Articles tagged with: Archives and Special Collections

On display: the works of Howard Engel

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 | By dsharron

In 2022, the Archives & Special Collections in the Brock University Library acquired the personal library of Canadian mystery writer Howard Engel. Engel was born in St. Catharines and many of his books are set in Grantham City, a fictional pseudonym for where he grew up.

Howard Engel has been termed by some as the father of Canadian mystery. From 1980 to 2015, Engel wrote 21 books, including 14 featuring Detective Benny Cooperman, his most famous character. Engel is credited with bringing international legitimacy to Canadian mystery writing and was a founding member of Crime Writers of Canada, inspiring new writers to take on the craft.

When we opened the boxes from his estate, we found working copies, first prints off the press, and many of Engel’s books in various languages from across the globe. On display are selections from this collection, along with more details about Howard Engel, including the medical condition that threatened to end his writing career.

Howard Engel items available for loan from Brock University Library.

Tags: Archives and Special Collections, display
Categories: Archives, Learning Commons, Main
Reconciliation and libraries: cleaning up descriptions of library materials

Monday, September 29, 2025 | By Evelyn Smith

As part of the 2025 Truth and Reconciliation events, the Brock Library hosted a discussion of reconciliation work as it applies in the context of library metadata.

Since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Report in 2015, libraries in Canada have been hard at work implementing the Calls to Action related to memory institutions (C.T.A. 79). One particular area of concern is metadata: the descriptions which represent material in a library’s collections and allow it to be searched for and discovered. Metadata can, and often does contain outdated and harmful terminology.

What are libraries doing to address these problems and move to language which is inclusive and respectful of the communities, people, and knowledge represented in them? What are some of the challenges of this work? In this presentation, Brock Metadata Librarian, John Dingle shared the Library’s harmful metadata remediation strategy for the general collection, while David Sharron, University Archivist spoke about this work in the context of the Archives and Special Collections.

View the presentation on YouTube.
Duration: 1 hour

Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Collections, Reconciliation
Categories: Main
Display: Welcome to Brock & the Library

Monday, August 25, 2025 | By Evelyn Smith

New and returning students are invited to stop by and view a new exhibit showcasing the many services and resources of the Brock University Library.

Archives & Special Collections:
Exhibited at the Thistle entrance to the Library, is cool story in the remarkable life of Sean O’Sullivan. At the age of 20 while studying at Brock, O’Sullivan was elected to the House of Commons. In this role- some fifty years ago, he undertook a quest to make the beaver the national symbol of Canada. We encourage you to view the entertaining source documents about this chapter in Canadian history.

Brock University Art Collection:
Get a sneak peek of Intentional Futures, an exhibition located at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

Brock Library Makerspace and Maps, Data & GIS services:
The Learning Commons display cases show Niagara’s grape-growing regions visualized in a new and dynamic way. Come and view the Makerspace-created 3D puzzle of the Niagara Peninsula Wine Sub-Appellations map.

Resources for a successful start at Brock:
A guide to study spots, wellness resources for loan, and various ways to get help from the library are also featured this month.

Welcome to Brock University Library runs to Friday, September 26.

Tags: ArcGIS, Archives and Special Collections, display, Makerspace, Services, Students, University Art Collection
Categories: Learning Commons, Makerspace
Trio of exhibits celebrate Isaac Brock and his namesake University’s 60th anniversary

Friday, September 13, 2024 | By Evelyn Smith

In celebration of Brock University’s 60^th anniversary, Brock University Archives & Special Collections have installed three new exhibits focusing on Major General Sir Isaac Brock and graphical representations of the University.

At the east entrance of the James A. Gibson Library, view the collection of archival treasures depicting Sir Isaac Brock over the centuries. As no one really knows what the ‘Hero of Upper Canada’ looked like, seeing how artists have portrayed him over time is always interesting. From paintings to Pokémon, you can find Isaac almost everywhere.

The Major-General Isaac Brock action figure. Created by the Canadian Legends company, the collector’s item is one of several unique pieces on display.

On display inside the Matheson Learning Commons and at the Thistle entrance, visitors can learn how Brock University has promoted itself graphically from 1964 to the present. From the most successful campaigns to the least, each exhibit represents a specific time in the University’s history as well as art styles and ideas.

