2014: The Year of the Horse

Happy New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choy 恭喜發財! According to the lunar calendar, the new moon on Friday January 31, 2014, marks the Year of the Horse. To celebrate the Year of the Horse, here is a selection of Toronto Public Library resources related to Chinese New Year and to the animal of the year: the Horse!

Canada Post Year of the Horse stamp

• You can learn all about Chinese New Year in books for both children and adults
• Did you know you can take free lessons in Mandarin Chinese through the Library? Connect to the Mango Language Learning online database - you just need your library card and an e-mail account to get started.
• Or, if you're already fluent in Mandarin, consider joining the Mandarin Book Club at the Albert Campbell branch.

Illustration from What the Rat Told Me by Marie Sellier and Catherine Louis, illustrated by Wang Fei

The Horse is the seventh animal in a cycle of 12 animals in Chinese astrology. Discover the legend of how each animal came to be a part of the zodiac in these books for young readers:  

 

Illustration from What the Rat Told Me by Marie Sellier and Catherine Louis, illustrated by Wang Fei

The Horse is beautiful, powerful, wild, and free. Those born in the Year of the Horse - 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 and so on in 12-year recurrences - may share these characteristics.

Learn more about Chinese astrology and your animal sign, and find out what the Year of the Horse has in store for you:

 

Just as each year in the 12-year cycle is associated with an animal, each animal is associated with one of five recurring elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. 2014 is the Year of the Wood Horse.

Read about the lives of notable people born in the Year of the Wood Horse:   

   

• The library has lots of books about horses for adults, teens, and for children.   
• You can also borrow a DVD about horses. 
• Did you know: the expression "straight from the horse's mouth" comes from the fact that the best way to figure out the age of a horse is to examine its teeth? Connect to the e-book Horse to learn more fun facts about horses.  
• Have you ever wanted to learn how to ride a horse? We've got books on that too!

Photo by Yann Arthus-Bertrand from Horses

Humans and horses have been companions for thousands of years, all around the world, and the horse features prominently in the folklore of many cultures. Read about horses of myth, legend, and lore:

 

Humans also have a long history of hitching their hopes to horses in sport. Read about the allure of the track in these books about race horses and horse racing:

      

A perennial favourite literary horse is Black Beauty. Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse tells the story of the cruelty and kindness experienced by one horse throughout his lifetime. The novel was originally published in 1877 and has since become a children's classic and an animal rights manifesto.

Here are some other wonderful books with horses at their heart:

   

Happy Year of the Horse everybody!

Patti Smith Group - Horses - 1976 by thegirlstheyrock 

Related blog post: 2013: The Year of the Snake

Tax Time!

Yes, it is that time of year again. We have to do our taxes, like it or not.

 

The library can help you. We have lots of interesting and useful books as well as programs conducted by professionals. The Albert Campbell Library is offering the following:

Effective Tax Strategies, Tuesday, February 4^th, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

A representative from Charted Professional Accountants Canada (CPA) will instruct participants on how to:

• Develop effective strategies to minimize the amount of tax to pay
• Understand basic tax law
• Learn how to be proactive in tax planning and detailed record keeping
• Understand the three main categories for tax planning: reducing income subject to tax, maximizing deductions, and using all allowable tax credits
• Learn simple tips and tools to save money

 

Tax Tips for 2013 and 2014, Tuesday, February 11^th, 2:00- 4:00

Brian Quinlan, chartered accountant and co-author of 78 Tax Tips for Canadians for Dummies, will discuss "what's new in tax". Learn how you can minimize your 2013 taxes as well as plan for your 2014 taxes.

For more information and to register, visit in person or call 416-396-8890

 

In addition, please make sure to check on of these great reads:

 

Snapshots in History: January 21: Remembering Calixa Lavallée and O Canada

(1. Credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:O_Canada.svg – This image is in the public domain of Canada as the National Anthem Act of Canada has declared the lyrics and the melody to be in the public domain. The anthem is depicted in English, French and Inuktitut.)

(2. Credit: Canada. Department of Canadian Heritage – National Anthem / Hymne National – O Canada – Sheet Music – URL: http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1363696229686/1363696275871 . The anthem is depicted in English and French.)

