Robarts

91�Թ�'s Stefania Hurko was a poet and political activist who 'believed the individual could move mountains'

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 16:06:09 +0000

91�Թ�'s Stefania Hurko was a poet and political activist who 'believed the individual could move mountains'

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 02/10/2020 - 11:06

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Stefania Hurko, pictured here circa 1996, worked for 91�Թ� Libraries for more than 25 years and contributed to the cataloguing of 91�Թ�’s extensive Slavic and East European collection, the largest of its kind in Canada (photo courtesy of Marijka Hurko)

Richard Blackwell

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

History

Humanities

Stefania Hurko, a longtime employee at 91�Թ� Libraries, was an accomplished poet and activist – she once belonged to an underground liberation movement – who passionately supported Ukrainian culture and political freedom.

Hurko, who died in November at the age of 95, survived the occupation of western Ukraine by the Soviets and Nazis, worked underground for Ukrainian independence and then came to Canada where she established a career at 91�Թ� that would last over 25 years. Yet, she still managed to maintain her close ties to Ukrainian culture, publishing poetry in her native language and actively working to free political prisoners.

In 1991 she was finally able to celebrate Ukraine’s independence.

A skilled linguist, Hurko spoke English, Ukrainian, Polish, German, French and Russian and worked in book acquisitions and processing. Her knowledge of Ukrainian culture and her language skills meant she was a valuable contributor to the cataloguing of 91�Թ�’s extensive Slavic and East European collection, which numbers over 500,000 titles and is now the largest of its kind in Canada. Hurko also worked with academics interested in Slavic culture and history.

Paul Robert Magocsi, a 91�Թ� history and political science professor who is also chair of Ukrainian studies at 91�Թ�, said Hurko was supportive of his work and once helped him with complex research for a book he was writing – a section of text needed to be translated into the Galician dialect of western Ukraine.

“She had a sweet, soft-spoken and pleasant personality,” he said. “She was always smiling and upbeat and outgoing.”

While working at the library, Hurko continued her lifelong interest in writing poetry. She admired the famous 19th-century Ukrainian writer and poet Taras Shevchenko and emulated his style.

Hurko managed to be innovative while following the traditional Ukrainian poetic style, said her 91�Թ� library colleague Wasyl Sydorenko. “She was able to take her poems beyond simple literary realism to higher levels of philosophical and symbolic expression. She could be surrealistic or expressionistic.”

Hurko's poetry was published in the Ukrainian press in Canada and the United States, and she continued to write plays, poems and political satire long after her retirement from 91�Թ�.

Works by Stefania Hurko are part of 91�Թ� Libraries' collection (photo by David Lee)

Hurko was active in her support of dissidents – especially Ukrainians jailed or oppressed by the Soviet Union – and she was a member of Amnesty International’s 91�Թ� group. In 1974, she participated in a hunger strike in front of the Soviet embassy in Ottawa over the treatment of a Ukrainian dissident held in a Moscow prison. In a letter to the editor of the Toronto Star following the strike, she insisted that “there is nothing free in the Soviet Union; no free press, no free enterprise, no free thought.” The dissident was in prison “just because he wanted to act as a free man,” she wrote.

Hurko was born Stefania Deychakiwska in 1924 in the village of Yamnytsia, in an area of what is now western Ukraine, but was at the time under Polish control. After high school and teachers’ college, she worked briefly as a teacher. But the start of Second World War brought enormous upheaval to the region, which was occupied by the Nazis before later coming under Soviet control.

After the outbreak of the war, she joined the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and worked in an underground movement in German-occupied eastern Ukraine building support for Ukrainian independence. Later in the war, and after it ended, she worked in western Europe as a courier for the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council, an umbrella organization for Ukrainian nationalists.

In 1948, she met and married Eugene Hurko in a displaced persons camp in Germany. The following year the couple moved to Australia and settled in Adelaide, where their first two children were born. Then, in 1956, the family moved to Canada, where they had relatives and saw greater opportunities.

