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T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A V O L U M E 5 0 | N U M B E R 7 | J U LY 8 , 2 0 0 4
UBC REPORTS2 UBC in the News 4 Books and Mor t ar 5 Modern Librarian 6 Computer Music 7 Echo Librar y 8 Cool Reads
SPECIAL ISSUE: SHARING IDEAS, RESOURCES AND INSPIRATIONUBC HAS A PROUD TRADITION OF PRODUCING AND SHARING PUBLISHED WORK – an intellectual and sensual feastof words, music and images. ❦ Almost 150 UBC authors have been published in the last year, many creatingaward-winning works. ❦ UBC Bookstore has been named Campus Bookseller of the Year. ❦ Since 1971, UBCPress, the publishing arm of the university, has published about 40 UBC authors a year. ❦ UBC's Main Libraryis being transformed into a unique centre of learning and our librarians use the latest in technology to supportUBC staff, faculty and students. ❦ UBC's creative writing program started in 1946 with a single course and hasbecome a destination for creative writing students in Canada and from around the world. ❦ This issue of UBCReports is dedicated to the collection, preservation and transmission of ideas, experiences and inspiration.
What the Librarians are ReadingMysteries, racy romances, tell-allbiographies. Every summer, thesame old book picks make it intothe beach bag. In search of moreunusual reading, UBC Reportsthought it only made sense to askthose who fill the UBC Librarystacks what they’d check out oftheir own branches if they had awarm, lazy afternoon on campus to spare.
University Librarian CatherineQuinlan says she’s gotten some“weird” looks in the past whenshe’s recommended the OxfordEnglish Dictionary (unabridged)but, given her druthers, it’s still thetome she’d haul off the shelf on asummer day because “it’s a fasci-nating source of information: howthe definitions and usages or wordshave changed over time, word ori-gins, new words. It’s interesting tome that, in general, our day-to-dayvocabulary is limited to a couple ofthousand words when of coursethere are many, many more.” Andthe best spot to read the hefty reference book? Given its weight,Quinlan says an outside readingspot is probably out of the ques-tion, so she’d choose a table andchair in one of the UBC libraries.
Law librarian Sandra Wilkins isanother fan of Oxford referencebooks but her choice would be TheOxford Companion to Law byDavid M. Walker, a compendiumon law and law-related topics,including legal systems, concepts,doctrines, principles, institutionsand people.
Wilkins says it’s highly readable,contains a wealth of information –making it a great starting point foranyone researching a law-relatedtopic – and it readily lends itself tobeing put down and picked upagain later – great for those wholike a little nap between chapters.“It solves the mystique surroundinggowns and wigs, explains that a‘call to the bar’ has nothing to dowith libations, summarizes impor-tant cases such as Donoghue v.Stevenson (the ginger-beer case),and puts Latin phrases such as resipsa loquitur into plain language.”And her preferred reading spot?The Rose Garden because “it’s
close to the Law Library, near SageBistro where one can take a breakfor lunch, and has wonderful viewswhen one needs a break from reading.”
Tim Atkinson is UBC’s assistantuniversity librarian for arts, human-ities and social sciences so it’s nosurprise that his top pick is a classicwork of fiction, BridesheadRevisited by Evelyn Waugh. Helikes the story, but also the way thewords flow together. “There isn’t awasted word in the entire book andthe author has chosen them to fittogether in a really lyrical way.”It’s a book best read in the Britishcountryside, says Atkinson, but aUBC alternative would be on abench in the little grove of trees infront of Main Library and next tothe Physics Building.
Chris Ball, head of the EducationLibrary, suggests getting a good coffee, wandering down to the gardens outside the Asian Library(and, hopefully, scoring a bench inthe sun) with the best sellerTuesdays with Morrie: An OldMan, A Young Man, and Life’sGreatest Lesson by Mitch Albom.It’s the story of a very busy youngsports writer who has lost his wayto some extent, in his quest for success in life. Reunited by merechance with his favourite professorfrom years gone by, he finds him-self re-examining what is importantin life and exactly what successmeans.
“Whether it’s because weboomers are getting older, becauseour parents are reminding us of ourown mortality or because reflectingon the meaning of life is our privi-lege, this book hits home. How canit miss?” Ball says. “The professoras life mentor, the returning studentlooking back fondly on his years oncampus, and courage in the face ofa terminal illness? If you are at allcurious about the psychology ofdeath, the purpose of our search for meaning and happiness in life,or the potential importance of a single teacher in a person’s life thenthis book will pull you in and leaveyou thinking.”
If Jan Wallace, head librarian at
Books the bookish boost. B Y M I C H E L L E C O O K
continued on page 8UBC Librarian Catherine Quinlan’s choice of “light” reading is the Oxford English Dictionary (unabridged).
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Highlights of UBC Media Coverage in June 2004. C O M P I L E D B Y B R I A N L I N
UBC Reports is published monthly by the UBC Public Affairs Office310 – 6251 Cecil Green Park RoadVancouver BC Canada V6T 1Z1
UBC Reports welcomes submissions. For upcoming UBC Reports submission guidelines, please seewww.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcreports/about. Opinions and advertising published in UBC Reports do not necessarily reflect official university policy. Material may be reprinted in whole or in part with appropriate credit to UBC Reports.