 

On January 21 and beyond, take a moment to remember Calixa Lavallée (born: December 28, 1842 as Calixte Paquet dit Lavallée at Verchères, Lower Canada (now Québec); died: January 21, 1891 at Boston, Massachusetts) who composed the music for O Canada in 1880. O Canada became Canada’s national anthem on July 1, 1980. The website of Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage has provided historical information on the French and English lyrics (written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier and the Honourable Robert Stanley Weir respectively) and the music composed by Calixa Lavallée. (Pour afficher la même information en langue française du ministère du Patrimoine canadien, s'il vous plaît cliquez ici.)

Calixa Lavallée began his musical education with his father Augustin and studied in Montréal with Charles Wugk Sabatier. In 1857, Calixa moved to the United States and enlisted in the Union Army in Rhode Island during the American Civil War. Following an apparent wound at the Battle of Antietam, Maryland in 1862, Lavallée received an honourable discharge. He returned to Lower Canada in January 1864 and gave a concert after some rest. The desire to travel returned and Calixa went back to the United States, spending time in New Orleans, San Diego, and New England. He married Josephine Gentilly (Gently) in Lowell, Massachusetts and they subsequently raised a family in Boston where he worked as a teacher and virtuoso performer. His opera, TIQ: The Indian Question settled at last, is thought to have been composed around this time. Lavallée became director of the Grand Opera House in New York in 1870. He composed the operetta Loulou but its production and Calixa’s employment ended with the death of the theatre’s owner. Following a brief return to Montréal, he went to Paris to continue his musical education during 1873-1875 after which he returned to participate in a music studio but made his living from teaching and as a church choirmaster.

Lavallée became involved with a committee mandated with planning music for the national convention of French Canadians organized for the end of June 1880 by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de la Cité de Québec. Given that there was insufficient time to hold a competition to determine a national song, Lavallée was entrusted with writing music to fit with a patriotic poem, thereby resulting in O Canada with French lyrics written by Judge Adolphe-Basile Routhier. Despite the success of O Canada, Lavallée’s financial situation remained tenuous and he returned to work in the United States, once again as a teacher and a choirmaster but also as an influential member of the Music Teachers’ National Association. His health declined as a result of chronic throat problems, necessitating a halt to his work in autumn 1890, and he died in January 1891 in Boston. His remains were returned to Canada for re-burial in July 1933. Lavallée’s work remained largely unknown for several decades after his death although admiring musicians such as Jean-Josaphat Gagnier and Eugène Lapierre sought to change that.

 

 

Consider the following items for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections:

 

 

Books:

 

Our song: the story of O Canada, the Canadian national anthem / Peter Kuitenbrouwer; illustrated by Ashley Spires, 2004. Book. Children’s Non-Fiction. J 782.42159 KUI

 

 

O Canada: our national anthem / Calixa Lavallée, Robert Stanley Weir et al., 2003. Book. Children’s Non-Fiction. J 971.00222 OCA

 

Also available in French (Aussi disponible en français):

 

Ô Canada!: notre hymne national / Calixa Lavallée, Robert Stanley Weir et al., 2003. Book. Children’s French Non-Fiction. J 917.10022 OCA

 

 

O Canada / Ted Harrison; Calixa Lavallée et al., 1992. Book. Children’s Non-Fiction. J 759.11 HAR / J 759.11 HARRISON  

 

 

Sheet Music:

 

O Canada (2 keys) [brass trombone quartet] / Calixa Lavallée; arranged by Craig I.W. Marlatt for trombone quartet, 2002. Sheet Music.  M788.2543 L135 O17  

 

 

O Canada [brass trumpet quintets] / Calixa Lavallée; arranged by David Marlatt for 5 trumpets, 2002. Sheet Music. M788.1543 L135 O17  

 

 

Music CDs/Audiobook CDs:

 

O Canada: our national anthem [1 compact disc] / Calixa Lavallée et al.; Elaine Mason and Music Builders Chorus, 1996. Audiobook CD. NATIONAL ANTHEMS LAV

O Canada! the perfect anthology and history of our national anthem [1 sound disc]  / Calixa Lavallée, Adolphe-Basile Routhier, Robert Stanley Weir, Canadian Brass, Canada. Armed Forces. Voltigeurs de Québec et al., 2008. CD. Music. NATIONAL ANTHEMS LAV [Recorded between 1908 and 2004]

 

O Canada! the national anthem: the perfect anthology and history of our national anthem = l'hymne national: l'histoire et l'anthologie musicale de l'hymne national [1 sound disc] / Calixa Lavallée, Adolphe-Basile Routhier, Robert Stanley Weir, L'orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police band & soloists, Le choeur et L'orchestre de Vic Vogel, Steve Barakatt, Roger Doucet et al., 2004. CD. Music. NATIONAL ANTHEMS LAV

Snapshots in History: January 17: Remembering Raoul Wallenberg

 

(Credit: YouTube – Raoul Wallenberg Documentary Trailer – Published August 8, 2013) 

 

 

(Credit: Vimeo - Rescuing Raoul Wallenberg Extended Presentation – “This is a sampling of footage collected between 2006 and 2011 during the pre-production and research phase of the feature
documentary film "Rescuing Raoul Wallenberg".) 

