing things a little differently can lead to big changes.

Some names are well known, some are not, but all the women had a lasting effect on the fields they worked in. Whether they were breaking ground for innovative structures or breaking rules and creating new ones, the women profiled here not only made a place for themselves in the world but made the world a better place to live.

She persisted around the world: 13 women who changed history
written by Chelsea Clinton; illustrated by Alexandra Boiger.
HQ1123 .C56 2018

She Persisted Around the World is a book for everyone who has ever aimed high and been told to step down, for everyone who has ever raised their voice and been told to quiet down, and for everyone who has ever felt small, unimportant or unworthy.

Alexandra Boiger’s vibrant artwork accompanies this inspiring text that shows readers of all ages that, no matter what obstacles come their way, they have the power to persist and succeed.

This book features: Marie Curie, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Viola Desmond, Sissi Lima do Amor, Leymah Gbowee, Caroline Herschel, Wangari Maathai, Aisha Rateb, J.K. Rowling, Kate Sheppard, Yuan Yuan Tan, Mary Verghese and Malala Yousafzai.

Hidden figures: the true story of four Black women and the space race
Margot Lee Shetterly with Winifred Conkling; illustrated by Laura Freeman.
QA27.5 .S548 2018

Explores the previously uncelebrated but pivotal contributions of NASA’s African American women mathematicians to America’s space program, describing how Jim Crow laws segregated them despite their groundbreaking successes. Includes biographies on Dorothy Jackson Vaughan (1910-2008), Mary Winston Jackson (1921-2005), Katherine Colman Goble Johnson (1918- ), Dr. Christine Mann Darden (1942- ).
Katherine, Dorothy, Mary, and Christine were all good at math. Really good. And it was their understanding of numbers that helped them do what seemed impossible. They were women, and they were African-American, and they lived during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But Katherine, Dorothy, Mary, and Christine were hardworking and persistent and, most important, smart. And that’s why NASA hired them to do the math that would one day send the United States into space for the very first time. New York Times bestselling author Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrator Laura Freeman bring to life the inspiring story of the struggles of these four “hidden figures” and what they overcame to succeed. The math work they did would change not only their own lives, but the face of air and space travel forever. — From dust jacket.

Bad girls of fashion: style rebels from Cleopatra to Lady Gaga
Jennifer Croll; illustrated by Ada Buchholc.
GT1720 .C76 2016

The title says it all: Bad Girls of Fashion explores the lives of ten famous women who have used clothing to make a statement, change perceptions, break rules, attract power, or express their individuality. Included are Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Coco Chanel, Marlene Dietrich, Madonna, and Lady Gaga. Sidebar subjects include: Elizabeth I, Marilyn Monroe, Rihanna, and Vivienne Westwood.

Photos illuminate the text, while edgy, vividly coloured illustrations depict the subjects with interpretive flair. Readers will learn not only about changing fashion styles through history, but about changing historical attitudes toward women, and the links between fashion and art, film, music, politics, and feminism. With an energetic, appealing writing style, Croll demonstrates how through the ages, women — often without other means of power — have used fashion as a tool, and how their influence continues to shape how women present themselves today.

 

Juvenile Literature: Biographies

Harriet Tubman
Kit Jazynka; illustrated by Charlotte Ager
E444.T82 J39 2019

“Born into slavery in c.1820, Harriet Tubman would later run away and help scores of other African American slaves escape to freedom in the North using the ‘Underground Railroad.’

A nurse, scout, and advisor during the American Civil War, Harriet co-led the Combahee River Raid, in which 700 slaves were liberated. After the war, Harriet became involved in women’s suffrage, or the right to vote, and opened a retirement home for sick and elderly African Americans. …

Learn all about Harriet Tubman’s fascinating life, the hardships she endured, her visions, the people she helped and rescued, the battles she fought, and how this American icon of justice and strength continues to inspire so many people today.”–Amazon.com

Helen Keller
Libby Romero; illustrated by Charlotte Ager.
HV1624.K4 R65 2019

In this kids’ biography, discover the inspiring story of Helen Keller, who overcame the odds by learning to understand and communicate with the world.

Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing due to an early childhood illness and spent the first six years of her life unable to interact with other people. She remained isolated from the outside world until Anne Sullivan came to work as her teacher.

In this biography for kids ages 8-12, learn all about Helen Keller’s amazing life and achievements–how she learned to read Braille and speak, go to college, write books, and ultimately revolutionize the world through her activism on behalf of the deaf and blind.

Katherine Johnson
Ebony Joy Wilkins; illustrated by Charlotte Ager.
QA29.J64 W55 2019

In this kids’ biography, discover the inspiring story of Katherine Johnson, famed NASA mathematician and one of the subjects of the best-selling book and movie Hidden Figures.

It was an incredible accomplishment when the United States first put a person on the moon–but without the incredible behind-the-scenes work of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, such a feat could not have been possible.

In this biography for kids ages 8-12, follow Katherine’s remarkable journey from growing up in West Virginia, to becoming a teacher, to breaking barriers at NASA and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

Juvenile Literature

Dreaming in code: Ada Byron Lovelace, computer pioneer
Emily Arnold McCully.
QA29.L72 M33 2019

“Even by 1800s standards, Ada Byron Lovelace had an unusual upbringing. Her narcissistic mother worked hard at cultivating her own role as martyred ex-wife of bad-boy poet Lord Byron and had Ada tutored at home by some of the brightest minds. Ada developed a hunger for mental puzzles, mathematical conundrums, and scientific discovery that kept pace with the breathtaking advances of the industrial and social revolutions taking place in Europe. At seventeen, Ada met inventor Charles Babbage. In spite of the difference of their years, they were kindred spirits and intellects. Their ensuing collaborations would ultimately result in ideas that presaged computer programming by a century. Ada Lovelace is today recognized and celebrated as a pioneer and a prophet of the information age.”–Page 2 of cover.

Dreamers
Yuyi Morales.
PS3613.O68 Z46 2018

“An illustrated picture book autobiography in which award-winning author Yuyi Morales tells her own immigration story”–Provided by publisher.

“What if you dreamed of a new life, and it came to you?

What if that new life led you to a new country, where no one spoke your language, where you felt alone and ignored?

What if you had to make that new place your home?

What if you found that home in a world of books?

And what if it all were true?”–Jacket.

The girl who drew butterflies: how Maria Merian’s art changed science
Joyce Sidman.
QL31.M53 S53 2018

Bugs, of all kinds, were considered to be “born of mud” and to be “beasts of the devil.” Why would anyone, let alone a girl, want to study and observe them?

One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly.

In this visual nonfiction biography, richly illustrated throughout with full-color original paintings by Merian herself, the Newbery Honor-winning author Joyce Sidman paints her own picture of one of the first female entomologists and a woman who flouted convention in the pursuit of knowledge and her passion for insects.

Mary who wrote Frankenstein
Linda Bailey; illustrated by Júlia Sardà.
PZ4.9.B2196 Mr 2018

How does a story begin? Sometimes it begins with a dream, and a dreamer. Mary is one such dreamer, a little girl who learns to read by tracing the letters on the tombstone of her famous feminist mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, and whose only escape from her strict father and overbearing stepmother is through the stories she reads and imagines. Unhappy at home, she seeks independence, and at the age of sixteen runs away with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, another dreamer. Two years later, they travel to Switzerland where they meet a famous poet, Lord Byron. On a stormy summer evening, with five young people gathered around a fire, Byron suggests a contest to see who can create the best ghost story. Mary has a waking dream about a monster come to life. A year and a half later, Mary Shelley’s terrifying tale, Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus, is published — a novel that goes on to become the most enduring monster story ever and one of the most popular legends of all time. A riveting and atmospheric picture book about the young woman who wrote one of the greatest horror novels ever written and one of the first works of science fiction, Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein is an exploration of the process of artistic inspiration that will galvanize readers and writers of all ages.