After settling in Toronto in 1963, Hurko joined 91�Թ� and worked in the Sigmund Samuel Library before moving to the Robarts Library.

Hurko had grown up in a household where art and literature were important, and she loved being around students and books, said her son Roman. “I remember once, when we were growing up, my brother getting an earful from my mother because he had put a coffee cup on a book.”

Hurko’s husband died in 1979 at the age of 65, but Stefania continued her work at the library until she retired in 1989. One day during that period, she was processing a box of books that had come in from Vienna, where her husband had gone to university and earned a PhD in law. The box contained a book from the 1930s – with her husband’s signature on the front. It was like her husband was speaking to her from the past, Roman said, but she also recognized that the book still belonged to the library.

“She made a photocopy of the page and put the book back into the system.”

A poem written by Stefania Hurko is translated to English by Roman Hurko and set to music in this YouTube video.

Hurko’s extraordinary language skills were put to good use translating poetry or text for anyone who needed it, Roman said, and after he began working in opera she would help him translate librettos.

She could recite lengthy epic poems by Shevchenko and others, Roman said, “Even into her 90s, when much of the past was in a fog, she could recite these things by heart, they were so deeply embedded in her.”

He described his mother as a “structured person” who liked to have her time and space under control, but at the same time was very artistic and loved the theatre and opera. “She was an artist by nature and organized by necessity” because of her busy job and three children, he said.

Her daughter Marijka said that Hurko’s “life of the mind” would come alive late in the evening after she returned home from work and made dinner for her family. That’s when she would write – sometimes late into the night. “She was creative, very energetic and had a strong sense of her rights. And for a woman of her time, she had an innate sense of equality for women.”

Hurko’s intense interest in human rights was often translated into action, Marijka said. “She believed that the individual could move mountains, and she was an immovable force if she really believed in something.”

Hurko saw her dream of an independent Ukraine finally realized in 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved. She travelled to the country that year to do volunteer work translating documents for a cultural commission within Ukraine’s new parliament, and even bought an apartment in Kyiv so she could return regularly. She was also able to reunite with a brother and sister who had spent time in Soviet labour camps.

While her human rights work was a central part of her life, Roman said, the activism caused some misgivings in the family.

“I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is my mother against the Soviet Union,” he said. “But as I look back on her life, I have to say, she won.”

Stefania Hurko leaves her children Marijka, Andrew and Roman.

Five mental health and wellness developments 91�Թ� students need to know

geoff.vendeville — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 16:31:00 +0000

Five mental health and wellness developments 91�Թ� students need to know

geoff.vendeville Wed, 01/29/2020 - 11:31

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(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

City & Culture

Presidential and Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Over the past year, the 91�Թ� has taken several significant steps to support mental health and wellness on campus – incorporating feedback from students, staff and faculty – and is planning further improvements following the recent recommendations of the independent Presidential and Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health.

From new partnerships to 24-7 student support services, here are five recent developments the 91�Թ� community needs to know about:

1. 91�Թ� My SSP

The university recently rolled out a new text-and-chat helpline service for students that offers free and confidential counselling 24-7. My SSP (short for My Student Support Program) links students with professional counsellors who can help with issues including stress, depression and loneliness. The on-demand service is available over the phone in 35 languages while support scheduled in advance can be accessed in 146 languages.

2. A new partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

91�Թ� is now working with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital, to harmonize mental health services across the three campuses. CAMH experts will be part of a mental health services re-design team whose goal is to create an “integrated tri-campus” system overseen by a clinical director. The university will also look to leverage expertise at CAMH to create more opportunities for clinical education in student mental health and train the expert clinicians of tomorrow.

3. Drop-in counselling during exam season

Recognizing that the final exam crunch can be a particularly stressful time for students, the university last year made drop-in counselling available at Robarts Library during the spring and fall exam seasons. That’s in addition to the many other exam season supports available on all three campuses, including Mindful Moments sessions, therapy dogs and de-stressing walks.