 

 

(Credit: YouTube - Nina Lagergren, Raoul Wallenberg's sister, unveiled the commemorative
plaque – Published May 15, 2012) 

 

 

(Credit: CBC News - Ernest Mason on commemorating Raoul Wallenberg – December 5, 2012 – 1:06) 

 

 

(Credit: YouTube - Raoul Wallenberg Remembered – Published November 27, 2012) 

 

 

(Credit: YouTube - Raoul Wallenberg Remembered – Published November 27, 2012) 

 

 

(Credit: YouTube - Working with Raoul Wallenberg: Righteous Among the Nations: Per Anger's testimony – Uploaded on July 7, 2010) 

 

On January 17 and beyond, take a moment to remember Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg (Born: August 4, 1912 in Lidingö Municipality, Sweden; Died: Death date is in dispute – Soviet/Russian sources suggest July 17, 1947) who saved thousands upon thousands of Hungarian Jewish people from the Nazi Holocaust during World War 2. Working with fellow Swedish diplomat Per Anger and others, Wallenberg issued passport documents (“Schutzpass”) that offered protection to Jews as well as hiding 35,000 Jews in buildings designed for less than 5,000 people designated as Swedish territory, using techniques learned from an architecture course in which he was enrolled at the University of Michigan. The Schutzpass concept saved 20,000 Hungarian Jews. Wallenberg is also credited with saving the remaining 115,000 residents of Budapest’s Jewish ghetto in 1945 by threatening Nazi officers with trial as war criminals if they carried out a massacre. On January 17, 1945, during the siege of Budapest by the Soviet Red Army, Wallenberg was ostensibly seized by Soviet troops on suspicion of spying and vanished from public view. Not everyone accepted the subsequent official Soviet view that Wallenberg died in Soviet custody at the Lubyanka prison in Moscow on July 17, 1947. Some people believed that Raoul Wallenberg was still alive in the 1950s and 1960s and perhaps even beyond that. In a January 16, 2014 article in the National Post, a Liberal Party of Canada MP, Irwin Cotler, argued that the current Russian government has “a moral imperative and a historic responsibility” to uncover the truth about what happened to Raoul Wallenberg.

 

Canada named Raoul Wallenberg as its first honorary Canadian citizen in 1985 with a variety of monuments and parks dedicated to him since 1987. Since then, five other extraordinary individuals joined Raoul Wallenberg as honorary Canadian citizens, namely: Nelson Mandela, Tenzin Gyatso (14^th Dalai Lama), Aung Sang Suu Kyi, The Aga Khan, and Malala Yousafzai. Wallenberg is also an honorary citizen of the United States of America, Hungary, Australia, and Israel. Israel also honoured Wallenberg as one of the select group of Righteous among the Nations, a designation for non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jewish people during the Holocaust.

On June 5, 2001, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Hon. Sheila Copps, announced that January 17 would be designated as Raoul Wallenberg Day beginning in 2002. Canada has maintained this commitment with the current Minister of Multiculturalism, the Hon, Jason Kenney, issuing a statement on Raoul Wallenberg Day on January 17, 2014.

Consider the selective reading list of titles about Raoul Wallenberg available for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections: 

 

His name was Raoul Wallenberg: courage, rescue, and mystery during World War II / Louise Borden, 2012. Book. Children’s Non-Fiction. J 940.5318 WAL BOR

The author undertook detailed research including conducting interviews and accessing archival sources to produce a readable biography of Raoul Wallenberg for school children and above. 

 

The envoy: the epic rescue of the last Jews of Europe in the desperate closing months of World War II / Alex Kershaw, 2010. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 940.53183 WAR KER

Historian Kershaw had access to recently released Russian archival materials while writing this book. Wallenberg valiantly worked to save Jews in Hungary from extermination, including raising money to buy the freedom of some Jewish people from notorious Nazis such as Adolf Eichmann who was later captured, brought to justice, and executed. Kershaw also delved into the subject of Wallenberg’s disappearance.