Letters (300 words or less) must be signed and include an address and phone number for verification. Submit letters to:The Editor, UBC ReportsUBC Public Affairs Office (address above); by fax to 604.822.2684; or by e-mail to [email protected] or call UBC.NEWS (604.822.6397)
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IN THE NEWS
UBC REPORTS
WILLIAM J. CAINE,B. Comm, FinanceInvestment Advisor
Tel: 604-988-3501Email: [email protected]
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Why Tattoos?In the latest issue of NationalGeographic magazine, UBCanthropologist John Barkerexplains the reasons why peopleget tattoos.
“The reason people tattoo areincredibly varied,” said Barker.“There are different motivationsin different locations at differenttimes.”
For example, in manyPolynesian cultures tattooing isextremely sacred, forging a con-nection to the ancestors, Barkersaid.
In Papua New Guinea theMaisin women cover their entirefaces with exotic curvilinear pat-terns in a puberty ceremony. Until
they are tattooed, they arethought to have “blank” faces,not yet ready for marriage.
Walk Against ObesityA new study led by UBC commu-nity and regional planning pro-fessor Lawrence Frank providesdetailed evidence of the obesity-sprawl connection. Frank sur-veyed nearly 11,000 people inAtlanta and discovered that forevery hour people spend in theircars, they are six per cent morelikely to be obese.
For every kilometre they walkin a day, they are five per centless likely to be obese, Frank toldTime Magazine. People who livein a mixed-use environment are
seven per cent less likely to beobese – probably because theywalk more.
“The policy implication of thisstudy,” says Frank, “is that ifwe’re going to solve our public-health issues, we’re going to haveto address the built environment.”
Ethnic Votes may Sway ElectionFor the first time in Canada’s his-tory, the Chinese and South Asiancommunities are expected to great-ly influence the results of the June28 federal election, UBC politicalscientist Richard Johnston toldAgence France Presse English.
The number of Chinese andSouth Asian Canadians haveincreased steadily in the past threedecades, representing half ofCanada’s four million visibleminorities.
They are also asserting theirpolitical clout. “Their mere pres-ence in Parliament will have a pro-found change in how we see our-selves,” said Johnston. “We’re get-ting used to seeing Asian faces inprominent places, as leaders of thecommunity.”
Labour Board Favours UnionsA recent report published by theCoalition of B.C. Businesses showsthe B.C. Labour Relations Boardfailing to properly administer theprovincial labour code by comingout with decisions that put therights of unions ahead of those ofindividual workers.
In recent months the board hasdealt with numerous requests byemployee groups looking to aban-don their unions, UBC labour rela-tions professor Mark Thompsontold the National Post.
Thompson said labour legisla-tion put in place in the early ‘90smaking it considerably easier forunions to sign up members causedfrustration in the business sectorand the government is still tryingto find a balance that is fair toboth sides. ■■
Mountains of Spam e-mails, viruses, worms, Internet predators luringchildren away. . . After 20 years of surveying the effects of computers andInternet use on society, Richard Rosenberg hasn’t chucked his PC out thewindow yet. But the UBC computer science professor has cataloguedenough computer-related social issues to fill three editions of his bookThe Social Impact of Computers. The third edition, released in April byElsevier Academic Press, is almost 40 per cent larger than the previousversion. Not a surprise considering that since his last update, we’ve facedthe debate about downloading music files, post 9-11 computer securityconcerns, the Microsoft anti-trust proceedings and Internet crimes – justto name a few. ■■
The Social Impact of Computers
Three editions later, Richard Rosenberg has plenty to say about computers’impact on society.
Ethnic votes were expected to greatly influence the June 28 federal election.
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Toxic Emotions At Work:How Compassionate Managers Handle Pain and ConflictPeter J. Frost (Sauder School of Business)
Toxic Emotions At Work makes a compelling casefor compassion in business by exploring how organi-zations and their leaders cause emotional pain, andhow it affects performance. Through workplace sto-ries, Peter Frost illustrates specific ways to combattoxicity, avoid burnout and achieve a healthierwork/life balance.
The Corporation:The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power
Joel Bakan (Faculty of Law)
An eminent UBC law professorand legal theorist, Joel Bakanis the co-creator and writer ofthe award-winning documen-tary film The Corporation,which is based on this book.Bakan contends that the corpo-ration functions much like apsychopathic personalitywhich, left unchecked, can leadto scandal and ruin. The book
includes interviews with CEO Hank McKinnel ofPfizer, business guru Peter Drucker and critic NoamChomsky of MIT.
Navigating a New World:Canada’s Global Future
Lloyd Axworthy (formerdirector and CEO of UBC’sLiu Institute for Global Issues)
Former Foreign AffairsMinister Lloyd Axworthy isinternationally known foradvancing the concept ofhuman security, a philosophythat promotes the interests ofthe individual rather than theinterests of the nation-state or
multinational corporations. Axworthy led the estab-lishment of a global ban on landmines and the for-mation of the International Criminal Court. InNavigating a New World, he shows how Canada canlead the world into a 21st century where humansecurity is a priority.
