Articles tagged with: Archives and Special Collections

• Women, Water, and Words: An Exploration of Visual Culture in Niagara

  Tuesday, March 05, 2024 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  A new exhibit in the Library and at the Thistle entrance to the Matheson Learning Commons features a selection of items from Brock’s Archives & Special Collections chosen by Visual Arts students in VISA 2P90 (19th Century Visual Culture).

  Each student selected an item from the collection to research and present. There is a broad range of material in this exhibit–from whimsical sketches to advertisements and tourist material to photographs of architectural monuments–but they are all connected by a focus on the history of visual culture in Niagara. 

  We invite you to visit this intriguing exhibition until April 7.

   

   

   

   

   

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Course Collaboration, display, Students
  Categories: Archives, Featured Collections, Learning Commons

• Black History and African Heritage Month at Brock Library

  Monday, February 05, 2024 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  This month, as Brock celebrates African Heritage and Black History, the Library is hosting learning opportunities open to all.

  February 7 and 28 at 11am and 2pm: Join David Sharron, Brock University Archivist for a tour that illuminates the Black history of St. Catharines and Niagara through the University’s archival collections.

  February 8, 7pm: Join Archives of Ontario’s Archivist Melissa J. Nelson for a talk on the power and potential of Black archival collections. Melissa positions these collections as tools for empowerment that allow Black record creators to reclaim the historical narrative. This talk celebrates Black record creators who documented and passed on their life’s stories.

  February 12-March 1: Visit the Learning Commons exhibit cases to view Echoes of the African Great Lakes (Rwanda), an exhibit of artifacts curated by SOFIFRAN, a non-profit community organization, created in 2007 by French-speaking immigrant women living in the Niagara region and from various parts of the world.

  We are thankful to our partners, the Black Student Success Centre, SOFIFRAN, and Professor Jean Ntakirutimana, Modern Languages Literatures, and Cultures for their support.

  All month long, we invite you to browse and borrow from a special end-cap of Black authored popular fiction and non-fiction from our Badger Books collection. A virtual book display, Celebrating Black Voices and Sharing Black Stories, is freshly updated with new titles and available online.

  The Brock community is celebrating Black History Month and African Heritage Month with a full calendar of events and programming. See what’s going on and join in the celebrations.

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Black History Month, display, Events, Our Collections, Virtual Book Display
  Categories: Learning Commons, Main

• Community researcher letter of gratitude

  Wednesday, November 01, 2023 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  A Special Thank-you to Brock U. from a Grateful Local Resident
  Graham Segger, BA, FCA, FCPA

  I should perhaps start with a few confessions. First, I am not a Brock student, faculty member, employee or alumnus. I do, however, live less than 15 kilometres SSW of the Schmon Tower in the Town of Pelham (and former Village of Fonthill). The history of a part of that town has been the subject of a fascinating research project which has absorbed a substantial part of my spare time over the last couple of years. This brings me to my next confession. That BA listed above was not in history, or even the liberal arts, and the FCA designation simply means that I spent my pre-retirement career as a moderately successful chartered accountant. Research is research, however, and my third confession is that I have spent more time in the various Brock and other Niagara Region libraries over the last two years studying history and geography than I did through any comparable two year period during my own university days, lo those many years ago.

  This then is my letter of thanks to the many Brock faculty, staff and alumni who have generously helped me during this research project.

  My initial interaction with Brock was in the Archives and Special Collections 10th floor reading room where Edie Williams and Anne Adams lugged heavy and dusty Registry Office Copy Books out of the Archives Stacks for my perusal on numerous occasions. These books provide an incredibly detailed accounting of land transfers and other documents such as Will probates back to the 1790s. The carefully compiled Finding Aids supporting several of Brock’s other Special Collections were also helpful in my research. The Archives head David Sharron provided some leads while I was tracking down permissions for other materials incorporated into my project.

  When I was seeking information on the glacial origins, Indigenous history and early land surveys of the area the 9th floor stacks supplied a wealth of authoritative texts, and far too many rabbit holes to descend into.

  I’ve been a map geek throughout much of my life so my discovery of the treasure trove of Niagara related Historical Maps and Air Photos maintained online by the Map, Data and GIS Library was a revelation as was the collection of physical Pelham maps. The 1827 and 1840 sketch maps of a proposed military fortress on Pelham Heights contained a huge amount of data about Upper Fonthill (then called Riceville) including roads, distances, school houses, cider presses, tanneries, soil conditions, tree species and springs. The names of the 100 acre lot owners and the locations of their farm houses, fields and orchards were identified for both years allowing me to appreciate the evolution of the community during the intervening years. Sharon Janzen of MDGL also helped me navigate the new world of Open Data multi-layer map building. The result was two very informative maps she generated based upon my content wish lists.