Le crayon magique de Malala
Malala Yousafzai, Prix Nobel de la paix ; illustrépar Kerascoët ;
adaptation française, Sophie Koechlin.
LC2330 .Y682514 2017 French Collection

Au coeur du Pakistan, une toute jeune fille prénomée Malala rêve d’avoir un crayon magique qu’elle utiliserait pour… fermer la porte de sa chambre à clef et éviter que ses frères ne viennent l’embêter, arrêter le temps pour dormir une heure de plus tous les matins, effacer l’odeur des poubelles devant chez elle… Mais plus elle grandit, plus ses rêves évoluent. Car c’est avec un vrai stylo qu’on peut changer le monde : en apprenant à tous à lire et à écrire.”J’ai compris ce jour que si j’avais un crayon magique, je m’en servirais pour dessiner un nouveau monde, un monde de paix, sans guerre, pauvreté ou famine. Un monde où les garçons et les filles seraient égaux.”Plutôt que rêver seule dans sa chambre, Malala raconte son histoire et devient porte-parole et militante du droit des femmes (source : site de l’éditeur)

Voici Viola Desmond
Elizabeth MacLeod;
illustrations de Mike Deas; texte français de Louise Binette.
FC2346.26 .D48 M3414 2018 French Collection

“Biographie de Viola Irene Desmond, femme d’affaires canadienne noire de la Nouvelle-Écosse qui a contesté la ségrégation raciale dans une salle de cinéma à New Glasgow, en Nouvelle-Écosse, en 1946.” —

“Biography of Viola Irene Desmond, Canadian Black Nova Scotian businesswoman who challenged racial segregation at a movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, in 1946.” —

The world is not a rectangle: a portrait of architect Zaha Hadid
Jeanette Winter.
NA1469.H33 W56 2017

Get to know Zaha Hadid in this nonfiction picture book about the famed architect’s life and her triumph over adversity from celebrated author-illustrator Jeanette Winter.

Zaha Hadid grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, and dreamed of designing her own cities.

After studying architecture in London, she opened her own studio and started designing buildings. But as a Muslim woman, Hadid faced many obstacles.

Determined to succeed, she worked hard for many years, and achieved her goals—and now you can see the buildings Hadid has designed all over the world.

The youngest marcher: the story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a young civil rights activist
Cynthia Levinson; illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton.
F334.B653 H465 2017

Meet the youngest known child to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963, in this picture book that proves you’re never too little to make a difference. Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks intended to go places and do things like anybody else. So when she heard grown-ups talk about wiping out Birmingham’s segregation laws, she spoke up. As she listened to the preacher’s words, smooth as glass, she sat up tall. And when she heard the plan — picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails! — she stepped right up and said, I’ll do it! She was going to j-a-a-il!

The girl who thought in pictures: the story of Dr. Temple Grandin
Julia Finley Mosca; illustrated by Daniel Rieley.
SF33.G67 M67 2017

If you’ve ever felt different, if you’ve ever been low, if you don’t quite fit in, there’s a name you should know… Meet Dr. Temple Grandin–one of the world’s quirkiest science heroes! When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe! The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin is the first book in a brand new educational series about the inspirational lives of amazing scientists. In addition to the illustrated rhyming tale, you’ll find a complete biography, fun facts, a colourful timeline of events, and even a note from Temple herself!

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Collection Spotlight: Black History Month

By feedwordpress on February 1, 2022

Every February, as we celebrate Black History Month, we honor the important contributions of Black Canadians and African Americans throughout history. From innovators and artists to scientists and educators, this month provides us with the opportunity to recognize some of the most influential figures.

Let us use Black History Month as a chance to reflect on how far we have come while also committing ourselves to continue the fight for racial equity and justice.

Please enjoy browsing this selection of children’s books and teacher resources. These books and more are on display at the UBC Education Library Collection Spotlight area on our main floor breezeway.

