Toronto Reference Library Blog

Free Screening: Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

As part of its Asian Heritage Celebrations, Toronto Reference Library will be screening the documentary Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry in the Beeton Auditorium on Tuesday May 14th at 2:00 pm.

Last year he transformed his own (rather late) version of internet meme Gangnam Style into a protest for free speech.

 

Rachel Arons in the New Yorker writes:

Ai Weiwei’s version of “Gangnam Style” is as stupid-silly as any other, and more poorly made...but it’s also an ingenious response to the attitude toward creativity put forth in the Chinese media. Ai called his video “Grass Mud Horse Style,” after a made-up creature, invented in 2009, that has become a symbol of anti-censorship in China...and, by embedding it in otherwise harmless content, it has become a way for dissenters in China to give the finger to government censors.

In support, sculptor Anish Kapoor (of Chicago's "Cloud Gate" fame) answered with his own "Gangnam for Freedom"

 

From August 17 – October 27, the Art Gallery of Ontario will be hosting a major retrospective of his work Ai Weiwei: According to What?

Recent visitors to the AGO will have seen the Snake Ceiling commemorating the over 5,000 school children killed by the 2008 earthquake--and what Weiwei calls "tofu construction"--in China's Sichuan province.

   

 The library has lots of resources on this important artist and dissident, but you might want to get prepared for the AGO exhibition with one the following:

Ai Weiwei : circle of animals by Ai, Weiwei.(with Susan Delson) Prestel, c2011.	Ai Weiwei's blog : writings, interviews, and digital rants, 2006-2009 by AiWeiwei (with  Lee Ambrozy,) MIT Press, 2011.	Ai Weiwei : So Sorry by A  Weiwei. (with Mark Siemons) Prestel 2009

 

 

 

 And remember the screening this Tuesday:

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

Tuesday May 14, 2013

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Toronto Reference Library Elizabeth Beeton Auditorium

 

The return of slavery in the chaos of northern Mali: the hidden victims / Le retour de l'esclavage dans le chaos du nord du Mali: les victimes invisibles

The Toronto Reference Library invites you to attend a French language Thought Exchange Program with Ibrahim Ag Idbaltanat, President of Temedt. For the program description in French, please click here.

Temedt and its president, Ibrahim Ag Idbaltanat, were the winners of the 2012 Anti-Slavery International Anti-Slavery Award for their outstanding dedication and groundbreaking work towards ending slavery in Mali.  Anti-Slavery International instituted the Anti-Slavery Award in 1991 to draw attention to the continuing problem of slavery in the world today and to recognise courageous campaigning by organisations or individuals in the countries most affected.

Even though it was formally abolished, slavery in Mali still exists, especially in the northern regions of the country. People descended from slaves remain as ‘property’ of their ‘masters’, either living with them and serving them directly or living separately but remaining under their control.   The organisation Temedt was created in 2006 to redress this injustice.

In the past six years, Temedt has held awareness-raising campaigns reaching hundreds of thousands of people; directly helped liberate and support dozens of enslaved individuals; provided legal support to victims of slavery; trained magistrates on anti-slavery legislation; and lobbied for legal reform to criminalize slavery practices.

However, as northern Mali falls under the control of Islamist and separatist rebels, traditional forms of discrimination and slavery are making a disturbing return, leaving thousands of people under the renewed domination of former slave masters.  Join Ibrahim to discuss these issues, and how the gains made by Temedt to eradicate slavery in Mali are being eroded in the current situation.

This Thought Exchange Program in French is at:

The Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street
Beeton Auditorium,  Yonge & Bloor
On Wednesday, December 12, 2012: 7:00-8:20 pm

For recent articles see: Globe and Mail and Guardian.
You can also check CBCnews / World

 

Biography: Ibrahim Ag Idbaltanat is a passionate, determined human rights defender who has dedicated his life to ending slavery in Mali. His ceaseless efforts to expose and denounce slavery practices have broken the silence that surrounded slavery practices. Under his leadership, thousands of people of slave descent have joined the anti-slavery movement.

Himself a descendent of slaves, Ibrahim’s engagement in the anti-slavery movement began in 1979 after he became aware of injustices against Tamacheq families of slave descent (in particular the confiscation of their land, cattle and inheritance by their traditional masters). In 1987 he helped establish the organization GARI (of which he is currently serving as President) to empower vulnerable and marginalized groups, principally through micro-credit projects and other socio-economic support.

In 2006, the organization Temedt was created specifically to address descent-based slavery following the murder of a man of slave descent by a traditional master. Ibrahim served as the Vice-President of Temedt for five years and was elected its President in 2011.

In the past six years, Temedt has held awareness-raising campaigns reaching hundreds of thousands of people (it currently has over 30,000 members); directly helped liberate and support dozens of enslaved people; provided legal support to victims of slavery; trained magistrates on anti-slavery legislation; and lobbied for legal reform to criminalize slavery practices.