4. A new initiative to improve the atmosphere in labs

91�Թ� launched a healthy labs initiative at the end of last year to improve the atmosphere in some university laboratories. The university recently appointed Reinhart Reithmeier, a professor of biochemistry, to identify best practices in lab management, develop a healthy labs charter and outline strategies for delivering healthy lab programming on each campus.

5. Advocacy for government support

While 91�Թ� has taken steps to improve its own mental health and wellness supports, the university also recognizes that the issue cuts across society and therefore requires a collaborative response from universities, hospitals, governments and other actors. Last fall, 91�Թ� President Meric Gertler supported a motion at Toronto city council to urge the federal government to invest $300 million per year “to address Toronto’s mental health and addiction crises.”

“The magnitude of these problems requires multiple partners working together so that solutions can be found,” President Gertler wrote.

'Tis the season to study, reflect and share a meal with family and friends: Check out these December events

tomyun — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 18:52:24 +0000

'Tis the season to study, reflect and share a meal with family and friends: Check out these December events

tomyun Mon, 12/02/2019 - 13:52

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The semester is almost done, but there's still plenty to do on campus this month (photo by Laura Pedersen)

Tom Yun

Topic

Our Community

Centre for Drama

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Hart House

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

December is here, which means the holidays are right around the corner. Get into the festive spirit with an array of holiday-themed events taking place on all three campuses.

December also means it's exam season at the 91�Թ�. Fortunately, there are plenty of events to help you de-stress and do your best.

Here are some events to check out this month:

Dec. 2

From Dec. 2 to 19, the 91�Թ� Students’ Union will be offering free snacks and stress-relief kits for your late-night study sessions. UTSU’s Got You service is taking place at various buildings across the downtown campus, starting with the Dentistry Building on Dec. 2.

Ahead of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, several memorial events are taking place at 91�Թ� Mississauga in honour of the 14 women who lost their lives three decades ago at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. A smudging ceremony is taking place at the Student Centre board room followed by a vigil outside and hot drinks and desserts at the Communication Culture & Technology Building’s atrium.

Dec. 3

Get into the holiday spirit at Robarts Library Holiday Market. You’ll find a wide array of 91�Թ� merchandise perfect for stocking stuffers, as well as free holiday treats.

Renowned Canadian film director Director X, who has directed music videos for artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Rihanna, will be joining several hip-hop artists and activists for Humanz of Hip Hop, a “human library” of hip hop knowledge taking place at Hart House.

If you haven’t already, bring your TCard and get your flu shot on campus. Vaccinations will be available from at Robarts Library and St Michael’s College on Dec. 3 and 4, respectively.

Dec. 4

Victoria College’s student newspaper, the Strand, is celebrating the launch of its magazine at the Goldring Student Centre. The theme of the magazine is “Space” and there will be free snacks courtesy of Caffiends.

A holiday buffet featuring herb-roasted turkey and stuffed acorn squash is taking place at 91�Թ� Scarborough’s Miller Lash House. Tickets are $42 for seniors and students and $45 for everyone else.

Dec. 5

Exam Jam is taking place all day at 91�Թ� Mississauga. Instructors will be hosting review sessions alongside therapy dogs, crafts, board games and more.

91�Թ� Student Life is hosting a winter social at the Sussex Clubhouse. Decorate gingerbread cookies, meet new people and learn about the various clubs housed at 21 Sussex.

Santa Claus is coming to town! The 91�Թ� Mississauga’s Communication Culture & Technology Building atrium will be turned into Santa’s workshop in support of the United Way. 91�Թ� Mississauga principal Ulrich Krull and dean of student affairs Mark Overton will both be dressed as Santa. There will also be a re-gift shop where you can donate or purchase new or lightly used gifts.

See the critically acclaimed animated film Spirited Away with the Students of English Literature and Film (SELF) as part of their fall film screenings at 91�Թ� Scarborough. Free pizza will be served. On Dec. 6, SELF will also be screening Crazy Rich Asians.