Also available in eBook and Large Print formats. 

 

Letters and dispatches, 1924-1944 [1st ed.] / Raoul Wallenberg; translated from the Swedish by Kjersti Board, 1995. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 940.54779 WAL / 921 WALLENBERG

Read the correspondence of an individual from a wealthy Swedish family who lost his father at an early age. His grandfather encouraged Raoul Wallenberg to gain experience in the world, including studying at the University of Michigan, and spending time in Mexico, South Africa, and Palestine. The letters to his grandfather and mother reveal a decent person but offer no obvious signs that this individual would undertake heroic measures in the future to save thousands of lives, save for a willingness to confront authority when necessary.  

 

With Raoul Wallenberg in Budapest: memories of the war years in Hungary / Per Anger; preface by Elie Wiesel; translated from the Swedish by David Mel Paul and Margareta Paul, c1981. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 943.9 A

Wallenberg’s colleague Per Anger reflected on his time in Hungary working with Raoul Wallenberg to save thousands of Jewish people from the Nazi Holocaust.

This title is also available in the original Swedish language as:

Med Raoul Wallenberg i Budapest: minnen från krigsåren i Ungern / Per Anger, 1979. Book. Swedish language. Adult Non-Fiction. 921 WAL \B SWE  

 

 

(Credit: Global TV Morning News Saskatoon – Raoul Wallenberg tribute – January 15, 2014 – 3:40- “Wed, Jan 15 – A tribute will be held in Saskatoon on Wednesday to honour the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg and his successful efforts to rescue thousands of Jews during WWII.”)

Snapshots in History: January 14: Remembering Humphrey Bogart

 

(Credit: YouTube – Humphrey Bogart winning Best Actor for his performance in The African Queen)

 

On January 14 and beyond, take a moment to remember the life and acting career of Humphrey Bogart (Born: December 25, 1899, New York City, New York; Died: January 14, 1957, Los Angeles, California). In June 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Humphrey Bogart as the top male actor of all time in the history of American cinema.

Bogart’s scholastic record was undistinguished so he joined the United States Navy in spring 1918. Following World War One, he worked as a shipper and a bond salesman and joined the Naval Reserve. Bogart got introduced to show business through a school friend’s father’s connections. He tried screenwriting, directing, and producing but did not shine in these endeavours. However, he found his niche in stage acting, appearing in some 17 Broadway productions between 1922 and 1935. Bogart began acting in films in 1928. With the onset of the Great Depression, Bogart’s stage acting decreased so he turned more to film work but he had frequent periods of unemployment between 1930 and 1935.

Bogart starred in The Petrified Forest both on stage and on-screen in 1935-1936 but things began to look up for Humphrey Bogart as he landed major roles in the film noir productions High Sierra (1941) (with the screenplay written by his good friend John Huston) and The Maltese Falcon (1941) (directed by John Huston in his directorial debut). In 1942, Bogart starred for the first time in a romantic leading role in Casablanca (directed by Michael Curtiz), playing American expatriate nightclub owner Rick Blaine (for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role but lost); Casablanca helped to portray Humphrey Bogart as an actor who could portray both a tough, Humphrey Bogart met his fourth (and final) wife Lauren Bacall when they acted together in To Have and Have Not in 1944 (directed by Howard Hawks). Bacall and Bogart also collaborated on the following film noir productions: The Big Sleep (1946) (directed by Howard Hawks), Dark Passage (1947) (directed by Delmer Daves), and Key Largo (1948) (directed by John Huston). Bogart also collaborated with director John Huston and his father actor Walter Huston on The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) for which John Huston won two Oscars (best directing and best writing – adapted screenplay) and Walter Huston won an Oscar for best supporting actor. Humphrey Bogart won his only Oscar – for best actor – in The African Queen (1951) (directed by John Huston) in which he starred opposite Katharine Hepburn. 