Failing Our Kids:How We are Ruining Our Public Schools
Charles Ungerleider (UBCDept. of Educational Studies,Faculty of Education)
Drawing on the latestresearch from across Canadaand the U.S., CharlesUngerleider describes what’sright and what’s wrong withour public schools and pro-vides solutions for improve-ment. Ungerleider examines
ubc reports | july 8, 2004 | 3
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issues such as how television, the Internet and videogames influence children as well as changes in publicschool finance and governance.
Making Native Space:Colonialism, Resistance,and Reserves in British Columbia
Cole Harris (retired fromUBC Dept. of Geography,Faculty of Arts)
Cole Harris describes hownative peoples were dispos-sessed of most of their landand relocated on reserves. Heoffers the first comprehensiveaccount of the reserve systemin British Columbia, focusingon local tactics and the
strategies of colonialism. Harris also recommendshow to establish a confident and secure native presence within a successful settler society.
UBC Bookstore is open regular hours during thesummer: weekdays 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visitwww.bookstore.ubc.ca. ■■
Books that have Booksellers Sold
1.
2.
4.
5.
3.
Here is a look at UBC Bookstore’s five top-selling books by UBC authors fromSeptember 2003 to May 2004
UBC Bookstore has beennamed Campus Bookstore ofthe Year for 2004 by theCanadian BooksellersAssociation at their recentLibris Awards presentation.
UBC Bookstore was recognized for initiatives suchas hosting several successfulauthor events including Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire and sponsoring a five-event RobsonReading series for emerginglocal writers. In addition, theBookstore and UBCDestinations group hosted aNeighbourhood AppreciationNight, the first time many campus residents came togeth-er in a community setting.
UBC Bookstore also wonthis award in 1999, tied withthe University of TorontoBookstore. ■■
Bookstore of the Year
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Her title reads University Librarian,but Catherine Quinlan could be mis-taken for a kind of super project man-ager/contractor these days.
Outside her Main Library window,a construction crew combines concreteand metal for what will become thenorth wing of the Irving K. BarberLearning Centre at UBC. Inside herbook-lined office, architectural andschematic designs illustrate how thehistoric Main Library will be trans-formed into a leading-edge education
and research facility that will act as aportal to information resources, servicesand technology for users at UBC,across the province and beyond.
“Libraries have been affected bytechnology for thousands of years,”says Quinlan.
“Libraries have always been abouthelping people find information. Weconcentrate not only on getting you theinformation you need, but also teachingyou how to find it and how to evaluateit – how to be a critical consumer of
information. You can’t assume that justbecause you found the information onthe Internet that it is credible. You haveto be able to evaluate the informationprovided as well as the source that isproviding that information.”
As managing director for the $60-million Learning Centre, Quinlan’sresponsibilities are massive. After firstenvisioning an interdisciplinary andtechnologically sophisticated buildingthat will provide 15 years of growthspace for UBC Library’s print collec-
Books and Mortar – and a Whole Lot More
Anosh Irani has always loved to tell stories. But only inrecent years did he realize that writing them down was what hewanted to do with his life.
“I was not one of those kids who knew they wanted to be awriter,” says Irani, who holds a BFA in creative writing from UBCand will complete his master’s degree in the program this fall. “I did-n’t know what I wanted to do. Ever since I was little, I was good attelling stories, I was good at invention, making things up on the spot.
“I remember being in school and if we had some free time duringclass, the teacher would ask me to tell a story. I had no idea what Iwould say but by the time I got up from my chair and went to thehead of the class, that’s when I would start making a story up.”
While Irani’s audience was once limited to his pet cockatoo, class-mates and instructors, his stories are now making their way to abroader audience.
His first full-length play, The Matka King, premiered in October
2003 at the Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver while his first novel, TheCripple and His Talismans, was published in Canada earlier this yearto critical acclaim. It will be published in the U.S. in 2005.
Born and brought up in Bombay, Irani steeps his fiction in the city’ssuffering and strangely beautiful chaos.
The Cripple and His Talismans takes readers on a magic-realistjourney in search of the narrator’s severed arm. The novel alternatesbetween darkness and light, violence and tenderness, humour andhorror, and is infused with fascinating characters – a leper who bitesoff his own finger and gives it to the cripple, a woman who sells rain-bows, a blind man who cannot defecate unless he hears the sound ofa train, a beggar who lives under an egg cart.
The work originated with a horrible, albeit absurd, picture thatcame to the personable and playful 30-year-old’s mind while he waswriting the end to a short story.
“I had an image of just amputated limbs hanging from the ceilingin a dark place,” he says. “I had no idea what that meant. But I justdecided to make a note of it. I wrote the first sentence and I just didn’tstop writing for four hours. And then the image refused to go away,the story refused to go away.
“I think that’s the biggest lesson for a writer. When somethingrefuses to go away, when it keeps coming back, it eventually has to bewritten.”
Irani came to writing after he “wasted five years” earning a business degree.
“Initially I thought I’d take science because that’swhat men do in India. They try to become doctors or engineers,” he explains. “But I had no interest inbecoming anything. I just took it to make my parentshappy and within two days I realized it was a completedisaster. So I shifted to commerce because it wasn’t sci-ence. It’s not that I liked commerce either. I hated it.”