Dec. 6

The 91�Թ� community will come together for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women to mark the 30^th anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre. The Office of Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre will be holding a memorial event at Hart House at noon. In addition, the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering will join 13 other engineering schools across Canada and shine a light into the sky in solidarity. This will be part of a at 5 p.m. ceremony taking place on Front Campus in front of Convocation Hall. Later in the evening, an outdoor vigil will be held at Philosopher’s Walk. There will be speakers, musicians and a ceremonial laying of the roses.

A memorial event will also take place at 91�Թ� Scarborough, where members of the campus community will have an opportunity to have conversation on gender-based issues.

Seek some stress relief along with academic review sessions at 91�Թ� Exam Jam at Sidney Smith Hall. There will be snacks, massages, button making, a therapy dog and a photo booth.

Dec. 7

Celebrate Christmas in the Valley. Over 30 artisan vendors will be selling handmade crafts and transforming 91�Թ� Scarborough’s Miller Lash House into a holiday market.

Dec. 8

Students from the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies will be performing Eurydice at the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse. This modern re-imagining of the ancient myth of Orpheus will be told from the perspective of Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice. Tickets are free and the show runs from Dec. 6 to 8.

Dec. 11

Hit the ice at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education’s Winter Wonderland and Community Skate at Varsity Stadium. Free helmet and skate rentals are available, although supplies are limited. There will also be off-ice activities, dancing and treats. Registration is required.

Dec. 12

If you need a break from studying for your exams, check out the Beck Festival at 91�Թ� Mississauga’s Theatre Erindale. The festival will feature a variety of one-act plays curated and produced by students. The show runs from Dec. 12 to 14 at the MiST Theatre.

Join 91�Թ� Mississauga’s Centre for Student Engagement for Giizhiitaa, an Indigenous Spirit Journey Celebration. The event is taking place at Maanjiwe Nendamowinan and will feature smudging, drumming, a multimedia showcase and a light lunch.

Dec. 16

Kick off the festive season with a feast at Hart House's Gallery Grill, which runs until Dec. 20. Choose from a menu including Arctic char, crispy kabocha squash rice cakes, cassoulet and more. Just remember to save room for dessert. You don't want to miss out on the warm chocolate olive oil cake with brandy butter ice cream. Reserve a spot soon before the dates sell out.

Dec. 23

The university is closed for the winter break through Jan. 3. Happy holidays!

For the first time, Robarts Library offers child-minding pilot during fall exams

geoff.vendeville — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 19:50:07 +0000

For the first time, Robarts Library offers child-minding pilot during fall exams

geoff.vendeville Wed, 10/30/2019 - 15:50

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Chelsea Chen, who was pursuing an English teaching certificate, visits the new family study space with her kids, London and Chloe, in 2018 (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

To help student-parents get some quiet study time during the fall exam season, Robarts Library is offering students with young children up to four hours of free child-minding at the library’s family study space over two weekends in November.

Student-parents can register for the child-minding pilot by email to drop off their kids aged 12 and under on Nov. 16, 17, 23 and 24 between 1 and 5 p.m.

The pilot is a first for 91�Թ� Libraries, which created the family study space last year.

User Services Librarian Kyla Everall says research done before the creation of the special study area showed how much stress student-parents face.

“They’re busy with their classes. They’re busy with their family responsibilities and possibly also working on the side,” she said.

“And child care is extremely expensive in Toronto.”

The family study space on the ninth floor of the stacks is equipped with desktop workstations for adults and a chalkboard, child-sized furniture and range of toys for kids. Two child-minders from 91�Թ�’s Early Learning Centre, a licensed child-care facility, will provide supervision.

The libraries partnered with 91�Թ�’s Family Care Office on the pilot. A T-card is required to access the stacks.

Interested students can learn more online and are required to register by emailing libraryhelp@utoronto.ca.

Meet the 91�Թ� faculty, alumni and supporters named to the Order of Canada

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 13:46:35 +0000

Meet the 91�Թ� faculty, alumni and supporters named to the Order of Canada

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 06/27/2019 - 09:46

Topic

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Hart House Theatre

History

Hospital for Sick Children

Humanities

Immunology

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Order of Canada

Robarts

Rotman School of Management

Sunnybrook Hospital

Varsity Blues

Victoria College

From a critically acclaimed actor to a respected immunologist, the latest appointments to the Order of Canada include several members of the 91�Թ� community, reflecting the range of expertise and the diversity that make 91�Թ� one of the top universities in the world.