Humphrey Bogart also acted in The Caine Mutiny (1954) (for which he was nominated for best actor but lost to Marlon Brando), Sabrina (1954), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), We’re No Angels (1955), The Left Hand of God (1955), The Desperate Hours (1955), and finally, The Harder They Fall (1956). As a result of heavy smoking and drinking, Bogart developed cancer of the esophagus but did not seek treatment until it was too late to arrest the progress of the disease, dying in January 1957. Consider the following titles for loan from Toronto Public Library collections:

 

Tough without a gun: the life and extraordinary afterlife of Humphrey Bogart / Stefan Kanfer, 2011. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 BOG KAN

Follow Humphrey Bogart’s life and his breakthrough into the A-list acting parts in his early 40s in the early 1940s. See how his playing of bad guys and tough guys in acting roles contrasted with his privileged upbringing. Author Raymond Chandler was pleased with Bogart’s casting in The Big Sleep and made the telling comment that “Bogart can be tough without a gun”. Bogart’s rise to the top in the acting world was tempered by his poor health and ultimate death in 1957 from cancer.

Also available in Large Print format. 

 

Humphrey Bogart / David Thomson, 2009. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 BOG THO

Contrast the public persona of Humphrey Bogart the actor with his personal demons and doubts, his upper-class background with playing mavericks and tough guys, and his ultimate success in acting with his distrust of celebrity and stardom. 

 

Bogart: in search of my father / Stephen Humphrey Bogart, 1995. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 BOG BOG

Humphrey Bogart became a father later in life. His son, author Stephen Humphrey Bogart, took a look back at Humphrey Bogart the actor and the father in an attempt to dispel the anger towards the father that he lost when he was only eight years old.

 

Humphrey Bogart [: behind the legend] [1 videodisc] / A&E Biography; Peter Graves; produced by Del Jack & Cress Darwin ; directed by N. Brice Shipley ; written by Bob Waldman ; produced by Millenial Entertainment and Archive Films in association with Arts & Entertainment Networks, 2001. DVD. Documentary. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 BOG HUM

Join actor Peter Graves and A&E’s Biography series for a documentary look at the life and career of Humphrey Bogart.

 

Consider the following Humphrey Bogart movies in DVD format for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections:

The African Queen

Angels with dirty faces

Beat the devil

The big sleep

The Caine mutiny

Call it murder

Casablanca

Dark victory

In a lonely place

Key Largo

The Maltese falcon

The "petrified forest"

Sabrina

To have and have not

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

 

The “Movies at Albert Campbell” program has arranged for a public screening of Casablanca on Friday, January 17, 2014, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Call 416-396-8890 to register or visit Albert Campbell District Branch at 496 Birchmount Road, Toronto, ON, M1K 1N8.

 

Take a look at the Official Humphrey Bogart website with a message from Bogart’s son Stephen Humphrey Bogart.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Did you know that more than 200 million people in the world celebrate New Year on January 14^th?  Julian New Year/ Serbian New Year/ Old New Year or Orthodox New Year is a traditional holiday that is celebrated in countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Serbia, Republic of Srpska, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Montenegro, Georgia, Romania and some other countries. Although all of these countries accepted the Georgian Calendar and officially celebrate New Year on January 1^st, most of the Orthodox Churches in these counties did not and still use the Juliana Calendar.

Why January 14^th?

January 1^st according to the Julian calendar falls on January 14^th. Celebrations are usually organized by city officials and take place in front of the National Parliament and/or City Hall. Although Julian New Year is informally observed, celebration includes music concerts, food, drinking and singing.

If you want to find out more about the counties who celebrate two New Years make sure to check one of these books at the Toronto Public Library:

 

Snapshots in History: January 9: Remembering Tom Longboat

(Credit: Tom Longboat with the Ward Marathon Trophy, 1907. “T. Longboat, the Canadian runner. Standing (HS85-10-18314).jpg” – Canadian Copyright Collection held by the British Library. – This image is in the public domain.)

 

(Credit: “T Longboat, the Canadian runner Running (HS85-10-18315).jpg” , 1907 - Canadian Copyright Collection held by the British Library. – This image is in the public domain.)

 

Consider the following audio clips from the CBC Digital Archives:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/Digital%2BArchives/Athletics/ID/1766227957/

(Credit: CBC Digital Archives - Marathon runner Tom 'Wildfire' Longboat; Medium: Radio; Program: Our Native Land; Broadcast Date: Oct. 8, 1977; Guest(s): Wilton Littlechild; Host: Bob Charlie; Duration: 4:06)

 

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/Digital%2BArchives/Athletics/ID/1767225025/

(Credit: CBC Digital Archives – Tom Longboat's heirs fight for an unpaid athletics prize: Tom Longboat Jr. explains why the City of Toronto owes his family $10,000; Medium: Radio; Program: Our Native Land; Broadcast Date: March 29, 1980; Guest(s): Tom Longboat Jr.; Duration: 4:08)