He wowed the creative director of an advertisingagency with his rather imaginative application – “I hadnothing to put on my resume obviously so I made avery funny resume. For skills, I wrote ‘marbles’ and‘kite flying,’ which would be of no use at all.” Iranispent a year writing ad copy before following friends toVancouver in 1998.
While he misses his extended family and friends, andadmits to brutal bouts of loneliness, the move has givenhim a fresh start and time to write every day.
“I think the separation has helped me. When youhave distance, both physical and in terms of time, ithelps you look at a place from a distance and you canbe more objective. What’s also interesting is as vivid asmy memories are sometimes, I don’t remember places.They’re hazy. In this novel, that’s what I’ve used for thecharacter. He’s someone who hallucinates. He’s notentirely sure, he does not have a good sense of place.He’s disoriented.”
Irani’s talent, charm and ability to mix realism withpure invention have caught the eye of many, including
Making the FantasticMatter-of-FactAnosh Irani takes readers and playgoers onmagic-realist journeys. B Y E R I C A S M I S H E K
tion, she now works with the commit-tee steering the project through devel-opment.
Irving K. Barber is as committed asQuinlan to the development of theCentre and its programs. A UBC alum-nus and founding chairman of SlocanForest Products who donated $20 mil-lion for the Learning Centre, he was thefirst to envision a facility accessible toall British Columbians, whether theyvisit in person, by phone or electroni-cally, as well as to learners worldwide.
The $60 million Irving K. Barber Learning Centre takes shape. B Y E R I C A S M I S H E K
Too busy playing football and cricket to read much as a child,the adult Anosh Irani has become a voracious reader.
He chooses books based on the quality of the writing, perspective of the writer, voice, whether there is a story andwhether he cares about the characters. He prefers to read writers from many countries and cultures to “get a sense ofwhat different landscapes are doing in terms of the voice, ofwhat kind of stories they’re telling, what kind of style.” His suggested reads include: • Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski • Diary of a Mad Old Man by Junichiro Tanizaki • The Key by Junichiro Tanizaki • Thirst for Love by Yukio Mishima • The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea by Yukio
Mishima • The Outsider by Albert Camus • My Name is Aram by William Saroyan • A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
continued on page 5
Northeast view of The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at UBC.
UBC creative writing professor George McWhirter, who offeredguidance and encouragement throughout the writing of the book(done for McWhirter’s novel class).
“Anosh is very, very intelligent,” McWhirter says. “He identifiesproblems with his work ahead of time. He’s usually the one withthe questions. He’ll be able to be his own questioner and answerersome day.”
Asked about Irani’s penchant for succinctness, his instructor says,“It’s so extravagant what he writes concisely about. He writes aboutfantastic things yet they seem so matter-of-fact. You know, he’s alsoa terrific poet. He uses gorgeous, gorgeous images. He’s got a giftfor the image.”
Irani graciously acknowledges the support and experience of histeachers at UBC as well as Arts Club Theatre artistic director BillMillerd, who introduced him to playwriting during a summerinternship.
Playwriting has given him a particular love for and skill with dia-logue, which is evident in his fiction.
“Dialogue gives you a sense of what the people are like. And itgives you a chance to be humourous. I love listening to the waypeople speak; especially in Bombay, they have great one-liners.People just have that dry wit or they’re completely ridiculous in theway they speak. I love that.”
Still submitting assignments for his master’s, Irani is working on afourth draft of Manja’s Circus, a play commissioned by theNational Arts Centre in Ottawa, and writing notes for a new noveland for Bombay Talkie, a commission from Toronto dramaturgicalcompany Nightswimming which shops scripts around to potentialproducers.
When asked about his achievements, Irani replies modestly, “I’mgetting there. It’s a good start. It’s a good start.” ■■
Anosh Irani has dazzled critics with his debut novel, The Cripple and HisTalismans.
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Together, they have studied bestpractices at other North Americaninstitutions and visited 16 communi-ties across B.C. to exchange ideas thatwill shape the facility’s programmingand services. A draft operational planis anticipated early this fall for review.
And let’s not forget the fine details.Following a recent visit to the just-opened Seattle Public Library, wherelibrary planners are already planningchanges to the facility, Quinlan’s cur-rent concern is the tables that must bepurchased for the Learning Centre.She wants to ensure they are flexibleas well as capable of concealing thewires and conduit connected to com-puters that will sit on them.
When complete, the LearningCentre will be the first facility inCanada to integrate informationresources and services and interdiscipli-nary learning support facilities underone roof.
The Centre will house smart class-rooms, a wireless environment, openspace that can be configured as com-puter labs, seminar rooms, distancelearning support activities and some ofUBC’s interdisciplinary learning pro-grams such as Arts One and ScienceOne. It will boast a laptop loan pro-gram for UBC and community users,Canada’ first automated storage andretrieval system to support the library’sprint collection, and a fireproof andclimate-controlled vault for thelibrary’s rare books, archives and spe-cial collections.