Due to the nature of his work, which challenges traditional power structures that perpetuate the dominance of slave-owning groups, Ibrahim is considered a threat by many elites. His work has made him many opponents and over the years he has been subject to countless false accusations aimed at undermining his credibility. Yet despite these pressures, Ibrahim has remained a committed, high-profile advocate of justice, equality and human rights for all.

Le retour de l'esclavage dans le chaos du nord du Mali: les victimes invisibles

La Bibliothèque de référence de Toronto vous invite à assister à une conférence avec Ibrahim Ag Idbaltanat, Président de Temedt.

L’organisation Temedt et son Président, Ibrahim Ag Idbaltanat, ont gagné le Prix contre l’esclavage 2012 de l’ONG britannique Anti-Slavery International pour leur engagement et travail innovateur pour mettre fin à l'esclavage au Mali. Anti-Slavery International a institué le Prix Anti-Slavery en 1991 pour attirer l'attention du grand public sur la persistance du problème de l'esclavage dans le monde d'aujourd'hui et de reconnaître les campagnes courageuses menées par des organisations ou des individus dans les pays les plus touchés.

Même s’il a été officiellement aboli, l'esclavage au Mali existe encore, surtout dans les régions au nord du pays. Les personnes descendent des esclaves restent comme "propriété" de leurs "maîtres". Après l'assassinat d'un homme d'origine esclave par un maître traditionnel,  l'organisation Temedt ou ‘la solidarite’ a été créée en 2006 spécifiquement par Ibrahim pour s’adresser aux enjeux  de l’esclavage par descendance.

Au cours des six dernières années, Temedt a organisé des campagnes de sensibilisation qui ont réussi à atteindre des centaines de milliers de personnes.  L’organisation a libéré et a directement appuyé des dizaines d’esclaves  a fourni un soutien juridique aux victimes de l'esclavage, a formé des magistrats sur la législation anti-esclavagiste et ont fait pression pour une réforme juridique pour criminaliser les pratiques esclavagistes.

Cependant, dans la situation actuelle où le nord du Mali est tombé sous le contrôle des rebelles islamistes et séparatistes, les formes traditionnelles de discrimination et l'esclavage font un retour inquiétant, laissant des milliers de personnes sous une domination renouvelée des anciens maîtres anciens.

Pour les articles récents, voir les journaux:  Globe and Mail et Guardian.
Vous pouvez également consulter CBCnews/World.

Vous êtes invités à assister à notre programme en français: 

Toronto Reference Library, 789 rue Yonge
Beeton Auditorium, Métro Bloor/Yonge
Mercredi, 12 décembre, 2012: 19h -20h20

 

Biographie:

Ibrahim Ag Idbaltanat est un défenseur des droits humains passionné et déterminé qui a consacré sa vie à mettre fin à l'esclavage au Mali. Ses efforts incessants à exposer et à dénoncer les pratiques esclavagistes ont servi à rompre le silence qui a entouré les pratiques esclavagistes. Sous son leadership, des milliers de personnes d'origine esclave ont rejoint le mouvement anti-esclavagiste.

Lui-même un descendant d'esclaves, l'engagement d'Ibrahim dans le mouvement anti-esclavagiste a commencé en 1979 après avoir pris conscience des injustices contre les familles Tamacheq des descendants d'esclaves (en particulier la confiscation de leurs terres, le bétail et l'héritage). En 1987, il a aidé à établir l'organisation GARI (dont il est actuellement le président) pour habiliter les groupes vulnérables et marginalisés, principalement par le biais des projets de microcrédit et d'autres appuis socio-économiques.  Ibrahim a été vice-président de Temedt pendant cinq ans et a été élu président en 2011.

En raison de la nature de son travail, qui remet en question les structures de pouvoir traditionnelles qui perpétuent la domination par des groupes esclavagistes, Ibrahim est considéré comme une menace par de nombreuses élites. Son travail a fait de lui de nombreux opposants et au cours des années, il a fait l'objet d'innombrables fausses accusations visant à porter atteinte à sa crédibilité. Pourtant, malgré ces pressions, Ibrahim est resté engagé, un défenseur avéré des droits humains, de la justice, et de l'égalité pour tous.

 

Mo Yan, 2012 Nobel Prize Winner, Was Here

It happened in early 1997, as I recall, when I was running Author Series here at the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library, as it was then known.

I received a call from Greg Gatenby, a friend, yes, but more importantly, a pioneer in the area of literary programming. For it was Greg who invented the Harbourfront Reading Series, and its sibling the International Festival of Authors, the first ever of its kind in Canada. Greg Gatenby brought to his festival and his series a kind of elan, a flair, that is unmatched today. There was vision there.

Greg needed a venue to feature the Chinese writer Mo Yan, completely unknown to Canadian readers at the time, even though his work had already been published in English translation, and his novel Red Sorghum, adapted to film, was widely distributed in North America.

Gatenby had the generosity of spirit to think of his beloved Metro Library (he gave it much grist in his Toronto: A Literary Guide) as the perfect spot for a writer who he, even then, spoke about as slated to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

"Okay, Greg," I said, "let me ask and I'll get back to you within the hour." It didn't take much convincing my Manager at the time, who lent her full support to the event. It was a classy gig, "exclusive" (read: there were very few of us in the audience). Pre internet, pre social networking, it was not easy to get the word out on such short short notice and convince the mainstream media that the library's featuring of a Chinese writer was worth their while covering.

