Tag: events

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African Heritage Month Resources

Reading Resources

Report on Lord Dalhousie’s History of Slavery and Race

A must-read for any Dalhousie Student. Anti-Black Racism is embedded into Dalhousie as an institution on a fundamental level. Written by Dr. Afua Cooper, former Halifax poet Laureate and current faculty member at the department of history and Anthropology and Sociology. 

Black Matters by Afua Cooper and Willfried Raussert

A book of photography and poetry written in collaboration by Afua Cooper and photography by Willfried Raussert. Cooper translates Rausserts photos into lyrical and rhythmic verse, discussing the Black diaspora across North America and Europe, putting the past and present into conversation with one another. We have purchased a copy that will be available in the common room to borrow!

Events this Month

African Heritage Month at Dalhousie University

The Office for Equity and Inclusion invites you to join in on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 for the launch of African Heritage Month and flag-raising at Dalhousie University. The event will begin at 11:00 am in the LeMarchant Place atrium with a brief program which will then move to the Studley Quad for the raising of the flag at approximately 11:30 am. We will alternate the flying of the Pan-African flag and African Nova Scotian flag on the Halifax and Truro campuses throughout February. For an overview of Dalhousie and community events happening during African Heritage Month 2023, visit the Human Rights & Equity Services website and/or the Black Cultural Centre website

Downtown Light Show

Throughout February, the Downtown Halifax Business Commission will project light displays on the former Halifax Memorial Library Building at Grafton Park in celebration of African Heritage Month.

Pan-African Flag on Viola Desmond Ferry

Throughout February, the Pan-African flag will be displayed on the Viola Desmond Ferry in honour of African Heritage Month. 

Virtual Museum Tours

Take an immersive tour of popular heritage and cultural sites, including the Africville Museum and the Black Cultural Centre

African Heritage Month – Calypso Celebration | DHBC

Come celebrate and learn about the heritage of Caribbean immigrants to Canada. This event offers a deep dive into the connections between jazz and afro-Caribbean music and its history here in Nova Scotia. It also offers some great tunes! 

Date: Thursday, February 2, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: In-Person and On-Line

Language: Presented in English

Cost: FREE

Lift Every Voice

A showcase of exceptional talent from our African Nova Scotian music community, produced by the African Nova Scotian Music Association. A favourite in Halifax, and a lot of fun. Uplifting, celebratory and engaging. 

Date: Thursday, February 16, 2023 

Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00PM

Location: Halifax North Memorial Public Library 

The NFB in Libraries- African Heritage Month 

A selection of films and documentaries from the National Film Board of Canada. Every Friday morning throughout the month of February; the public library will be screening eye-opening and provoking films to celebrate African Heritage Month. You can chat about the movie afterwards while enjoying some snacks!

Date: Every Friday in February starting February 3rd

Time: 10:00 am- 12:00pm

Location: Captain William Spry Public Library

February 3rd: Sol 

Many Black, racialized, and immigrant women work with elderly patients as healthcare providers. Their jobs, already arduous and underpaid as it is, have become even more exhausting during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some public commentators have described them as over-represented in this sector because of their culture, and hailed them as “guardian angels,” what do they themselves have to say? This cross-sectional portrait of some of these women takes the form of a meditative essay.

February 10th Zab Maboungou 

This portrait of choreographer Zab Maboungou provides insight into the meticulous training and physical strength behind one of her pivotal works: Mozongi.

February 17th Black Soul

Martine Chartrand’s animated short dives into the heart of Black culture with an exhilarating trip through history. Watch as a young boy traces his roots through the stories his grandmother shares with him about the events that shaped their cultural heritage.

February 24th: Ice Breakers

Josh Crooks is a promising teen hockey star in a sport where Black players like him are chronically underrepresented. Ice Breakers reveals the buried history of a pioneering Black hockey league in Atlantic Canada, as Crooks discovers that his unshakable passion is tied to a rich and remarkable heritage

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Career Day Recap

On January 20th, SIM held its very first Career Day. This event was planned in collaboration with SIM’s Professional-in-Residence, Cabot Yu. 

This was a fantastic opportunity for students to preparing their applications for jobs ranging from summer positions, to contract work, to permanent positions post-grad! Morning sessions featured Cabot instructing on tips and tricks for resume and CV writing, interview skills, and networking on LinkedIn. 