Click on the title or photo for more information:

Picture Books and Juvenile Non-Fiction

Curve & flow: the elegant vision of L.A. architect Paul R. Williams
written by Andrea J. Loney; illustrated by Keith Mallett.
NA737.W527 L66 2022

“As an orphaned Black boy growing up in Los Angeles in the early 1900s, Paul R. Williams became obsessed with the concept of ‘home.’ He not only dreamed of building his own home, he turned those dreams into drawings.

Defying the odds and breaking down the walls of racism, Williams was able to curve around the obstacles in his way to become a world-renowned architect, designing homes for the biggest celebrities of the day…while creating a number of Los Angeles historic landmarks and thousands of private and public buildings across the United States.”– Front jacket flap.

Unlawful orders: a portrait of Dr. James B. Williams, Tuskegee airman, surgeon, and activist
Barbara Binns.
D790.253 477th .B56 2022

“The Tuskegee Airmen heroically fought for the right to be officers of the US military so that they might participate in World War II by flying overseas to help defeat fascism. However, after winning that battle, they faced their next great challenge at Freeman Field, Iowa, where racist white officers barred them from entering the prestigious Officers’ Club that their rank promised them. The Freeman Field Mutiny, as it became known, would eventually lead to the desegregation of the US armed forces, forever changing the course of American history and race relations. One Black officer who refused to give in to the bigotry at Freeman Field was James Buchanan “JB” Williams. JB grew up the son of sharecroppers, but his loving family and insuppressible intellect drove him to push boundaries placed on Black Americans in the early twentieth century. JB’s devotion to the betterment of others took him from the classroom where he learned to be a doctor, to serving as a medic in the US military and eventually joining the elite Tuskegee Airmen, where he fought to change the minds of all who believed Black men couldn’t make good soldiers. But JB’s greatest contribution came in his role as doctor and Civil Rights activist after the war, where he continued to push past injustices placed on Black Americans. Critically acclaimed author Barbara Binns tells the story of one man’s remarkable life, and in doing so, explores the trials of the brave Black freedom fighters who defended the world against racism and bigotry, both on the front lines and at home”– Provided by publisher

Choosing brave: how Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till sparked the civil rights movement
Angela Joy; illustrated by Janelle Washington.
E185.97.T546 J69 2022

Mamie Till-Mobley is the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was brutally murdered while visiting the South in 1955. His death became a rallying point for the civil rights movement, but few know that it was his mother who was the catalyst for bringing his name to the forefront of history.

In Choosing Brave, Angela Joy and Janelle Washington offer a testament to the power of love, the bond of motherhood, and one woman’s unwavering advocacy for justice. It is a poised, moving work about a woman who refocused her unimaginable grief into action for the greater good. Mamie fearlessly refused to allow America to turn away from what happened to her only child. She turned pain into change that ensured her son’s life mattered.

Timely, powerful, and beautifully told, this thorough and moving story has been masterfully crafted to be both comprehensive and suitable for younger readers.

Augusta Savage: the shape of a sculptor’s life
Marilyn Nelson ; afterword by Tammi Lawson.
PS3573.A4795 A94 2022

“A powerful biography in poems about Augusta Savage, the trailblazing artist and pillar of the Harlem Renaissance-with an afterword by the curator of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture”– Provided by publisher

Augusta Savage was arguable the most influential American artist of the 1930s. A gifted sculptor, she flourished during the Harlem Renaissance and became a teacher to an entire generation of African American artists. Nelson’s poems are paired with photographs of Savage’s work, and photographs from her life.

The result is an important portrait of an exceptional artist who, despite the limitations she faced, was compelled to forge a life through art and creativity. — adapted from jacket and perusal of book

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Viola Desmond
Becky Noelle; content consultant, Christopher Stuart Taylor, PhD.
FC2346.26.D48 N64 2022

Discusses the life of Viola Desmond, the first Black woman in Canada to challenge racial segregation in court after being fined for sitting in the wrong section of a movie theatre.

