- Collections and their Footprints
October 15th, 2025 was the 60 year anniversary of A fluxatlas : Spatial Poem, by Mieko Shiomi. To construct the map, Mieko Shiomi contacted people around the world (many who were part of “Fluxus” an international community of artists) asking individuals to record what they were doing & the direction they were facing the morning of Oct 15, 1965. Wanting to celebrate, I walked out of the map room on the 4th floor of Cameron library, rotated South-East, and snapped a picture of the Canadian Circumpolar Collection,1 while in ponderance of the impending move.
I have always been fascinated by the physical footprint of collections. The strong steady appearance of steely shelves and their voluminous heft suggest a confiuration that has always been. Yet, collection stances are tenuous. Continually moving, interfiling, weeding, and eventually shifted to that ”locker in the transom” offsite storage.2
Except for library/collection names, addresses on old checkout slip pockets, and stamps and/or bookplates in the physical monographs there is no easy way to reconstruct past institutional collection locations. When a collection is disassembled its location code is overwritten. In other cases, especially if the items were acquired as a donation, a local note is added to the record. A recent example, the materials from the Faculty of Native Studies Strynadka/Brady Reading Room.
While I am sure there are technical/labour intensive reasons for the deletion of former location codes, their expunging seems detrimental to future researchers. Imagine a Minard-like flow diagram (a spatial mono-cem-trail) from building to building with arrows showing the direction of collection moves and a line thickness related to the volume of materials.
With this in mind, a shelflist snap-shot was taken of the Canadian Circumpolar Collection a few weeks ago, capturing the collection’s last stance. This spreadsheet scaffolding will provide future researchers with a path to investigate the collection.3 A simple example, sorting by Library of Congress call numbers (thematic, geographic and a gutter of cutters) as a way to reconstruct clusters of related materials. Or the possibilities of scripting crosswalks that shift Library of Congress call numbers to other classifications schemes like the Brian Deer Classification System (BDCS), or the Scott Polar Research Institute’s Universal Decimal Classification system that was adapted for polar libraries. Going forward, one can hope that shelf list snap-shots are done for other physical collections on the cusp of moving and melding as libraries substitute physical holdings for ongoing student study/social space and internal and external staff office space.
All of this makes me appreciate the digitization of the Circumpolar Pamphlets Collection (a variety of government, institutional and Indigenous community reports) that now reside on the Internet Archive as its own unique collection. Not only do these 3000 items have enormous research value, they are now virtually locked and located together including notes that the material was originally part of the Boreal Institute for Northern Studies Library (1960s – 1980s), before the name change in the 1990s to the Canadian Circumpolar Institute when the collection was transferred to the University of Alberta Library. Just last week the pamphlets and their vertical containers left Cameron Library. All that remains are the imprints on the carpet.
Figure 1. Images noted in the article. - Flying Around in Aviary: Dec 5
What’s flying around in Aviary this week? We are gliding into winter with Season 2 of the Ski Like a Girl podcast, now dropping weekly. If you are looking for something inspiring to listen to while you work, this series is a great choice.
Ski Like a Girl uncovers the stories of women who have shaped Nordic skiing in Canada, stories that too often go untold. Through oral history interviews, archival research, and academic insight, the podcast highlights the experiences of women and girls involved in cross-country skiing, biathlon, touring, ski jumping, and more.
The podcast is part of a research project led by PearlAnn Reichwein and her team, with contributions from Lyndsay Conrad, who also authored this week’s ski-themed ERA feature. It blends scholarship and storytelling to bring the history of women in skiing to life.
If you are ready for a thoughtful and trailblazing listen, check out Ski Like a Girl in Aviary and follow along as new episodes arrive throughout the season.
- Nuggets of Knowledge in ERA: Dec 5
Another week means it’s time to uncover a new Nugget of Knowledge in ERA! This time, we’re sliding into the history of student life with a study that takes us back to the early days of skiing at the U of A with The Varsity Ski Club: Recreation, Participation, and Leadership in Extracurricular Education at the University of Alberta, 1932–1938 by Lyndsay Conrad.
This thesis explores how the student-run Varsity Ski Club helped turn the river valley into a winter playground. In the 1930s, members planned Sunday Ski Hikes, built their own cabin, and carved out a strong sense of community, while also gaining leadership and organizational skills that were part of a well-rounded education. It also sheds light on how men and women navigated the gender expectations of the era, showing how the club helped shape confident leaders both on and off the slopes. This is a great read if you’re looking to snow more about U of A’s early outdoor culture.
- Flying Around in Aviary: Nov 28
What’s flying around in Aviary this week? In honour of Canada History Week, we’re heading closer to home and highlighting the Edmonton City as Museum Project (ECAMP) Podcast Archive. If you want a break from reading and would rather listen to stories that bring local history to life, this archive is the perfect place to start.
ECAMP explores the people, places, moments, and memories that make Edmonton our city. Each episode dives into a different part of the city’s past, with insights from local historians, professors, community members, and enthusiasts.
Looking for something to listen to while you work today? Tune into an episode and uncover the histories hidden in our neighbourhoods. Whether you are curious about urban development, cultural communities, or Edmonton’s lesser-known stories, ECAMP offers a thoughtful and engaging way to celebrate Canadian history.
- Nuggets of Knowledge in ERA: Nov 28
Another week means it’s time to uncover a new Nugget of Knowledge in ERA! The last full week of November (November 23–29, 2025) is Canadian History Week, and what’s more Canada than hockey history?
This week’s feature, Manhood, Rivalry, and the Creation of a Canadian “Hockey World”: Media Coverage of Early Stanley Cup Hockey Challenges, 1894-1907 by Stacy Lorenz, takes you back to the early days of the Stanley Cup, when newspapers and telegraph updates shaped how Canadians experienced the game. The thesis digs into how early media turned hockey into a national obsession, built regional rivalries, and even shaped ideas about toughness, masculinity, and community pride.
If you love hockey or Canadian history, this one is well worth a read.