An afternoon career panel featured Information Management professionals from several fields. Donna Bourne-Tyson, past head of the Dalhousie Libraries, spoke about academic libraries and aspects of working as a university librarian, such as research and committee work. Lara Killian, Communications and Engagement Manager at CIHR, discussed the skills that Information Management professionals are uniquely equipped with and how to transfer them amongst fields. Kathleen Morris and Hannah Ching spoke to the dynamism and rapid evolution of working in public libraries and offered students insight into the day-to-day work of public library staff. Laurena Fredette from Libraries and Archives Canada discussed archival work and her work with teams across Canada. Cabot Yu rounded off a fantastic panel by illuminating government work and how important it is for information professionals to engage in continuous learning. The panel concluded with a Q&A period in which students could ask how to tailor applications to specific fields and other questions regarding working in specific fields.

Career Day was an all-day affair, with breakfast and lunch served in the Rowe building. 

A follow up event will be held in March in which students can submit their resumes/CVs to be matched with IM professionals in their field of choice for relevant feedback. Mock interviews will also be held, which are both great practice and a fantastic networking opportunity.

We thank all students that attended and engaged so thoughtfully in each session. We also appreciate the participation of our panelists who offered valuable wisdom and experience for students to draw from. We are appreciative of Cabot flying in to Halifax to be with us in person, and to SIM for making this event possible. We hope everyone found it useful and informative for their professional development.

Stay tuned for more details regarding our March career event, and for our rescheduled headshot session!

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A Wondrous Winter Semester

Now that the winter term is in full swing, we’ve already had some great events and look forward to an exciting rest of semester!

  • We kicked off the term with a beloved tradition, Waffle Wednesday! Hot cocoa, coffee, and homemade waffles were enjoyed by all. Thanks to everyone for such a great turnout, it was wonderful to reunite after the holiday break. 
  • Our holiday fundraising initiative for Books Beyond Bars was a great success! Together we collected 31 children’s books, 19 novels, 4 blank notebooks, giftcards, and donations made directly to the organization. We received contributions from students, faculty, alumni, and the Dalhousie English Department. Thank you to all who supported this effort. If you would still like to make a donation to the organization, the Loaded Ladle located in the Dalhousie Student Union building is a drop off point for donations, or you find more information about donating directly to Books Beyond Bars here: https://booksbeyondbars.wordpress.com/most-requested-donations/
  • SIMSA’s first social event of the term was held on January 16th. Fun was had by all at Bingo at the Forum!
  • SIMSA’s very first Career Day is taking place today, January 20th! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn tips and tricks for resume and CV building, networking, and professional development. This event is a collaborative day put on by SIMSA and SIM’s Professional-in-Residence, Cabot Yu. A second part to Career Day will be hosted in March; we’ll come back together for a resume review session where students will be paired with practitioners in the field who will offer feedback on CVs/resumes. There will also be an opportunity to network with a variety of information professionals.
  • SIMSA’s next book club meeting will be held on January 30th. Our book club pick this month is “Elatsoe”. A sign-out sheet for this month’s book pick will be available in the SIM common room.
  • In exciting news, the highly anticipated Information Without Borders Conference is right around the corner! SIM is very much looking forward to the return of IWB and learning from an incredible line up of speakers and panelists. Registration is free for MI students and is open here: https://iwbconference.informationmanagement.dal.ca/registration/
  • Finally, DJIM has also returned this year! The Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management is currently accepting submissions. The deadline is January 31st and more information can be requested at djim@dal.ca

That’s all for now- stay tuned for more SIMSA updates and stay cozy!

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Happy Holidays from SIMSA!

SIMSA wishes all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members a very happy and restful holiday. The fall saw many challenges which impacted the normal flow of the semester, including the CUPE strike and Hurricane Fiona. From these events we witnessed peers encouraging one another, faculty and staff working to support students, and the remarkable resilience found in community. SIM welcomed a new cohort of students, and second years continued forging their individual paths into the world of Information Management.