Quinlan and her team have madesteady progress since the facility wasfirst announced in October 2002 withBarber’s gift, a $10 million contribu-tion from the B.C. government and
Irani’s Recommended Reads
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ubc reports | july 8, 2004 | 5
Amber Lannon, Modern Librarian Books play small role in information expert’s work. B Y M I C H E L L E C O O K
2002October • Announcement of The Irving K. Barber Learning
Centre
November• First live webcast from The Irving K. Barber Learning
Centre. Topic: Research, Collaboration and the Digital Library: Visions for 2010
December• Downs/Archambault & Partners (Vancouver) and
Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates (Los Angeles)selected as the architects for the project
• The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Building Project Committee established
2003January• Co-ordinator, Programs and Services hired
February• Architects’ first presentation to Library staff
and campus community
May• Ridington Room and Pages Café closed; Fine Arts
Division and collections relocated
July• Second live webcast, produced in partnership with
UBC’s Faculty of Education. Topic: Digital Literacy: TheMyths, Realities, Threats and Possibilities
September• Third live webcast, produced in partnership with the Dr. Tong and Geraldine Louie Family Foundation. Topic:The Power of Knowledge, The Promise of Healing;Preventative Healthcare
October• First provincial consultation meeting held in Gold River,
B.C.
• Demolition of north wing of Main Library in prepara-tion for construction of Learning Centre
November• Launch of eHelp Virtual Reference Pilot Project
2004February• Fourth live webcast. Topic: Premier Gordon Campbell’s
Address to the B.C. Chamber of Commerce
April• Fifth live webcast. Topic: Special UBC Honorary Degree
Ceremony for His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama andfellow Nobel Peace Prize laureates ArchbishopDesmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi and Keynote Addressby His Holiness
The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Chronicle of EventsBooks and Mortar continued from page 4
5
How hard is it for a modern-daylibrarian to overcome that pesky stereo-type of the stern, bespectacled book-worm with a hair bun? Just ask AmberLannon, a reference librarian at theDavid Lam Management ResearchCentre.
Despite the fact that she’s never toldanyone to “shush” and doesn’t spendher days stamping books, Lannon sayseven a passing mention of her profes-sion is a party conversation stopper.
“People say, ‘that must be really bor-ing’ or they just don’t believe me,” saysLannon, 29, with a shake of her head.“They say, ‘oh you’re too young’ or‘you don’t look like a librarian,’ and Ijust don’t know what to say to that.”
Dressed in a stylish black skirt andhigh heels, Lannon’s look is more Sexand the City than ‘old-maid behind thehelp desk’ and, in the increasingly electronic world of reference wherelibrary work is less about books andmore about knowledge management,Lannon and her fellow librarians mayjust be the ones who have the last laughabout all those tired clichés.
“Running a library is a lot like run-ning a business,” Lannon says. Andthat’s one reason why, in addition tobeing a full-time librarian, she’s enrolledin UBC’s MBA program.
“An MBA is a more natural fit thansome might think,” she explains. “Inthe rapidly changing environment of themodern library with the emphasis ondigital and electronic holdings, librarianscan’t be complacent. We’ve got to stayon the edge of these things.”
On a typical day in her small butbusy branch of UBC Library, Lannoncan usually be found applying herfriendly, open approach to many diversetasks. These include evaluating largeelectronic databases, addressing accessto information issues, managing thelibrary’s website, or helping students toaccess the data they need to preparebusiness plans for everything from tat-too parlours to Home Depot franchises.
With much of the library’s holdingsonline, most days she doesn’t even pickup a book.
“There is this idea that, in order to bea librarian, you have to really like booksbut that’s not what makes a good librar-ian, and neither does being really goodwith computers. This is a service profes-sion and that really should be part ofthe image,” she says.
Lannon’s career in the library bizbegan at an early age in her hometown
of Halifax. At 14, she got a summer jobas a clerk at her neighbourhood library.The experience introduced her to thepeople who use libraries and the peoplewho run them – and she liked what shesaw enough to seriously consider librarystudies.
She went on to earn an undergradu-ate degree in English at St. Mary’sUniversity and master of library sciencefrom Dalhousie University. Five yearsago, she followed her fiancé out toVancouver (they are now married). Sheworked in libraries at Langara Collegeand a private law firm before UBCLibrary hired her to help get theRobson Square branch up and running.
Six months ago, she left the down-town campus to come to the DavidLam Library. These days, a big part ofher job is training people how to use thefacility effectively, especially e-resources.
It is an important aspect of librarywork and Lannon’s boss, UBC
Librarian Catherine Quinlan, says she isparticularly good at it.
“Amber is innovative, always looking for opportunities to involve thelibrary in the work of the faculty andstudents at UBC,” Quinlan says. “She is particularly astute in her dealings withstudents – teaching them how to devel-op a strategy that will help them findthe information they need, rather thanjust giving them the information. Thelibrary works hard to ensure that weprepare people to be critical consumersof information, not just passive recipients. Amber does a remarkablejob in this respect.”
Lannon says helping people to helpthemselves in the electronic age has itschallenges.
“You never have a clue who’s goingto come up to the desk and whatthey’re going to ask for help with. It’sfun if you at all enjoy the hunt or beinga private detective, but as people
become better users of resources likeGoogle, they don’t need help with easyquestions anymore,” she says.