The latest appointees to one of Canada’s highest civilian honours were named on Thursday by Governor General Julie Payette, a 91�Թ� alumna and former astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency.

Of the 83 Order of Canada honourees, at least 11 have close ties to 91�Թ�, from faculty members to alumni and donors.

The list includes Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Donald Sutherland, who graduated from Victoria College in 1958, and 91�Թ� Professor and acclaimed immunologist at the Hospital for Sick Children Chaim Roifman, whose research led to the discovery of a rare congenital disorder and its genetic roots.

The recent Order of Canada honourees with connections to 91�Թ� include:

Joseph Raymond Buncic is a 91�Թ� professor of ophthalmology and a staff ophthalmologist at the Hospital for Sick Children. A 1965 graduate of McGill medical school, Buncic completed his ophthalmology residency at 91�Թ� in 1970. He has maintained an interest in clinical research related to pediatric and central nervous system disorders during his career. “For his pioneering contributions to the field of pediatric neuro-ophthalmology, notably through his mentorship of multiple generations of pediatric eye specialists,” Buncic has been named a Member of the Order.

Chaim Roifman is a professor of pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine at 91�Թ� and head of the division of immunology and allergy at the Hospital for Sick Children. He is best known for discovering a rare congenital disorder that bears his name – Roifman Syndrome – as well as uncovering its genetic cause. He was made a Member for his contributions to the field of immunology, “notably in the diagnosis and management of pediatric primary immunodeficiency.”

Dorothy E. Smith is a celebrated sociologist who is credited with helping to bring feminist principles and perspectives to the field. Recognized as the founder of the sub-discipline of feminist standpoint theory, Smith wrote several highly-cited books including The Everyday World as Problematic: A Feminist Sociology and Conceptual Practices of Power: A Feminist Sociology of Knowledge. She taught sociology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at 91�Թ� for nearly 25 years until 2005. She was made a Member for “extending the boundaries of traditional sociology to incorporate a feminist perspective, and for developing institutional ethnography.”

Donald Sutherland is a critically acclaimed actor whose career spans over 50 years and 100 film credits, from The Dirty Dozen (1967) and M*A*S*H (1970) to Ordinary People (1980) and Citizen X (1995). The Saint John, N.B.-born Sutherland had never seen a theatre play prior to enrolling in Victoria College at 91�Թ�, but went on take part in several productions at Hart House Theatre before graduating in 1958 and going on to establish himself as a Hollywood heavyweight. Named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978, Sutherland has now been promoted to a Companion “for his sustained contributions to the motion picture industry before a global audience and for his championing of social issues.”

Donald Sutherland had never seen a theatre play prior to enrolling in Victoria College at 91�Թ� and went on take part in several productions at Hart House Theatre before going on to establish himself as a Hollywood heavyweight (photo by Sean Gallup via Getty Images for GQ)

Graham Fraser, who received both his Bachelor of Arts degree and his Master of Arts degree in history from 91�Թ�, served as Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages from 2006 to 2016. Fraser, who has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada, is known as a champion of bilingualism and a defender of the rights of linguistic minority communities. As a journalist, he wrote in both English and French for many of Canada’s leading news publications. He also authored five books, including the highly influential Sorry, I Don’t Speak French.

Alumnus H. Roger Garland is being recognized as a Member of the Order of Canada “for his influential leadership in business, and for his significant contributions to numerous art and health care institutions.” The certified chartered accountant is a former chief financial officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Prior to Four Seasons, Garland was vice-president of corporate banking with Citibank in Canada and Switzerland. Garland is the founding chair of the board of Soulpepper Theatre Company, a past director of the board for the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and was a chair of the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games in Toronto.