  Dr. John Menzies, Professor of Geography and Earth Sciences, and a global authority on past glacial environments kindly read my initial glacial era chapter. He then politely explained to me how the understanding of the science has changed dramatically since most of my original source texts were written 50 years ago and more. He generously stuck with me through several more iterations of that chapter and contributed a helpful illustration. I hope he has my back when the good people of Fonthill (where he also lives) read that the huge mound of sand and gravel at the top of the Fonthill is not really a kame.

  Dr. Anna Lathrop, Professor of Kinesiology and former Vice-Provost and Associate Vice President, Students, as well as a life-long resident of Pelham, generously contributed a foreword to the book which emerged from the research, and was supportive from the beginning of the project.

  Dr. Michelle Vosburgh, Instructor in the Canadian Studies and History departments, and another Pelham resident, provided excellent insights into the early surveying of Niagara and also contributed other very helpful suggestions and edits. Many other Brock alumni also provided support and assistance, including Adam Shoalts and Robert Young in particular.

  This project has demonstrated the huge value of living so close to an excellent academic institution like Brock. Much of my research was done in the May to August periods of 2022 and 2023 at times when the campus was quiet and the parking was free, though I did make some considerable financial contributions through the Honk parking app at other times. I am forever grateful for this access to these extensive research materials, the excellent interaction I have had with hard working and knowledgeable staff and the insights provided by authoritative faculty members.

  Editor’s note: Mr. Segger’s new book The Land at the Crest of the Hill: Clues to Niagara History from Upper Fonthill is available in eBook format through the website of its publisher The Pelham Historical Society. Paperback copies are available at several Fonthill retailers. All net proceeds from the sale of the book go to charity.

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Community
  Categories: Archives

• Construction on floor 10 begins soon

  Monday, June 19, 2023 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Construction adjacent to Brock’s Archives and Special Collections on floor 10 will begin on Monday, July 3. Noise and disruption are expected during the project which is expected to last 3-4 weeks. The floor will remain open for book retrieval, and access to the Archives and Special Collections Reading Room is not affected.

  Alternative silent study spaces in the library are located on floor 9, the silent study room on the northside of floor 5 and Classroom B in the Matheson Learning Commons.

   

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Construction
  Categories: Archives, Main

• Archives & Special Collections the focus of podcast episode

  Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | By snixon

  

  Looking for podcast recommendations? David Sharron, Head of Archives & Special Collections at Brock Library was recently a guest on Foreword, a podcast produced by Brock University’s Faculty of Humanities. David and podcast host, Alison Innes, sat down to discuss what an archive is, how to conduct archival research, and how technology is changing archives, to name a few topics.

  In the episode, David also shares some of his personal journey in the archival world and spotlights a few of the archival collections cared for here at Brock.

  Listen to the episode now. Also be sure to subscribe to Foreword on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

   

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, podcasts
  Categories: Archives, Main

• Brock collections from World Wars help Niagara remember

  Tuesday, November 08, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  This article written by Jocelyn Titone, Marketing and Communications Officer, was originally published in The Brock News.

  As Remembrance Day approaches, Brock University’s archival collections bring history to the forefront.

  The Brock University Library’s Archives and Special Collections houses some of the most unique and valuable records representing all aspects of Niagara’s history, including a wide range of historical items related to the First and Second World Wars.

  David Sharron, Head of Archives and Special Collections, said although each collection is significant in its own way, the records that cover the World Wars and other modern conflicts evoke a different reaction.

  “There is an immediate reverence for both the individuals who fought the battles and those who supported the war effort from home,” he said. “These records remind us of a time when people and organizations made sacrifices and pitched in to do their part. It was difficult and often tragic, but as a community, Niagara made it through.”

  Collection highlights include a letter from a father serving oversees to his young daughter; a trench helmet and rucksack used in the First World War; documents on the City of St. Catharines’ war preparations and measures; photographs of fundraising parades to support the war; oral histories from the Niagara Mennonite community; and postcards from a military training camp in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

  Sharron said with some of the wars happening so long ago, many of the people who experienced them are no longer alive to share their story.

  “Their history and voices held in these records help us remember,” he said. “It’s why we preserve them and make them available.”