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Your legacy : a bold reclaiming of our enslaved history
written by Schele Williams; illustrated by Tonya Engel.
E185 .W717 2021

“Your story begins in Africa. Your African ancestors defied the odds and survived 400 years of slavery in America and passed down an extraordinary legacy to you.

Beginning in Africa before 1619, Your Legacy presents an unprecedentedly accessible, empowering, and proud introduction to African American history for children.

While your ancestors’ freedom was taken from them, their spirit was not; this book celebrates their accomplishments, acknowledges their sacrifices, and defines how they are remembered-and how their stories should be taught”

— Provided by publisher.

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That they lived: African Americans who changed the world
Rochelle Riley and Cristi Smith-Jones.
E185.96 .R55 2021

“That They Lived: African Americans Who Changed the World features Riley’s grandson, Caleb, and Lola photographed in timeless black and white, dressed as important individuals such as business owners, educators, civil rights leaders, and artists, alongside detailed biographies that begin with the figures as young children who had the same ambitions, fears, strengths, and obstacles facing them that readers today may still experience. Muhammad Ali’s bike was stolen when he was twelve years old and the police officer he reported the crime to suggested he learn how to fight before he caught up with the thief. Bessie Coleman, the first African American female aviator, collected and washed her neighbors’ dirty laundry so she could raise enough money for college. When Duke Ellington was seven years old, he preferred playing baseball to attending the piano lessons his mom had arranged. That They Lived fills in gaps in the history that American children have been taught for generations. For African American children, it will prove that they are more than descendants of the enslaved. For all children, it will show that every child can achieve great things and work together to make the world a better place for all.”–Google Books.

Nina: a story of Nina Simone
words by Traci N. Todd; pictures by Christian Robinson.
ML3930.S553 T64 2021

A 2022 Coretta Scott King Book Award Honoree!
This luminous, defining picture book biography illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Christian Robinson, tells the remarkable and inspiring story of acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy.

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in small town North Carolina, Nina Simone was a musical child. She sang before she talked and learned to play piano at a very young age. With the support of her family and community, she received music lessons that introduced her to classical composers like Bach who remained with her and influenced her music throughout her life. She loved the way his music began softly and then tumbled to thunder, like her mother’s preaching, and in much the same way as her career. During her first performances under the name of Nina Simone her voice was rich and sweet but as the Civil Rights Movement gained steam, Nina’s voice soon became a thunderous roar as she raised her voice in powerful protest in the fight against racial inequality and discrimination.

Famous Black Canadians
by Ramona Heikel.
FC106.B6 H45 2020

Black Canadians have shaped Canadian history since it was first colonized.

Black History in Canada explores the struggles many early black settlers faced and how black Canadians have fought throughout history for equal treatment.

Readers will learn about the important contributions black Canadians have made from their initial arrival in colonial times through the present day.

Discusses the life and accomplishments of Black Canadians from Canada’s earliest days to the present, exploring the struggles that many early settlers faced, and the continuing struggle for equal treatment.

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The girl with a mind for math: the story of Raye Montague
written by Julia Finley Mosca; illustrated by Daniel Rieley.
VM139 .M68 2018

This is a rhyming-text picture book about Raye Montague. After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted– finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.–Dust jacket.

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Viola Desmond won’t be budged!
Jody Nyasha Warner; pictures by Richard Rudnicki.
FC2346.26.D48 W37 2010

Tells the story of Viola Desmond, an African Canadian woman who, in 1946, challenged a Nova Scotia movie theater’s segregation policy by refusing to move from her seat to an upstairs section designated for use by blacks.

“Jody Nyasha Warner and Richard Rudnicki’s rendering of Desmond’s tale is a wonderful marriage of text and image. Warner uses a warm oral storytelling voice that invites the reader to “come on here, listen in close” to the tale of a woman who “sat down for her rights.” Rudnicki’s bright illustrations capture the changing emotions on Viola’s face while supplying details of architecture and fashion that bring the period vividly to life.” Quill & Quire

The youngest marcher: the story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a young civil rights activist
Cynthia Levinson; illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton.
F334.B653 H465 2017

Meet the youngest known child to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963, in this picture book that proves you’re never too little to make a difference. Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks intended to go places and do things like anybody else. So when she heard grown-ups talk about wiping out Birmingham’s segregation laws, she spoke up. As she listened to the preacher’s words, smooth as glass, she sat up tall. And when she heard the plan — picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails! — she stepped right up and said, I’ll do it! She was going to j-a-a-il!

