UBC librarians are embarking on a new collaborative research project that aims to address a fundamental problem in how open educational practices approach Indigenous Knowledges, and instead replicate colonial concepts of ownership and knowledge transfer.
The research project, titled Foregrounding Indigenous Perspectives: Community and Collaborator Affinities and Conflicts in Open Education, was recently awarded a grant by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL). The Practicing Librarian Grant, awarded by CARL’s Strengthening Capacity Committee, supports Canadian research in the field of academic librarianship for projects that use structured, evidence-based research to tackle real-world issues.
“I’ve been a part of a number of provincial and national open education committees and working groups, and there is always a struggle when discussions about Indigenous communities’ interest and engagement in open education arises,” says Erin Fields, principal investigator and Open Education and Scholarly Communications Librarian at UBC Library. “My hope for this project is to have some sense of how we can engage in open education practices that are grounded in research on Indigenous perspectives. This will be able to unearth our gaps in understanding and balance our advocacy efforts with research-informed practice.”
The project group includes co-investigators from UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses as well as Toronto Metropolitan University and BCcampus. Together, the group will identify gaps in the open education communities’ understanding of Indigenous perspectives through surveys of OER creators and interviews with Canadian Indigenous faculty, academic educators, librarians and others involved in the creation of OER and OER initiatives at various universities and colleges.
“From our findings, we will be able to provide suggestions for people working within open education on how they can engage respectfully with Indigenous communities and Knowledge Keepers and, in doing so, we can help to eliminate the colonial violence being done to Indigenous communities within open education and the broader field of education,” says Donna Langille, Community Engagement and Open Education Librarian at UBCO Library.
“There are a lot of complexities in regards to Indigenous Knowledges and how they are shared, so it’s great to have a group of advocates who can come together to begin to address the concerns that many communities have, while thinking more within a national scope,” says Kayla Lar-Son, Indigenous Programs and Services Librarian at Xwi7xwa Library. “This grant allows us to support Indigenous communities in an area where they are often forgotten and in a way that makes sense with their own protocols and uplifts their voices.”
This project is part of UBC Library’s strategic direction to engage with communities.
Women, Life, Freedom provides a glimpse into the historical movements leading up to today’s protests in Iran. From the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the subsequent introduction of the morality police, to the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, learn about the human rights concerns and the culture of resistance that have put Iranian women at the forefront of the protests. Made possible through the contributions of UBC students and employees.
The display is located on the Asian Library upper floor and ground floor from now until February 7, 2023.
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.
The pace of life is sometimes too fast to recall how we want to live our lives. Wang Zengqi has experienced the flood of the times, but still lives with grace and ease. He was obsessed with having fun and eating, but people said he was a funny old man. Most of the things in the world are not as they should be, so why not face life head on, get involved, listen to the stories of the grass, the wood, the insects and the fish, taste tea and one’s meals, feel everyday life, in order to understand the recklessness of life in the world.
This book chronicles director Wu Nian-zhen’s life after experiencing the storms and the greatest lows of his life. He writes about the family he misses the most, the hometown he misses day and night, the friends he has fought for his whole life, and the most real touches in every corner of Taiwan. These people and events, through his heartfelt words, live so vividly in front of you and me, laughing and crying at the same time. It is a beautiful microcosm of this era that is burned in our hearts.
In Daiōika wa shiranai de shō [The giant squid does not know], two amazing writers learn to compose waka poems by carrying out regular utakai [poetry reading party] get-togethers for a year and a half. One of the authors, Nishi Kanako, visited UBC this past year, and you may already have enjoyed her essays and novels. As Nishi is joined by others in this book, the tremendous joy you receive when you read her prose is doubled and tripled as you read her interactions with others in this book. A wonderful read to involve all your senses — you will smile, cry, and laugh as you observe the process and appreciate the creations.