 

On January 9 and beyond, take a moment to remember the life and accomplishments of Canadian long-distance runner Tom Longboat (Thomas Charles Longboat) (Aboriginal name: Cogwagee) (Born: June 4, 1887 at Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Reserve, Brantford, Ontario; Died: January 9, 1949 at Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Reserve, Brantford, Ontario). Longboat was a member of the Onondaga people, one of the constituent nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Prior to World War One, Tom Longboat had several major victories to his credit including the Hamilton “Around the Bay” in 1906, the Boston Marathon in 1907, the Toronto Ward’s Marathon from 1906-1908, and the World’s Professional Marathon Championship in 1909 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Unfortunately, Longboat was less successful at the 1908 London Olympics as he collapsed at the 19-mile mark and did not complete the race. His coaches and promoters often disagreed with his training method of alternating hard workout periods with active rest. However, his results improved after he bought up his own contract in 1911; in 1912, Longboat set a professional record of running 15 miles (= 24.1402 kilometres) in 1 hour 18 minutes and 10 seconds, besting his own amateur record by 7 minutes.

In February 1916, Tom Longboat enlisted with the 107^th Pioneer Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) to serve as a dispatch runner.  Longboat was wounded twice and once erroneously officially declared dead but was able to compete in the 1918 Canadian Corps Dominion Day competitions in which he won the 8-mile (13-kilometre) race. After the First World War, Tom Longboat retired from professional running and moved to Toronto where he worked as a City of Toronto garbage collector until he retired in 1944 and returned to the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Reserve where he ultimately died from pneumonia in early 1949. Tom Longboat was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1955.

Consider the following titles for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections: 

 

Showdown at Shepherd's Bush : the 1908 Olympic marathon and the three runners who launched a sporting craze / David Davis, 2012. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 796.4252 DAV

Read this exciting account of the 1908 Olympic marathon that pitted Tom Longboat and Italian Dorando Pietri (disqualified for being helped over the finish line) against the eventual winner, Irish American Johnny Hayes.  

 

Tom Longboat / Terry Barber, 2007. Book. Adult Literacy Learner Reading. 796.42409 LON BAR

Those seeking to improve their English language reading skills can enjoy reading about the exploits of Canadian long-distance runner Tom Longboat.  

 

The man who ran faster than everyone: the story of Tom Longboat / Jack Batten, 2002. Book. Children’s Non-Fiction. J 796.42409 LON BAT

Author and Journalist Batten outlined many obstacles that Tom Longboat faced to rise to the pinnacle of long-distance running, including racism, rumours of alcohol abuse, and a questionable training regimen. This book is intended for a reading audience of Grade 6 and above.

Also available in Talking Book (Restricted to PRINT DISABLED patrons) format.  

 

Tom Longboat [rev. ed.] / Bruce Kidd, 2004. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 796.42409 LON KID

Academic and long-distance runner Bruce Kidd examined the challenges facing Tom Longboat as well as his accomplishments within the context of Canadian social history, including racism.

For the 1992 edition of this book (Children’s Non-Fiction), please click here.

For the 1980 edition of this book (Children’s Non-Fiction), please click here.

Snapshots in History: January 7: Remembering Sir Sandford Fleming

(URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LastSpike_Craigellachie_BC_Canada_-_cropped.jpg -Credit: Cropped version of Image:LastSpike Craigellachie BC Canada.jpg ; Last Spike of the CPR - Craigellachie, British Columbia, Canada; Donald Alexander Smith driving the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Also in the photo are (generally left to right) Albert Bowman Rogers (Surveyor), Michael Haney (Contractor), William Cornelius Van Horne (CPR General Manager), Sir Sandford Fleming, Edward Mallandaine (teenager), Henry Cambie (engineer), John Egan (General Superintendent), Sam Steele (NorthWest Mounted Police), James Ross (engineer) - Photo taken November 7, 1885. Courtesy of the National Library and Archives of Canada. This image is in the public domain.)

 

Click the following link to watch this video clip from the CBC TV Program “Take 30”:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Digital%2BArchives/Science%2Band%2BTechnology/Measurement/ID/1430532449/

 

(Credit: CBC Digital Archives - Apr 22, 1982 | 7:09 - Sir Sandford Fleming delivers 'the world on time': Sandford Fleming's proposal for Standard Time brings order to a world of a hundred different time zones.)