So the Toronto Reference Library holds within its walls the lovely echoes of Mo Yan's voice reading in Chinese, with an actor reading in English for him. How lucky for us.

As we mark the occasion of Mo Yan's Nobel Prize, it is important to celebrate those who, like Greg Gatenby, have a knack for seeing beyond the hype and recognize the value of good writing, those who work to  build  community locally, in order to open our hearts and minds to the larger world of international literature in translation.

 

Government Publications to go paperless by 2014

 

Government of Canada Publications recently announced the decision "to completely transition all publications published by the Publishing Program and publications provided by departments to the Depository Services Program from traditional print to exclusively electronic publication in two years."

This announcement marks a shift in the official position of the government with respect to their strategy for future access to publc information. The change especially affects those familiar with using libraries like the Toronto Reference Library - a full depository member for decades - with its comprehensive and rich collection of government documents in print.

The Depository Services Program (DSP) was created by an Order-in-Council in 1927 "to acquire, catalogue and distribute federal government publications in all formats to a network of depository libraries as well as parliamentarians." The DSP acts as an "information safety net, collecting current and archival government publications and making them widely available to the Canadian public." And with the advance and spread of information technology, new expectations and capabilities arise.

Government information first made an appearance on the internet through applications such as 'gophers' and 'ftp' sites. In less then 20 years, more and more information has become available on the web. Consider these "Key Statistics" for 2011-2012 from the Services for Depository Libraries page: there were 84,421 electronic publications available for download, 225,652 viewable bibliographic records, and a total of 10.2 million downloads of electronic publications.

Presently, Retention Guidelines for depository libraries recommend what sorts of government information should be held, for how long, and in what circumstances. With the transition to 'exclusively electronic publication', these guidelines will only apply to past collections since the Goverment will become the sole distributor of current publications through its website.

Publications Canada will need to develop and apply its own policies for the retention of electronic documents to ensure digital authority control and future long-term access to materials that would have otherwise been preserved in print. In other words, Publications Canada will need to provide Canadians with a new and different kind of information safety net . . . one that is digital . . .

 

 

 

TED Talks For Enquiring Minds

 

 

The TedTalks video site emanates from TED, a nonprofit organization devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading". TED started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together inspiring thinkers from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. This incredible site now hosts over 900 recordings of speakers talking on topics from quantum physics to human psychology.

"If you are looking for something that will expand your mind, open your heart, and possibly rekindle your faith in humankind, a good place to start is listening to the fabulously inspiring presentations made by the best and brightest among us." -- David Sunfellow, nhne.org

Here are a few that I think are worth viewing, along with their descriptions:

 

"Kevin Slavin argues that we're living in a world designed for -- and increasingly controlled by -- algorithms. In this riveting talk from TEDGlobal, he shows how these complex computer programs determine: espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts, and architecture. And he warns that we are writing code we can't understand, with implications we can't control".

***

 

"David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean".

***  

 

"Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied".

***

There are many, many more recordings to enjoy where those came from at http://www.ted.com/.

Tip: To access recordings by topic, I would recommend using the Talks Tags page.

Public libraries have been a mainstay of my life. They represent an individual's right to acquire knowledge; they are the sinews that bind civilized societies the world over. Without libraries, I would be a pauper, intellectually and spiritually.

Quote of the week from:

James A. Michener
Author

As a child, my number one best friend was the librarian in my grade school. I actually believed all those books belonged to her.

Quote of the week from:

Erma Bombeck
Author

The closest thing we will ever come to an orderly universe is a good library.

Quote of the week from:

Ashleigh Brilliant
Author and Syndicated Cartoonist

Fashion fades, only style remains the same...

In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.”  And for those of us who have been around the block a few times, everything old is new again. Nothing exemplifies that better than the recurring themes in fashion and dress.

Whether you are looking for inspiration for a new design, searching for images of historical dress for a theatre or film project, or researching fashion history just for the fun of it, Toronto Reference Library's enormous magazine collection can help.

We have journals and newspapers from before the turn of the last century right up to the present day. For example, we have Harper's Bazaar from 1867 and American Vogue from 1892. We carry newcomer Worn Fashion Journal. We also have hidden gems, such as Men's Wear, Gentry, Pictorial Review, Vogue and Butterick Pattern books, and so much more.

Visit the 4th floor Periodicals Desk and pick up our Guide to Fashion in the 20th Century. While you're here check out our new display and consider the wise words of thos who have come before.

“I base my fashion sense on what doesn't itch.”  Gilda Radner

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."  Mark Twain



“One is never over- or under-dressed with a little black dress.” Karl Lagerfeld

And perhaps, the wisest words of all:  “Above all, remember that the most important thing you can take anywhere is not a Gucci bag or French-cut jeans; it's an open mind.” Gail Rubin Bereny