Voici Viola Desmond
Elizabeth MacLeod; illustrations de Mike Deas; texte français
de Louise Binette.
FC2346.26.D48 M3414 2018

Faites la rencontre de Viola Desmond, entrepreneure et véritable pionnière en matière d’égalité raciale au Canada.

Par un jour pluvieux de novembre 1946, Viola, de passage à Glasgow en Nouvelle-Écosse, décide d’aller au cinéma. Elle s’installe dans la section officieusement réservée aux Blancs, mais l’ouvreuse lui demande de changer de place. Viola refuse, car elle sait que c’est à cause de la couleur de sa peau. La police l’emmène de force. Viola est emprisonnée, jugée et déclarée coupable. Cela ne l’empêche pas, avec l’aide de ses partisans, de continuer à se battre pour la justice sociale.

Bien qu’elle ait ultimement perdu sa cause devant la Cour suprême, elle fut une pionnière pour les premiers militants des droits civils. Grâce au travail acharné de sa sour Wanda qui s’est battue pour que son héritage soit reconnu à sa juste valeur, le portrait de Viola figurera sur les nouveaux billets de 10$ canadiens.

Meet Viola Desmond
Elizabeth MacLeod; illustrated by Mike Deas.
FC2346.26.D48 M34 2018

Meet Viola Desmond, community leader and early civil rights trailblazer!

On the night of November 8th 1946, Nova Scotia businesswoman Viola Desmond stood up for her right to be in the “unofficial” whites-only section of a New Glasgow movie theatre. and was arrested for it. Supported by the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NSCAACP) and the black-owned newspaper The Clarion, Viola took her quest for the right to freedom from discrimination to the courts. While she ultimately did not succeed, she was a beacon to other early civil-rights activists. Her sister Wanda worked hard to promote Viola’s legacy, which has been finally honoured by Viola’s inclusion on the new Canadian $10 bill.

Sister to courage: stories from the world of Viola Desmond, Canada’s Rosa Parks
Wanda Robson with Ronald Caplan.
FC106B6 eBook ONLINE

In Sister to Courage, Wanda takes us inside the world she shared with Viola and ten other brothers and sisters. Through touching and often hilarious stories, she traces the roots of courage and ambition, god fun and dignity, of the household that produced Viola Desmond.

Tough and compassionate, Viola shines through beyond the moment she was carried out of Roseland movie theatre for refusing to sit I the blacks-only section. Viola emerges as a defender of family and a successful entrepreneur whose momentum was blocked by racism.

With honesty and wit, Wanda Robson Tells her own brave story, giving new life to two remarkable women.

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Harriet Tubman
Kit Jazynka; illustrated by Charlotte Ager.
E444.T82 J39 2019

In this kids’ biography, discover the inspiring story of Harriet Tubman, a fearless activist and abolitionist who helped free many slaves.

Born into slavery in c.1820, Harriet Tubman would later run away and help scores of other African American slaves escape to freedom in the North using the “Underground Railroad.” A nurse, scout, and advisor during the American Civil War, Harriet co-led the Combahee River Raid, in which 700 slaves were liberated. After the war, Harriet became involved in women’s suffrage, or the right to vote, and opened a retirement home for sick and elderly African Americans. In this biography book for 8-11 year olds, learn all about Harriet Tubman’s fascinating life, the hardships she endured, her visions, the people she helped and rescued, the battles she fought, and how this American icon of justice and strength continues to inspire so many people today.