Lotfollah Shafai is a leading expert in the field of applied electromagnetic systems and telecommunications, and is a distinguished professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Manitoba. Shafai, who earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from 91�Թ�, is credited with an array of pioneering contributions to the telecommunications field. Shafai was named an Officer for his “fundamental contributions to the fields of electromagnetics and antenna and satellite development, which have led to renowned advancements in the telecommunications industry.”

Donald Schmitt earned a Bachelor of Architecture from 91�Թ� before going on to co-found Diamond Schmitt Architects in 1975. Some of Schmitt’s recent designs include the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning at the Hospital for Sick Children and the rejuvenation of the Senate of Canada and National Arts Centre buildings in Ottawa. The firm also worked on 91�Թ�’s Gerstein Science Information Centre and Earth Sciences Centre and is involved with the expansion of Robarts Library and the contruction of a new residence building on the downtown Toronto campus. Schmitt was named a Member “for his rehabilitation of iconic heritage buildings and for his sustainable architecture designs.”

Nicholas Saul was made a Member for his “innovative vision and leadership as president and CEO of Community Food Centres Canada,” a national anti-poverty organization that supports access to food in low-income neighbourhoods. Saul graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from 91�Թ� in 1990, and was also captain of the varsity basketball team.

John David Spence is a world-renowned expert in stroke prevention research, with hundreds of research publications to his name. A professor of neurology and clinical pharmacology at Western University and director of the university’s affiliated Stroke Prevention & Atherosclerosis Research Centre in London, Ont., Spence graduated from the executive MBA program at 91�Թ�’s Rotman School of Management. He was named a Member for his “contributions to our understanding of atherosclerosis and to the prevention of stroke.”

Aubrey Dan is a Canadian businessman, philanthropist and award-winning producer. The son of Leslie Dan, fellow Member of the Order of Canada and the namesake of 91�Թ�’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, Aubrey is the founder and president of Dancap Private Equity and the co-founder and executive chairman of EmpowerPharm, a speciality pharmaceutical company. As a philanthropist, Dan has donated millions to various charitable organizations – including to the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, the Sunnybrook Foundation and the Baycrest Centre Foundation. As a producer and founder of commercial theatre company Dancap Productions, he has been dedicated to bringing Broadway-style theatre to the city of Toronto, including performances of The Addams Family, West Side Story, and Jersey Boys. Dan is being recognized for “his achievements in finance, and for his philanthropic contributions to health care, education and the arts.”

Did we miss anybody? If you know of an Order of Canada honouree with ties to 91�Թ� who was announced in this round but who isn't mentioned above, please let us know at uoftnews@utoronto.ca.

Avoid the lines at High Park: Five fascinating things to consider before viewing 91�Թ�'s cherry blossoms

Romi Levine — Mon, 06 May 2019 16:39:52 +0000

Avoid the lines at High Park: Five fascinating things to consider before viewing 91�Թ�'s cherry blossoms

Romi Levine Mon, 05/06/2019 - 12:39

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Cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom outside of Robarts Library on the downtown Toronto campus (all photos by Romi Levine)

Topic

Warm spring weather means the cherry blossoms outside of Robarts Library at the 91�Թ� are finally blooming.

The 70 Japanese cherry trees, also known as sakura, were originally given to the university as a gift from the Consulate General of Japan in the early 2000s. They’re now an annual showpiece, attracting visitors from across the city who snap countless selfies with the photogenic backdrop.

There are also 50 cherry blossom trees at 91�Թ� Scarborough between the H-Wing and Social Sciences building.

When you go to check out the blooms, you’ll be participating in a tradition that’s over 1,300 years old – and one that now spans the globe.

91�Թ� News went to the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library to speak with librarian Fabiano Takashi Rocha about the history and culture of cherry blossom viewing. Here’s what we found out:

History of hanami

Flower-viewing parties – events where people gather to view tree blossoms – date back to the 700s, says Rocha.

While they are associated with Japanese culture, the first events of this kind were believed to have taken place in China, he says, but with plum blossoms instead of cherry.