 

On January 7 and beyond, take a moment to remember the contributions and life of Sir Sandford Fleming (Born: January 7, 1827 at Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland; Died: July 22, 1815 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada). Fleming is best known for his espousal of standard time (and the division of the world into local time zones) and for his engineering work on the development of railways in Canada, serving as Chief Engineer first of the Maritime-based Intercolonial Railway and later of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Fleming understood the significance of the expansion of the railways with the proliferation of telegraph poles (for electricity and communication purposes) on land. However, as early as the late 1870s, Fleming was advocating the linking of the pan-Canadian telegraph service with an underwater cable spanning the Pacific Ocean to link different parts of the then-British Empire, namely Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The idea took time to bear fruit, owing to the opposition from the Atlantic cable lobby, but the colonial governments of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand indicated support for the laying of a Pacific cable. Consequently, work on an underwater cable from Vancouver, British Columbia to New Zealand and Australia was completed in 1902.

Read a PDF copy of Fleming’s work Terrestrial Time (1876) in which he advocated the promotion of universal standard time (subdivided into local time zones all around the world) by clicking here. (This work was written when he was Engineer-in-Chief of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).)  The International Meridian Conference of 1884 adopted a different interpretation of universal time from that espoused by Fleming, although Greenwich, England was generally agreed to as the location of the prime meridian for setting clocks and for determining longitude. However, Fleming’s prescient proposal of adopting 24 time zones (comprised of 15 degrees longitude each) came into acceptance by all of Earth’s major countries by 1929.

Sandford Fleming was an influential member of various professional institutions, including the Institution of Civil Engineers of Great Britain (member from 1871 onwards), the Royal Colonial Institute, the Canadian Institute, and the Royal Society of Canada (as a charter member in 1882 and served as president from 1888-1889). Fleming was made a Commander of the Order of St, Michael and St. George (CMG) in 1877 and elevated to Knight Commander by Queen Victoria in 1897, hence the right to use the term “Sir” before his name. Fleming also received honorary degrees from various universities including St. Andrew’s (1884), Columbia (1887), Toronto (1907), and Queen’s (1908) (where he had served as Chancellor following his retirement from the CPR in 1880).  Fleming was credited with designing Canada’s first postage stamp, namely the threepenny beaver, which was issued in 1851.

Consider the following titles for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections:

 

Fleming's army: the civil engineers who built Canada's Intercolonial Railway: biographies of masterminds, rogues, poseurs and luckless adventurers / Jay Underwood, 2011. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 625.10092 UND

The time period was the mid-1800s. The players were the developers, the contractors, the politicians, and the civil engineers (such as Sandford Fleming) who all played a role in the creation of the Intercolonial Railway (that later became part of the Canadian National Railways system in 1919). Railway technology was new at that time and its presence (or absence) could make (or break) a community.

 

 

Sir Sandford Fleming: his early diaries, 1845-1853 / Sir Sandford Fleming; edited by Jean Murray Cole, 2009. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 625.10092 SIR FLE

Follow these early primary sources from Sandford Fleming himself as he worked through unsuccessful attempts to work as a surveyor, developed important engineering and architectural contacts in Toronto through organizations such as the Mechanics Institute and the Canadian Institute, landed important jobs working on the Toronto Harbour and the Esplanade, followed by his breakthrough into railways in the early 1850s. 

 

Time lord: the remarkable Canadian who missed his train, and changed the world / Clark Blaise, 2000. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 389.1709 BLA

Follow Clark Blaise’s biography of Sandford Fleming that saw Fleming’s missing a scheduled train in Ireland (owing to time discrepancies) lead to his influential championing of synchronized and standardized time at the 1884 International Meridian Conference that revolutionized how society viewed time.

Also available in eBook format.  

 

 

Chief engineer: life of a nation builder - Sandford Fleming / Lorne Edmond Green, 1993. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 625.1009 FLEMING / 921 FLE GRE / 921 FLEMING (For more copies, click here.)

Readers who enjoy a linear approach to the life and accomplishments of a famous person such as Sandford Fleming will appreciate Green’s biography of the CPR’s Chief Engineer. 

 

Consider these digitized eResources from Toronto Public Library collections to open a window on the world in which Sandford Fleming lived and worked:

The Intercolonial a historical sketch of the inception, location, construction and completion of the lines of railway uniting the inland and Atlantic provinces of the Dominion. -- / Sandford Fleming, 1876. Access eBook online.

