I had been living in Canada but a few short months when Stephen Harper, as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, formed his first minority government. At the time,…
The best use of TV, for me, is as a sleep aid. But I never thought I’d revisit comedies from my early childhood. I’ve watched a bit of comedy in…
Two years ago, almost to the day, US war resister Kimberly Rivera and her family were forced out of Canada by the Harper Government. Kim – peace activist, artist, mother,…
Last Thursday, fast-food workers in more than 150 US cities went on strike. Some 500 workers were arrested for civil disobedience, including this man, José Carillo, an 81-year-old McDonald’s worker.…
On Labour Day, I happened to see this on Twitter: I am on my union’s labour-management committee, the group that meets monthly with management to discuss members’ concerns and try…
Fast-food workers all over the US are on strike today, demanding a living wage and the right to form a union without retaliation. Did you know that the majority of…
When we moved to Canada (nine years plus a few days ago), I wondered what, if anything, I would miss about the US. Who would have guessed it would be…
Indian Horse, by Richard Wagamese, is a hauntingly beautiful novel about an Ojibway boy’s journey into manhood. It was the Readers’ Choice winner of the 2013 Canada Reads, CBC Radio’s…
My grandmother had always referred to the universe as the Great Mystery. “What does it mean?” I asked her once. “It means all things.” “I don’t understand.” She took my…
I must preface this post with a happy disclaimer: I love library customers. I love helping them. I love giving them a good feeling about the library. I value great…
Do you ever borrow ebooks from your public library? Do you have any idea how your library adds ebooks to its collection, or at what cost? The number of library…
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has an excellent essay in Time, something only a big-name writer can get away with in the mainstream media. Abdul-Jabbar names the stark truths behind the uprising in…
Meet the new permanent youth librarian at the Mississauga Central Library. I’ve been in this position since January, but on a temporary or contract basis. Two big things had to…
I grew this! It’s eight inches long, and three more are on the way. What’s ordinary to you veteran gardeners is still miraculous to me. Gardening on a small scale…
Central Library at National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City While I wait impatiently to post some exciting news, please enjoy these photos of amazing libraries all over the world.…
Reading a news story about Robin Williams’ death, I saw a tweet from Jimmy Kimmel. It said, in part: “If you’re sad, tell someone.” Depression is “you’re sad” the way…
I knew working full-time would mean cutting back on activism. What time I can squeeze out, I’m investing in my own union, where I have much to contribute and feel…
“The Pink House”, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi.The owner painted it pink so it would stand out, in defiance. I’ve thought a lot about heroes, that tremendously overused word,…
Giverny I have been avoiding the photos I took on my trip with my mom in May. I suspected they were going to be pretty crappy and I didn’t want…
I recently read The Given Day, Dennis Lehane’s novel about 1919 Boston, especially the Boston police strike, and the widescale rioting that followed. The book is an engaging hybrid of…