  While many of the collections are digitized and available online for anyone to access, including the records Sharron curated below, there are millions of documents and artifacts housed in the physical archives.

  “The online collections are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “There is always more to the story; a fuller history unfolds as you sift through a box of documents or flip through books from that era.”

  Brock University’s Archives and Special Collections is open to the Niagara community as well as Brock students and researchers. The public is invited to access the physical collections on the 10th floor of the James A. Gibson Library in Brock University’s Arthur Schmon Tower Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Writing ahead of a visit to archives@brocku.ca is recommended in case a class is occupying the space or the reading room is full. Vaccination and mask protocols are in effect.

  Digitized records related to the World Wars

  Arthur Albert Schmon
  Arthur Albert Schmon, one of Brock University’s founders and the Schmon Tower’s namesake, fought for the United States Army during the First World War before coming to live in St. Catharines.

  • Arthur A. Schmon fonds
  • Documents related to Schmon’s service during the First World War
  • “Van-Guard”: A World War I poem

  Laura de Turcynowicz (nee Blackwell)
  Laura de Turcynowicz was a famous opera singer from St. Catharines who married a Polish Count and was living in Poland when the First World War began. The Prussian Army occupied her home for several months before she escaped to the U.S. She wrote a book about her ordeal and raised money for the suffering people of Poland. In 1918, de Turcynowicz was instrumental in promoting the training and education of young American women of Polish descent to help with war relief efforts in Poland. The group became known as the Polish Grey Samaritans.

  • Laura Blackwell de Turczynowicz (Note the top menu headings that lead to more information)
  • Laura de Turczynowicz fonds

  Percy Carruthers Band
  Percy Carruthers Band was a decorated First World War soldier who earned the Military Cross with two bars and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He was also the former caretaker of the Brock Library’s Woodruff and Post Office collections. Among other records in this collection are letters from his sweetheart Margaret Woodruff from St. Catharines, photographs, military documents, a trench helmet and rucksack from the First World War, and medals he received for courage and determination.

  • Percy Carruthers Band fonds

  Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff
  The Woodruff family of St. Catharines came to Canada from the U.S. in 1795. They were an integral part of the Village of St. Davids and played an active role in the battles fought in Upper Canada. Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff was killed in action during the First World War as a member of the 116th unit of the Queen’s Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment).

  • Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff and the Woodruff family
  • Photo of the last time Woodruff saw his mother and a photo of his tombstone
  • Woodruff Series XIV — Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff (1894-1918)

  Niagara Camp
  Niagara Camp was a military training camp in Niagara-on-the-Lake that was used as a summer training grounds for infantry, cavalry and artillery. Postcards of Niagara Camp were common. This collection features postcards from the early years of the First World War.

  • Niagara Camp photos and postcards (Note the top menu headings that lead to more information)

  Orville James (Jimmy) Manson
  Orville James (Jimmy) Manson was an amateur photographer from Niagara who brought his camera with him while serving for the Canadian Navy during the Second World War.

  • Niagara through the lens of Orville (Jimmy) Manson (Note the top menu headings that lead to more information)
  • Orville (Jimmy) Manson family fonds

  Mennonites of Niagara
  Oral history interviews of members of the Mennonite community who came to Niagara from Europe after the upheavals of the First and Second World Wars.

  • Mennonites of Niagara: pioneers (sound recording)
  • Russian-Mennonite immigrants of the 1920’s (Niagara Peninsula) (sound recording)

  Interesting parts included in large, digitized collections:

  • The Red Cross parade and fundraising during the Second World War (Anne McPherson family fonds)
  • A letter from father at war to his daughter (Anne McPherson family fonds)
  • War efforts of the English Electric Company of St. Catharines
  • Women and men employed at English Electric Company during the Second World War
  • Lake Lodge School of Grimsby during the First World War
  • Niagara Parks’ School of Horticulture efforts and projects during the Second World War
  • Catharines Photo Album c. 1913-1919 — Includes photos of people in uniform and in training among everyday photos of life
  • Several documents related to Estelle Cuffe Hawley — an educator, businesswoman and politician who became the first woman alderman on St. Catharines City Council — including:
    • War letters from her brother Ted:
      • Ted Cuffe to his mother
      • Ted Cuffe to Estelle Cuffe
      • Postcard from Ted Cuffe to Estelle Cuffe
    • Cuffe Hawley’s reflections on the First World War
    • Cuffe Hawley’s discharge certificate from the Royal Air Force Civilian Subordinates

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Digital Exhibits, Our Collections
  Categories: Archives, Main

• Brock Library services and resources highlighted in new exhibit

  Tuesday, August 30, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  New and returning students are invited to stop by and view a new exhibit in the Library and Learning Commons display cases. The exhibit features unique items from Brock’s Archives and Special Collections, the Makerspace, and Map, Data & GIS Library. A guide to study spots, research basics, and the various ways to get help from the library are also featured.  Welcome to Brock University Library runs to Friday, September 16.