As we look forward to the winter term, many exciting programs and initiatives are being launched and continued at the School of Information Management, including:

  • SIMSA book club (ongoing)
  • SIMSArchive Workshop series (January-March, Workshop 2 Rescheduled to January 18, 10am-12pm!)
  • Information Without Borders Conference (February)
  • SIM Career Day (January 20th and March 10th)
  • Lunch and Learns (ongoing)
  • Social events (ongoing)
  • DJIM & SIMagination (spring launch)
  • SIMphony (April)

As always, check back here and on our social media for details on upcoming programs and events and see you in the new year!

Below are a few photos from December’s Waffle Wednesday (which featured a Hot Chocolate theme) and our Holiday party! Thanks to all who joined us for a festive evening to round out the fall term!

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A Little Bit of November and a Look Ahead to December!

With almost an entire semester under our belts, SIMSA is looking ahead to what we have planned for December!

  • Coming up we have a hybrid lunch and learn featuring SIM alumna Annalise Benoit! We are excited to have Annalise speak with current SIM students about her work with the law firm Pink Larkin. This Lunch and Learn will be held on November 25thfrom 12-1pm in the SIM Meeting Room (4025) and over Teams
  • SIMSA will also be attending the annual Halifax Christmas Tree Lighting in Grand Parade on November 26th at 6pm. Join us to start getting in the Holiday spirit!
  • To round out the last few weeks of November, SIMSA is excited for the very first meeting of our new book club put together by Janine McGregor! The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman will be discussed on November 29that 5:30pm in the SIM Common Room. The second meeting will occur in the winter term, book choice TBD, keep an eye out for more details!
  • To kick off December, we have another hybrid Lunch and Learn on the 2nd  from 12-1pm in the SIM Meeting Room (4025)! This session will be on working in Archives and feature Emily Plemel!
  • Waffle Wednesday will be held on Wednesday, December 7th from 12-2pm in the common room. All are welcome to join for a festive version of this breakfast tradition.
  • SIM’s annual Holiday party will be held on December 8th at The Brewery by Quinn’s on Quinpool Road. Food will be provided, drinks will be available for purchase, good times will be had, and memories waiting to be made! Please RSVP by December 4th using the Microsoft Form circulated by email. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Each year SIMSA includes a fundraising initiative at its holiday event. We will be collecting book donations for Books Beyond Bars. Please bring your donations to The Brewery by Quinn’s on December 8th. You can find more information about book requests and preferred categories here: https://booksbeyondbars.wordpress.com/most-requested-donations/ We thank you in advance for supporting this effort.

That’s all for now! As always, keep an eye on our social media and Teams space for more details on events, and don’t hesitate to reach out to any SIMSA exec with questions!

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November 2022 Updates

Updates! Updates! Updates!

October was a busy month at the School of Information Management. This blog post covers just a few of the fun initiatives and events happening around SIM:

  • SIMSA held its fall General Meeting on October 21st. We had a great attendance from our student body and unanimously passed our recently updated constitution! 
  • Voting for the fall elections closed on October 26th and SIMSA is delighted to welcome five new members to its executive team! Congratulations to Robyn Smith (Incoming Academic Chair), Isabel Brechin (Incoming EDIA & Special Projects Chair), Toni Beaton (Incoming Digital Publications Chair), Hailey Wills (Incoming Non-Academic Chair), and Catherine Gracey (Financial Chair). We are looking forward to working with you and the great year ahead.
  • Other fun updates at SIM include the arrival of a new, full-sized fridge. Students are welcome to take advantage of this addition to the common room, and we are grateful for this resource and the support it will lend future events. 
  • Our Non-Academic chair, Janine, has launched a new SIM book club! Keep an eye on our social media and Teams spaces for book lists and meeting times! 
  • November Waffle Wednesday (to be held on Thursday, November 3rd) has been cancelled. Waffles will resume in December with a festive theme!
  • SIMSA is excited to announce a Save the Date for our Holiday party! Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 8th– more details about this event will be announced soon!
  • Finally, the CUPE 3912 strike continues. We recognize that this has generated stress for our students; if you require support in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out to SIMSA at simsa@dal.ca, or a member of our exec team. We are here to support you.

That’s all for now, folks! Keep an eye on the blog and our social media channels for more updates as the semester rolls on- November Reading Week is just around the corner!

Here are a few pictures from SIMSA’s Halloween party, held on October 28th. We had a great time painting pumpkins, eating pizza, and dressing up in costume! Thanks to all who came out!