 

Opening of the Pictou railway, Nova Scotia; observations, correspondence, &c. submitted...May 31st, 1867 / Sir Sandford Fleming, 1867. eBook (PDF format).

 

Report on the Intercolonial railway exploratory survey, made under instructions from the Canadian government in the year 1864 [chart] / Sir Sandford Fleming, 1865. eMap accompanying eBook (PDF format).

 

Report on the Intercolonial railway exploratory survey, made under instructions from the Canadian government in the year 1864 / Sir Sandford Fleming, 1865. eBook (PDF format).

 

Memorial of the people of Red River to the British and Canadian governments, with remarks on the colonization of central British North America and the establishment of a great territorial road from Canada to British Columbia, submitted to the Canadian government by Sandford Fleming / Sandford Fleming, James Ross, and Citizens (Red River Settlement), 1863. eBook. (PDF format).

 

Topographical plan of the city of Toronto, in the province of Canada, from actual survey, by J Stoughton Dennis, Provin'l. land surveyor. / J. Stoughton Dennis and Sandford Fleming, 1851. eMap.

Library Programs to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! Have you made your New Year's resolutions yet? The library can help you keep them. We have lots of fun and free programs to help you stay on track and achieve your goals for the new year. Here's what's coming up for adults of all ages at Albert Campbell branch: 

To register for any of our programs, visit the branch or call 416-396-8890.

 

Resolve to...exercise and relax!

Yoga and Meditation - Relieve your stress and anxiety and restore your sense of well-being and calm. Learn basic methods of meditation and tension-relieving stretches from a yoga instructor. Saturdays, January 18, February 15, March 22, April 26, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon.

 

Resolve to...get out, socialize, and enjoy life more!

 

Knitting Circle - Whether you're a beginner or a pro, drop in and spend some time with fellow crafters. Fridays, January 10, February 14, March 14, 4:00-6:00 p.m. 

Mandarin Book Club - Share the joy of reading Chinese books. Mondays, January 13, February 10, March 10, April 14, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Adult Book Club - Join us for a lively group discussion of a specific book at each monthly meeting. Wednesdays, January 22, February 26, March 26, April 23, 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Afternoon Book Club - Open to all interested book lovers in the community. Fridays, January 24, February 28, March 28, April 25, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Afternoon at the Movies - Enjoy classics, new releases, and movies of the season. Fridays, January 17 (Casablanca), February 21 (Quartet), March 21 (North by Northwest), 2:00-4:00 p.m.

 

Resolve to...fix your finances!

 

Effective Tax Strategies - Presented by a representative from Chartered Professional Accountants Canada. Tuesday February 4, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Tax Tips for 2013 and 2014 - Presented by Brian Quinlan, chartered accountant and co-author of 78 Tax Tips for Canadians for Dummies. Tuesday February 11, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

 

Resolve to...find a great job!

Access 80-90% of Hidden Jobs - Learn how to access jobs that are never advertised. Wednesday January 15, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Resume Review - Come in for one-on-one resume review. Wednesday January 22, 2:00-4:00 p.m. 

Interview Fundamentals - Prepare for job interviews and the interviewing process. Wednesday February 12, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Discover the Right Career - Learn how to use websites to find information about different careers, including job duties, salaries, and career paths. Wednesday Feburary 19, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

How to Find Jobs in the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries - Topics will include background information on these industries, how to find the hidden jobs, what skills are required, key words to include on your resume, and how to prepare for your interview. Wednesday February 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Resumes That Get Results - Learn how to create effective resumes and cover letters. Bring your resume and/or cover letter for feedback and tips for improvement. Wednesay March 19, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Social Media Networking - Learn how to use social media to find job-related information. Wednesday March 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

 

Resolve to...learn something new!

 

Computer and Library Training - We offer a variety hands-on computer classes every month. Gain basic mouse and keyboard skills, explore the internet, learn how to open an email account, create a document, edit a slide presentation, design a newsletter, and more. Classes are held on Thursdays, 1:30-3:00 p.m. and every other Saturday, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Call the branch or visit us for more information and to register.

Book a Librarian - Meet one-on-one with a librarian for 30 minutes to help find job search information, create an email account, navigate the library's website, download eBooks to your mobile device, find a good book to read, learn how to research a topic, and more. Call the branch or visit us for more information and to register.

 

Happy New Year, and see you at the library!