“They come to me with the reallytough, complex questions – things likethe latest consumer spending statisticsfor India or available commercial realestate in Fort McMurray – the kind ofquestions that can’t easily be answeredwith an Internet search or by pullingjust one book off a shelf.”
Another challenge has been jugglingher MBA studies and her job, butworking in the David LamManagement Research Centre (part ofthe Sauder School of Business) hasgiven Lannon an unusual edge. Withher library science background, she hasbeen able to make up for what shelacks in previous business experiencewith her ability to quickly put her fingeron resources and reference materials.
It’s a skill that has made her popularwith her classmates.
“They often want to do projects withme because they think I’ll take care ofthe research,” she says.
When she’s not at work or studying,Lannon spends time outdoors running,cycling and hiking. She also likes tocook but you won’t necessarily find herburying her nose in a book.
“I enjoy reading but I don’t have a lotof time to do it. Lots of my friends aremore voracious readers than I am,” saysLannon with a laugh.
As for the future, Lannon’s not quitesure what kind of library work she’ll bedoing 10 years from now. In the rapidlyevolving world of knowledge manage-ment, it may be a job that doesn’t evenexist yet. Whatever she ends up doing,she hopes she’ll be able to apply herMBA skills to the library system.
By then, she also hopes to have foundthe perfect cocktail party comeback linefor all those detractors who still thinklibrarians are boring. ■■
Shush! Telling people to be quiet isn’t inAmber Lannon’s job description.
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$30 million from UBC. While thebricks and mortar for the LearningCentre will take two more years tofinish, innovative programs and serv-ices are already being offered.
“We can do things now – thingsthat are not dependent on a physicalbuilding being accessible,” says SimonNeame, co-ordinator of programsand services for the Learning Centre.
Five live webcasts, including therecent special UBC honorary degreeceremony for three Nobel Peace Prizelaureates, have enabled people aroundthe province to watch various eventsof interest.
And now, through eHelp, a virtualreference pilot project, people can askexperts for help without leaving theircomputers.
eHelp allows you to chat with aninformation specialist online, receiveand send documents, co-browse data-bases and websites, and receive tran-scripts of your reference session direct-ly to your email – all from the com-fort of home, lab, office or neighbour-hood Internet café.
“We’re looking for activities andprograms that mesh with our man-date,” says Neame. “It’s a very openslate.”
While they have started with pro-
grams and services for which theyknew there was an interest, what willremain and what will be added inmonths and years ahead depends onwhat people, both on campus andthroughout the province, will need.
“There is remarkable consistency inwhat we’re hearing from people sofar,” says Quinlan. “People wantaccess to more information resources,continuing education opportunities,professional development programsbrought to them through the LearningCentre, business information for smallbusiness, and up-to-date topical anddependable information.”
Quinlan says the Learning Centrehas broadened UBC Library’s thinkingabout what it can do not only as a uni-versity library but also as the province’slibrary.
“There is a shift in libraries every-where,” says Neame. “This is givingus an opportunity to jump way ahead,to be out there and be a facility whoseinitiatives will have an impact on peo-ple here and across B.C.
“We want the Learning Centre tobe a gateway for people online and forpeople who walk in. It should be adestination for the campus as well asthe province, both virtually and in thephysical sense.” ■■
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6 | ubc reports | july 8, 2004
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Roll over, Beethoven! Step aside,Mozart! A new generation of composers is revolutionizing the clas-sical music industry with interactivemusic that is both composed andplayed on computers.
Around the world, computer key-boards are replacing old-fashionedebonies and ivories. The computeritself has become an instrument andmusicians literally “play” it bymanipulating software as if it werestrings and bow.
The result? Sounds that areunheard of, that both please andchallenge the human ear. And no,we’re not talking about the screech-ing of tires or the scratching of fingernails on blackboard, although in therealm of interactive music, they areviable “raw materials” that couldvery well be turned into the back-ground of a new Sarah McLachlanhit or Lord of The Rings soundtrack.
Interactive technology has boostedthe creative capacity of musicians,but it has also created two problemsrarely-faced in centuries of musiccomposition. Many of the techniques, manoeuvres and the endproducts of interactive musical activity are unscorable – there are nomusical notations in existence to adequately record what is created orperformed. Also, the authenticity ofthe digital documents and computersystems that substitute for scores isthreatened by data corruption andmedia obsolescence.
Enter Jill Teasley, a graduate stu-dent from UBC’s School of Library,Archival and Information Studieswhose love of music and enthusiasmfor the preservation of digital materi-al led her to a stint in Paris earlier thisyear, where she worked closely withcomposers to gather information
about their preservation needs thatwould eventually help them accurately preserve interactive music.
As a research assistant for Mustica,a study that is part of theInternational Research on PermanentAuthentic Records in ElectronicSystems project, Teasley is working toidentify the kinds of documents gen-erated while composing and perform-ing interactive music.
“These composers write and per-form music for unique instrumentsthat become unplayable after fiveyears,” says Teasley. “Unless theyhave all the records that show howthe instruments worked and whatthey were supposed to play, the com-posers lose the ability to play theirown music.”