Harriet Tubman: freedom seeker, freedom leader
Rosemary Sadlier.
E444.T82 eBook ONLINE

Born in the United States and enslaved as a child, Harriet Tubman (circa 1820-1913) is one of the best-known figures connected to the Underground Railroad. Through her knowledge and outdoor survival skills, honed through her unpaid labour in the fields and through the later connections she made in the abolitionist community, Tubman was well poised to command her followers. By her discipline and example, she never lost a “passenger.”

Tubman’s exploits helped to empower those opposed to slavery and enrage those who supported it. Her success encouraged enslaved Africans to make the brave break for freedom and reinforced the belief held by abolitionists in the potential of black freedom and independence. Referred to as “General Tubman” due to her contributions to the Underground Railroad and to the Union Army, Tubman’s numerous rescue missions ending in Canada helped to build the interest in escape and reinforce the position of Canada as the final stop on the journey to freedom.

Hidden figures: the true story of four Black women and the space race
Margot Lee Shetterly with Winifred Conkling; illustrated by Laura Freeman.
QA27.5 .S548 2018

Explores the previously uncelebrated but pivotal contributions of NASA’s African American women mathematicians to America’s space program, describing how Jim Crow laws segregated them despite their groundbreaking successes. Includes biographies on Dorothy Jackson Vaughan (1910-2008), Mary Winston Jackson (1921-2005), Katherine Colman Goble Johnson (1918- ), Dr. Christine Mann Darden (1942- ).
Katherine, Dorothy, Mary, and Christine were all good at math. Really good. And it was their understanding of numbers that helped them do what seemed impossible. They were women, and they were African-American, and they lived during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But Katherine, Dorothy, Mary, and Christine were hardworking and persistent and, most important, smart. And that’s why NASA hired them to do the math that would one day send the United States into space for the very first time. New York Times bestselling author Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrator Laura Freeman bring to life the inspiring story of the struggles of these four “hidden figures” and what they overcame to succeed. The math work they did would change not only their own lives, but the face of air and space travel forever. — From dust jacket.

Martin & Mahalia: his words, her song
Andrea Davis Pinkney; illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
E185.97.K5 P54 2013

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and his strong voice and powerful message were joined and lifted in song by world-renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. It was a moment that changed the course of history and is imprinted in minds forever. Told through Andrea Davis Pinkney’s poetic prose and Brian Pinkney’s evocative illustration, the stories of these two powerful voices and lives are told side-by-side — as they would one day walk — following the journey from their youth to a culmination at this historical event when they united as one and inspiring kids to find their own voices and speak up for what is right.

Freedom song: young voices and the struggle for civil rights
Mary C. Turck.
E185.61 .T845 2009

Melding memorable music and inspiring history, Freedom Song presents a fresh perspective on the civil rights movement by showing how songs of hope, faith, and freedom strengthened the movement and served as its voice.

In this eye-opening account, you’ll discover how churches and other groups–from the SNCC Freedom Singers to the Chicago Children’s Choir–transformed music both religious and secular into electrifying anthems that furthered the struggle for civil rights.

Coretta Scott
poetry by Ntozake Shange; paintings by Kadir Nelson
E185.97.K47 S53 2009

Walking many miles to school in the dusty road, young Coretta knew, too well, the unfairness of life in the segregated south.

A yearning for equality began to grow.

Together with Martin Luther King, Jr., she gave birth to a vision and a journey—with dreams of freedom for all.

This extraordinary union of poetic text by Ntozake Shange and monumental artwork by Kadir Nelson captures the movement for civil rights in the United States and honors its most elegant inspiration, Coretta Scott.

The Kids Book of Black Canadian History
Rosemary Sadlier; illustrated by Wang Qijun.
FC106.B6 S22 2003

From the first Black person who came to Canada about 400 years ago to the most recent wave of African immigrants, Black Canadians have played an important role in our country’s history.

In this informative overview, kids will discover the inspiring stories and events of a people who fought oppression as they searched for a place to call their own.

Featuring fact boxes, mini-profiles, a timeline and more, this book in the acclaimed Kids Book of series offers a glimpse into an often-overlooked part of Canadian history.