The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) is perhaps the best known of all the Japanese literary classics, written by Lady Murasaki (Murasaki Shikibu) in the early 11th century. Since the Edo period (1603-1868) there has been a massive number of contemporary translations, adaptations, and parodies created of this work. A 2016 reworking, Iine! Hikaru Genji kun [Like! for Hikaru Genji] is a delightful manga series in which the handsome but quirky Heian aristocrat inadvertently time-travels to the present-day Tokyo. As he encounters the delights Tokyo offers (female roommates, smart phones, specialty coffee drinks), he composes one waka poem after another as the spirit moves him. There is a TV adaptation of this manga by Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK.
Call number: ND1069 C54 A4 2019
Book title: 그날들 이 참 좋았습니다 : 따뜻한 아랫목 같은 기억들
Author/Illustrator: 초록담쟁이 그리고 쓰다
Nostalgia for an idealized childhood in the countryside. A little girl with braided pigtails and her black cat live through four seasons together. The author/illustrator draws heartwarming moments from their life in rural Korea in pastel colored pencils, accompanied by short paragraphs of text. It is the perfect coffee table book; you can flip though it casually, read bits of it out of order, or spend a whole afternoon on reading it through. This one is soft and fuzzy.
Call number: PL994.38 C44 S27
Book title: 살인자 의 쇼핑 목록
Author: 강 지영 소설
A collection of seven short stories that focus on a moment of splintering truth. In the titular story, “The Murderer’s Shopping List,” your friendly neighborhood cashier is the protagonist. Their hobby is to deduce the lives of customers from their items of purchase: the slender young lady who buys the same amount of nipple patches, cabbage and chicken breasts every week, is she a model or a sex worker? The well-to-do lady who bought candles, fish and yakkwa, she must be preparing for a chesa tonight, etc. When the cashier sees a news report of a murder which could have been committed with items bought by a customer, they are intrigued…살인자의 쇼핑목록 has also been made into a tv drama series and a webtoon. This one is bright and sharp.
Call Number: PK2098.32.A82 H57 2017
Book title: Hīrā pherī हीरा फेरी
Author: Surendra Mohana Pāṭhaka
Language: Hindi
Taxi driver Jeet Singh is cruising for fare when a man being tailed by a bunch of goons blocks his way. Entrusting him with a briefcase full of secret, classified government documents to be delivered in lieu of a huge sum to a girl in Jogeshwari, he jumps off the moving taxi. His dead body is found by the railway track in a Mumbai suburb the next morning, while Jeet Singh finds he has nobody to give the briefcase to – the girl died mysteriously the previous night. He opens the briefcase, and discovers diamonds worth millions….
The word Pinjar (Piñjara) means skeleton. It has no shape, no appearance, no mind, no will, just skeleton. ‘Pinjar’ is the story of India of the post-independence era. That part, which became Pakistan after being cut off from India. In the cage, there is pain of the woman, there is anger, there is sacrifice, and there is motherhood. At the same time, there are crimes of men and also repentance. There are Hindus, there are Muslims. The bite of division. Standing against bigotry are human values, and after finally accepting the reality of the present, the heroine of the novel forgives all the sins and rises again, with infinite possibilities for the future.
The year 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China. In the last ten years, it has become a place filled with more and more rebellious voices. Whether you are researching Hong Kong’s political and social changes, or whether you are just curious about what has been happening in this past quarter century, we invite you to visit the Asian Library and browse the Hong Kong books we have recently acquired. These Chinese titles are typically found in the call number sections DS796 H757, HN752.5 and JQ1539.5.
Below are some of our highlights:
B29 Z5683 2017a
小王子的領悟 = Notes philosophiques sur le petit prince
周保松 著 ; 區華欣 繪
新北市 : 大家出版, 2017
HN747.5 H426 2019
為什麼要佔領街頭? : 從太陽花, 雨傘, 到反送中運動 = Taking to the streets does not mean that demonstrators think they can realize the movement goals, but rather that they are afraid of losing something more important
何明修 著
新北市 : 左岸文化 : 遠足文化事業股份有限公司, 2019
‘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.
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.
“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.
Recently the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office released its 2021/2022 Impact and Activity Report, showcasing some of the year’s highlights and accomplishments.