For three months, Teasley inter-viewed musicians, software develop-ers and administrators on currentpractices at two major French musicresearch institutions, L’InstitutNational de L’Audiovisuel andL’Institut de Recherche etCoordination Acoustique/Musique(Ircam).
“At Ircam, for example, com-posers routinely work with musicalassistants,” says Teasley. “Often composers themselves, the assistantsturn the composers’ ideas into commands for the computer.
“As a result, the assistants under-stand aspects of the music that maybe taken for granted, such as how thesoftware components work togetherto create a certain piece,” saysTeasley, who recently presented herpreliminary findings at the UBC e-Strategy Town Hall meeting.
“Unless this information is proper-ly documented and preserved, themusic, intended to be experienced asa live performance, may only beaccessible as an audio recording. ■■
Mustica Breaks Ground inInteractive Music PreservationB Y B R I A N L I N
ubcr5007_30june04 7/05/04 1:29 PM Page 7
ubc reports | july 8, 2004 | 7
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Nestled between a driftwoodwaterfall and the First Nations LongHouse’s Sty-Wet-Tan Great Hall is agem of Aboriginal knowledge thathas glistened despite its humblebeginning.
The Xwi7xwa Library (pronounced whei-wha), named afterthe Squamish word “echo” with theblessing of Squamish Chief SimonBaker, began as a small collection ina mobile home in the ’70s. Fordecades, it housed material selectedby the B.C. Native Indian Teachers’Association and UBC’s Native IndianTeacher Education Program until, in1993, the Xwi7xwa Library wasofficially named and became part ofthe Longhouse.
Today, Xwi7xwa counts morethan 12,000 books, videos, historicaldocuments, art works and artifactsin its collection, all catalogued andavailable online to scholars world-wide.
“The size, scope and location ofthe Xwi7xwa Library makes it aunique Mecca for researchers inAboriginal studies,” says ActingHead Ann Doyle. “It is one of theonly places in Canada you can findthis amount of exclusively FirstNations material – all in one distinctlocation – open to the public, andglobally accessible on the web.”
But it’s the perspective from whichthe collection is managed that setsXwi7xwa apart from the 41 otherFirst Nations collections listed in theCanadian Directory of First Nations,Metis and Inuit Collections. It is cat-alogued using a First Nations classifi-cation system, which includes termi-nology for First Nations conceptssuch as self-government, and usesFirst Nations names rather than theEuropean ones assigned by anthro-pologists.
In addition, Doyle and her prede-cessor, Xwi7xwa founder GeneJoseph, have painstakingly createdsubject headings for the entire collec-tion that remedy gaps in the Libraryof Congress vocabulary for dealingwith Aboriginal issues.
“The Xwi7xwa headings and clas-sification allow the user to quicklyand accurately narrow in on a sub-ject matter and provide a range ofrelated material that is not onlyretrievable through the online cata-logue, but visible from where it isphysically located on the shelf,” saysDoyle.
“For example, books onTsimshian, a nation located alongthe Nass and Skeena Rivers in theNorthern coast of B.C., are organ-ized next to Nisga’a, its neighbour tothe north, rather than its alphabeticalsuccessor Tubatulabal, a people inthe southern Sierra Nevada.”
Such pioneering work inAboriginal scholarship has attractedvisiting researchers from the U.S.,Europe and New Zealand to use itsunique collection and learn how it ismanaged.
So it comes as no surprise thatXwi7xwa has also become a hotbedfor training Aboriginal library stu-dents and non-Aboriginal librarianswho deal with First Nations collec-tions at UBC and elsewhere.
“There are currently threeAboriginal graduate students in theSchool of Library, Archival andInformation Studies who will bespreading their wings in the nextyear,” says Doyle. “The knowledgeand skills they’ve obtained from boththe School and the Library will allowthem to play a vital role in the
preservation of First Nations culturalheritage and help foster mutualrespect among the academic,Aboriginal and mainstream communities.”
With such a stellar record ofachievements, Doyle says the chal-lenge is keeping up with the amazinggrowth – circulation has increased by270 per cent in the past five years – in
Library a Gem in Aboriginal ScholarshipB Y B R I A N L I N
a fiscal environment that has notimproved since Xwi7xwa opened itsdoors in 1998.
“Most people are shocked to learn that we actually don’t have a collections budget,” says Doyle.“Everything housed in Xwi7xwacomes from community donations,bequests and supportive students andfaculty members.” ■■
TIMEPIECE 1950
Stacks, stamps and boxes of books surround librarianEdith Stewart, seen in a 1950 photo of UBC's ExtensionLibrary which serves registered students taking credit distanceeducation courses. Extension library holdings are listed in theUBC Library online catalogue and distance students are eligible for most document delivery services free of charge.For more information, visit www.library.ubc.ca and click on branches. ■■
The Xwi7xwa Library at UBC, named after the Squamish word for “echo.”
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the David Lam ManagementResearch Centre, had a free after-noon, she’d curl up in one of herlibrary’s comfy chairs with TheExperience Economy by JamesGilmore and B. Joseph Pine II.Wallace says she heard Gilmorespeak at a conference in Virginiarecently and found his theories“very intriguing.”