A young man in suit and tie strides into a bright future with the Schmon Tower in the background. This advertisement from Time Magazine appeared in the November 8, 1968 issue of Time Canada with the compliments of the publisher.

Enjoy these exhibits throughout September (and Surgité)!

Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Brock 60th, display
Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons
Brock Library Now and Then

Sunday, August 25, 2024 | By Evelyn Smith

As part of Brock University’s 60th anniversary celebrations, we present Brock Library Now and Then, a treasure trove of photos showing the development of the Brock University Library and the generations of students who studied here.

Reminisce in-person by scanning the QR codes located on posters in the Matheson Learning Commons (main floor or the Library), Floor 5, and in the Map, Data, & GIS Library. For those unable to visit in person, navigate to Brock Library Now and Then exhibit online.

Most of the images are from the University photo collection held in the Archives and Special Collections. We thank Archives staff for their contributions to this exhibit, and invite you to delve further into Brock University history and lore at the Pop-Up Archives event during this year’s very special Homecoming Skyline Celebration.

Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Brock 60th, display, Our Collections
Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons
Library Survey Findings & Next Steps

Wednesday, June 26, 2024 | By nnolan
In November 2023, we ran a campus-wide survey, asking the campus community for feedback on library services and resources. In January, we shared a brief note thanking you for your feedback and announcing the prize winners.

We have taken these recent months to analyze and understand the results.

A major finding from the survey was that, on balance, the Library is performing quite well! The majority of respondents ranked our performance high across most categories. We are gratified to hear that the Library is largely meeting the needs of the Brock community.

We also heard that there are a number of areas where we can improve, and we take that seriously. At this time, we’d like to share with you a summary of what he heard, as well as our next steps in responding to your feedback.

Brock University Library Survey Key Findings report.

Biggest priorities for improvement
- Finding a quiet place in the Library to study
- Finding a place in the Library to work in a group
Other areas we can improve
- Managing levels of noise and behaviour
- Power/ electrical outlet availability and maintenance
- Informing you about Library services
- Faculty members: Information resources that meet learning and research needs
Where we are doing well
- Wireless access
- Accurate answers to questions
- Help is available from Library staff when needed
- Off-campus access to Library resources and services
What are we going to do in response to the survey results?

We are kicking off a number of projects, large and small.
- Usability issues with study spaces (findability, noise, etc.): We will strike a team with members from across the library to directly address these concerns and propose improvements. We expect this work to begin this summer and continue into the fall term.
- Electrical outlets: Working with Brock’s Facilities Management (FM) team, we have tested and repaired faulty outlets throughout the entire library building. We will continue to work with FM on a regular basis to repair outlets as new issues are reported. We have also begun a project to determine where additional electrical outlets are needed and will have these added over the summer.
- Group study: We have been piloting a mobile-friendly version of our room booking software, which makes it easier to see each room’s features. You are welcome to try it out now, and we plan on rolling this new version out this summer.
- Communication: Survey respondents indicated that their preferred way to receive library updates is via email. We will be investigating options for email updates in Fall 2024: Watch your inbox!
In some areas, we have more to learn before we can determine how to address a problem. For example, we are considering strategies for specific input from faculty about their library resource needs.

We will be in touch as we make progress on the projects described above.

Again, we are so grateful to you for taking the time to respond to our survey. We look forward to making changes and improvements that respond to your concerns. We were especially pleased to hear your resounding praise for the people who work in the library:

“Our library is a wonderful, inclusive space that (in my opinion) is very welcoming to students, staff and community members. The staff are very knowledgeable and happy to help students with any questions they may have.”

“The library’s standout features is its knowledgeable and approachable staff. They are always willing to assist students, providing valuable guidance in locating resources, conducting research, and navigating databases. Their expertise has been invaluable to my academic pursuits, and I am grateful for their continuous support.”

“My favourite place with my favourite people!”

I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the 2023 Library Survey Team who led the survey implementation and supported the analysis of results: Monica Rettig (Lead), Kym Ash, Daniel Brett, Alicia Floyd, Laurie Morrison, and Tanya Sicoli.

For any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out.

~Nicole Nolan, University Librarian
[email protected]
Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Digital Scholarship Lab, Faculty, Feedback, Graduate students, Makerspace, MDGL, Our Collections, Research, Services, Staff, Students
Categories: Main
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