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Makerspace, MDGL, Services, Students
  Categories: Archives, Learning Commons, Main, Makerspace, MDGL

• Discover your library this spring

  Monday, April 25, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  A new term and a fresh start on one of the prettiest campuses around! Welcome to the spring term at Brock and the Library.

  Whether you are a new or returning student or instructor, learn something new on the Discover Your Library page. Complete our popular Scholar Style quiz and receive customized services based on your answers.

  If you are on campus or live in the Niagara area, we are open from 8am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 1pm-5pm on Saturdays. Stop by the Ask Us desk to kick start your research.

  For those studying at a distance, we offer hundreds of thousands of e-books and journal articles, and help is just a few clicks away with email and chat services as well as online research consultations with our librarians.

  We look forward to working with you and wish you all the best for a successful term.

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Makerspace, MDGL, Our Collections, Services, Staff, Students
  Categories: Main, MDGL

• Update on Library resources & services

  Monday, January 10, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Brock Library re-opens January 6 at 9am. Here’s what to expect.

  Hours of Operation:

  James A. Gibson Library
  

  • Monday to Friday: 9am – 5pm
  • Saturday-Sunday: Closed

  Archives and Special Collections, Digital Scholarship Lab, Makerspace, and Map, Data & GIS Library open by appointment only. 

  Access to collections:

  The upper floors of the library are currently closed. The following services are in place to provide you with access to our print materials:

  • Hathi Trust Emergency Temporary Access Service. ETAS provides electronic read-only access to approximately 30% of our print collections.
  • For items not available in Hathi Trust, use the request for pickup service
  • A scanning service is also available for print journal articles and book chapters.
  • Interlibrary Loan and borrowing via Omni partner libraries remain available.

  Access to study space:

  • Students looking for a quiet space to work can book one of 50 individual study spots  on the main floor of the library. Book up to 8 hours per day and up to 2 weeks in advance.
  • Printing and copying is available.
  • Group study is not available.
  • Classrooms A and B are not available.

  Research help:

  • Ask a Librarian chat service resumes January 10
  • Email us at libhelp@brocku.ca
  • Book an online research consultation with your Liaison Librarian.

  Your Library Account:

  • When returning books, please use the drop slot in the Rankin Family Pavilion/Schmon Tower Lobby.
  • Here’s how to renew your items.

  Delivery and intercampus transfer:

  • Intercampus transfer between the main campus and Marilyn I. Walker remains operational. Items can be picked up at the MIW Security desk.
  • Departmental delivery for faculty and staff is unavailable at this time.

  Alumni and community member access:

  • Visitors are asked to complete the self-screen survey for COVID-19 risk before arriving on campus. It can be completed via web form or through the Brock Safety mobile app.
  • Check in at  the Visitor/Guest COVID-19 Screening desk in the Rankin Family Pavilion (base of Schmon Tower) or in the east entrance of the Cairns Complex.
  • Provide your proof of vaccination and confirmation from the screening survey to the screener on duty.

  Keep up to date with developments by visiting the Brock University Library COVID-19 page. Questions? Email libhelp@brocku.ca

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Digital Scholarship Lab, Makerspace, MDGL, Services
  Categories: Main

• Discover your library this spring

  Monday, May 03, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Brock University Library welcomes you to the spring term. If you are new to Brock, take a look at the Discover Your Library page for a quick introduction to library people, services, & resources.  Supporting you in your academic life is core to our mission.

  We have developed a number of online and in-person services and supports in response to COVID-19. Our focus is on access to electronic resources and virtual help. You can learn more about these services on our COVID-19 page.

  For new students, the shift to academic research can be a challenge, but getting assistance is easy. We offer email and chat services as well as online research consultations with our Liaison Librarians.

  We look forward to working with you and wish you all the best for a successful term.

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Digital Scholarship Lab, Makerspace, MDGL, Our Collections, Services, Staff, Students
  Categories: Main, MDGL