“Gilmore and Pine argue thatthe service economy is about to besuperseded by the experience econ-omy. Just as the service economysuperseded the commodity econo-my, the experience economy is like-ly to transform the service indus-try. Consumers today expect morethan just good service – they want
UBC Press, established in 1971, is one of the largest universitypresses in Canada and publishes more than 40 new books annually.It is recognized by scholars as one of Canada’s foremost publishersof political science, native studies and forestry books.
UBC Press staff have selected the following books to illustrate thevariety of disciplines they publish.
Canadian Democratic Audit SeriesThe result of a milestone research project of the Centre forCanadian Studies at Mount Allison University, theCanadian Democratic Audit series will comprise a series
of nine volumes, each examining a different aspect of Canadiandemocracy, and a 10th that will provide an overview of the project. Expertly designed to introduce undergraduates to the fundamentalsof Canada’s democratic institutions, this series will also be of interestto scholars, policy-makers, journalists, politicians, and the public.
The series includes: Elections by John C. Courtney; Citizens byElisabeth Gidengil, André Blais, Neil Nevitte, and Richard Nadeau;Political Parties by William Cross; Federalism by Jennifer Smith;Advocacy Groups by Lisa Young and Joanna Everitt; Legislaturesby David Docherty; Cabinets and First Ministers by Graham White;Communications Technology by Darin Barney; and The Courts byIan Greene.
Unnatural Law: Rethinking Canadian Environmental Law andPolicyDavid R. BoydLaw and Society series
Unnatural Law is the first book to critically assess the effectivenessof Canadian environmental laws and policies relative to a sustain-able future. The evaluation lays the groundwork for modifyingexisting laws and policies.
Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers: Canada’s Second World WarJeffrey A. KeshenStudies in Canadian Military History seriesThe first-ever synthesis of both the patriotic and the
problematic in wartime Canada, Saints, Sinners, and Soldiersshows how moral and social changes – and the fears they generat-ed – precipitated numerous, and often contradictory, legacies inlaw and society. From labour conflicts to prostitution, Keshen demonstrates that Canada’s Second World War, known as the“Good War,” was actually a complex tapestry of social forces.
UBC Press Hot List for Cool Reads B Y H I L A R Y T H O M S O N (with files from UBC Press)
Japan’s Princess Takamado visited UBC in June to present a collectionof books on Japanese society and culture to UBC’s Asian Library. Thedonation was made in honour of her late husband, His Imperial HighnessPrince Takamado. While on campus, Her Imperial Highness also touredthe Nitobe Memorial Garden and stopped in at the Liu Centre for areception with members of the UBC community involved in Japanesestudies and research. ■■
to feel that they are being offered amemorable and enjoyable experience, too. Companies likeStarbucks and Disney have alreadyshown how to do this. How canlibraries apply the experience economy to their own operations?Coffee areas? Live performances?Musical themes?”
As UBC’s rare books and specialcollections librarian, you’d expectRalph Stanton to pack a few oldand musty favourites into his knapsack, but his top pick is morerecent.
Stanton says The Elements ofTypographic Style (second edition)by Robert Bringhurst is a verytechnical and specialized book, and
one that can be intimidating onfirst encounter. But it will appeal toanyone who wants to understandwhat good typography is and howit functions, or anyone concernedabout how to communicate well inprint, Stanton says.
“Bringhurst is both a poet and atypographer; his book is consideredto be the ‘...undisputed standardreference in its field.’ A real mineof information, it is well and oftenpoetically written,” adds Stanton,who recommends taking the bookto the Nitobe Memorial Garden on“the calm of a day off so the read-er can enter into the text and getcaught up in the visual and writtenmagic.” ■■
What the Librarians are Reading continued from page 1
Imperial Gift
Musqueam Reference GrammarWayne SuttlesFirst Nations Language seriesDrawing on a half-century of linguistic research, formerUBC faculty member Wayne Suttles documents an
endangered First Nations language. Suttles, an anthropologist,worked with Musqueam elders to elicit traditional stories, person-al narratives, and ethnographic accounts to produce a comprehen-sive account of this Salish language.
The Oriental Question: Consolidating a White Man’s Province,1914-41Patricia E. RoyThe sequel to her 1989 book, A White Man’s Province:
British Columbia Politicians and Chinese and JapaneseImmigrants, 1858-1914, UBC alumna Patricia E. Roy’s latestbook continues her examination of the opposition to Asian immi-gration. Drawing on contemporary press and government reports,as well as the correspondence and memoirs of individuals, Royshows how British Columbians consolidated a “white man’sprovince” by securing a virtual end to Asian immigration andrestricting Asian competition in major industries. ■■
Special collections librarian Ralph Stanton cracks open a book in a quiet corner of UBC’s Nitobe Memorial Garden.
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Bruce Clayman has been appointed president of GreatNorthern Way Campus (GNWC), after 11 years as vice-president,Research, at Simon Fraser University.
GNWC is a consortium of Emily Carr Institute of Art andDesign, BCIT, SFU and UBC. The campus encompasses approximately six city blocks on Great Northern Way betweenMain Street and Clark Drive. ■■
K U D O S
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