A new artwork that grapples with the concept of boredom has been installed on the third floor (main floor) of Koerner Library. The piece, entitled Threshold, (cont.), is a video installation by Vancouver artist Lorna Brown that examines how writers, thinkers and philosophers have dealt with the topic of boredom.

Placed in the context of a university library where the published results of research are stored and accessed through different media, Threshold (cont.) raises questions about how knowledge is circulated, the processes of engaged learning, and the weariness or lack of interest that can result from information overload.

For more information on the installation, please visit http://belkin.ubc.ca/current (make sure to scroll down the screen).

Brown, an award-winning artist, writer and curator, has exhibited her work nationally and internationally since 1984. She has taught at the Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design (now Emily Carr University) and at the School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University.

Brown was the curator for Group Search: art in the library, a series of artists’ projects at the Vancouver Public Library from 2006 to 2008. She is now developing the Centre for Art in Public Spaces at Langara College.

This project is a collaboration of the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery and Walter C. Koerner Library at UBC, and has been made possible by the generous support of the Audain Foundation.

The February 2009 issue of e-Strategy, UBC IT’s newsletter, features a story on UBC Library’s database walk project.

You can view the article here:

http://update.estrategy.ubc.ca/2009/02/03/database-walk-ubc-library

An article on the first B.C. Digitization Symposium, held recently at UBC, appears in the BCLA Browser (this is the new open access newsletter from the British Columbia Library Association).

You can view the article here:

http://bclabrowser.ca/index.php/browser/article/view/6/19

From January 16, 2009 to January 26, two students are camping in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre foyer to raise support, awareness and funds for global literacy.

The UBC students are participating as part of Live-in for Literacy 2009, a project that involves university students across Canada living in libraries. The aim is to raise funds to construct libraries in India.

UBC is the only university in Western Canada to take part in the event, and UBC Library has donated $1,000 to the cause.

You can view the press release here:

http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2009/mr-09-008.html

And you can view a recent story in the Vancouver Sun here:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=a8f66dc8-e12f-4ed3-ab64-e4c54a3b917b

UBC Library and the Chung Collection are featured in an article on Vancouver’s book culture in the January 2009 issue of Fine Books & Collections magazine.

The article is by Nicholas Basbanes, an author who recently read and spoke at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.

You can view the piece here:

http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/200901/vancouver-1.phtml

UBC Librarian Sheryl Adam is among those quoted in an article about the Digital Tattoo program (http://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca).

You can view the article here:

www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081223.wtattoo24/BNStory/National

A new B.C. electronic resource that involves support from the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre has launched.

The British Colonist Digitization project is a joint venture with the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper and the University of Victoria Library, with support from other organizations including the Learning Centre. The project involves the digitization of issues of the British Colonist newspaper (a precursor to the Times Colonist).

Articles on the project are featured in the Victoria Times Colonist and the Globe and Mail. You can view the articles here:

http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1059621

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081217.BCHAWTHORN17/TPStory/TPNational/BritishColumbia/

And here is a link to the project website’s search page:

http://www.britishcolonist.ca

Eugene Barsky and Kevin Lindstrom – two Science and Engineering librarians at UBC Library – have published an article entitled “Podcasting the Sciences: A Practical Overview.” The article appears in Issues in Science & Techology Leadership.

You can view the article here:

http://www.istl.org/08-fall/article7.html

The Fall/Winter 2008/09 issue of Friends, UBC Library’s newsletter, is now available.

You can view a PDF of the issue here:

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Welcome to Insight, UBC Library’s newsletter for faculty. You can view a PDF of Insight here:

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