We’ve got a job: the 1963 Birmingham Children’s March
Cynthia Levinson.
F334.B69 N4476 2012

The inspiring story of one of the greatest moments in civil rights history as seen through the eyes of four young people who were at the center of the action.

The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March was a turning point in American history. In the streets of Birmingham, Alabama, the fight for civil rights lay in the hands of children like Audrey Hendricks, Wash Booker, James Stewart, and Arnetta Streeter.
Through the eyes of these four protesters and others who participated, We’ve Got a Job tells the little-known story of the 4,000 black elementary, middle, and high school students who voluntarily went to jail between May 2 and May 11, 1963. The children succeeded – where adults had failed – in desegregating one of the most racially violent cities in America.
By combining in-depth, one-on-one interviews and extensive research, author Cynthia Levinson recreates the events of the Birmingham Children’s March from a new and very personal perspective.

The Underground Railroad
Rachel Seigel.
FC106.B6 S45 2020

Discusses the development of the Underground Railroad used by escaped slaves to travel north to freedom.

Also discusses the challenges faced by these Black settlers after reaching Canada.

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Teacher Resources

• Viola Desmond’s Canada: a history of blacks and racial segregation in the promised land
Graham Reynolds; with Wanda Robson.
FC106.B6 R49 2016

In 1946, a Black Halifax businesswoman, Viola Desmond, was wrongfully arrested for sitting in a white’s-only section of a movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. In 2010, sixty-four years later, the Nova Scotia government recognized this gross miscarriage of justice and posthumously granted her a free pardon. Most Canadians are aware of Rosa Parks, the American civil rights icon who refused to give up her seat on a racially segregated bus in Alabama, but Viola Desmond’s similar act of courage in resisting the practice of racial segregation occurred nine years before this historic event. However, today, even after the Nova Scotia Government’s unprecedented pardon of Desmond, many Canadians are still unaware of her story or that racial segregation existed throughout many parts of Canada during most of the twentieth century. On the subject of race, Canadians seem to exhibit a form of collective amnesia. Viola Desmond’s Canada is a groundbreaking book aimed at providing both general readers and students of Canadian history with a concise overview of the narrative of the Black experience in Canada. The book traces this narrative from slavery under French and British rule in the eighteenth century to the practice of racial segregation and the fight for racial equality in the twentieth century. Included are personal recollections by Wanda Robson, Viola Desmond’s youngest sister, together with important but previously unpublished documents and other primary sources in the history of Blacks in Canada

• I have a dream: writings and speeches that changed the world
Martin Luther King, Jr.; foreword by Coretta Scott King; edited by James Melvin Washington.
E185.97.K5 A25 1992

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial looking out over thousands of troubled Americans who had gathered in the name of civil rights and uttered his now famous words, “I have a dream . . .” It was a speech that changed the course of history.

This anniversary edition honors Martin Luther King Jr.’s courageous dream and his immeasurable contribution by presenting his most memorable words in a concise and convenient edition. As Coretta Scott King says in her foreword, “This collection includes many of what I consider to be my husband’s most important writings and orations.” In addition to the famed keynote address of the 1963 march on Washington, the renowned civil rights leader’s most influential words included here are the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” the essay “Pilgrimage to Nonviolence,” and his last sermon, “I See the Promised Land,” preached the day before he was assassinated.

Editor James M. Washington arranged the selections chronologically, providing headnotes for each selection that give a running history of the civil rights movement and related events. In his introduction, Washington assesses King’s times and significance.

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Irwin Law eLibrary Available Exclusively via vLex Global

By feedwordpress on November 22, 2021

Irwin Law eLibrary available exclusively via vLex Global

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Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office Impact Report 2020/2021

By feedwordpress on September 29, 2021

Recently the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office released its 2020/2021 Impact and Activity Report, showcasing some of the year’s highlights and accomplishments.

For more information, or to share feedback please contact scholarly.communications@ubc.ca

Read the Report

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