In Japan, the custom, known as hanami, first took place during the Heian period, which began in 794. The event was initially exclusive to the aristocracy, but by the 1600s, during the Edo or Tokugawa period, hanami was enjoyed by the elite and commoners alike, says Rocha.

You may recognize the work of famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai from “Th e Great Wave off Kanagawa ,” but he also painted other scenes of Japanese life and nature, like this one, featuring cherry blossom trees. Both works of art are part of a series called “Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji”

Picnic in the park

“In many ways, Japanese cherry blossoms and hanami became part of the national identity,” says Rocha.

Today, he says, Japanese families, friends and co-workers flock to groves of sakura to have picnics under the trees, either with food they prepare themselves or bento decorated with cherry blossom motifs sold by vendors at some of the bigger parks.

“It's an opportunity for people to bond and enjoy the very ephemeral beauty of the sakura, which is there for a very limited amount of time,” Rocha says.

Kanpai!

Along with lunch, Rocha says it’s tradition to drink sake, Japanese rice wine, during hanami.

“The first time I did a cherry blossom viewing in Japan, they said if you hold your sake cup and if a petal falls into your cup, that’s a sign of good luck,” he says.

Japanese artist Andō Hiroshige captured cherry blossoms in bloom outside Kyoto’s Kyomizu Hall in the 1800s, printed here in the 2007 book Meisho Edo hyakkei: hizō Iwasaki korekushon

Deeper meaning

What draws people to cherry blossoms year after year? Rocha says it’s more than just their beauty.

“It’s because of the transience,” he says. “You know it’s not going to be there for a very long time, so you want to enjoy as much as you can. There’s a connection to the cycles of life – you know death is probably inevitable but while you’re alive you should be enjoying the beauty of life.”

Cherry blossoms are, indeed, only in bloom for a short period – about four to 10 days.

Cherry blossoms appear in literature as well as art, says Rocha. Here, a woman is depicted attaching a poem about her lover to a sakura that reads “On meeting again, there will be sorrows / How fleeting are the cherry blossoms”

Blossom biodiversity

There are over 200 species of cherry blossoms, says Rocha.

The most common type is the Yoshino, he says, which is the kind you will see outside of Robarts.

Most sakura are cultivated by people, but there are some that grow in the wild. They include the Yamazakura, which often grows in Japan’s mountainous regions.

Snapped a selfie with cherry blossoms at Robarts or 91�Թ� Scarborough? Share it on social media using #UofTBlooms for a chance to be featured on 91�Թ� channels.

Design, drones and drumming: 91�Թ� hosts 26th annual Bring Our Children to Work Day

noreen.rasbach — Fri, 03 May 2019 17:24:54 +0000

Design, drones and drumming: 91�Թ� hosts 26th annual Bring Our Children to Work Day

noreen.rasbach Fri, 05/03/2019 - 13:24

Cutline

Professor Edward Banning of the department of anthropology exhibits a series of Jordanian pottery and stone tools from the Bronze Age to the Neolithic period (photo by Luke Ng).

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Human Resources & Equity

Faculty, librarians and staff collectively brought more than 450 kids to the 91�Թ�’s 26^th annual Bring Our Children to Work Day on Thursday.

The event welcomed those who work at 91�Թ� to bring children in Grades 4 to 7 to learn about their careers and participate in a day of activities hosted by departments across all three campuses.

Professor Heather Boon, 91�Թ�’s vice-provost of faculty and academic life, kicked off this year’s events on the downtown Toronto campus with a special message directed at the younger participants.

“The 91�Թ� is your home too,” said Boon. “Every day, your parent or other important person comes to work at 91�Թ�. Because you share your family with us, that means you are a part of our family too.”

Boon’s welcome remarks were followed by a talk from Professor Marcel Danesi. The expert on semiotics and linguistic anthropology gave a captivating address about riddles. The talk provided examples from childhood literature, and what they tell us about language, the mind and the origin of human cultures.

After the talk, Camp 91�Թ� staff led participants to one of their pre-selected tours and activities in one of 16 departments.

For Jennifer Sheehan, the opportunity to bring her child to experience 91�Թ� for a day meant a lot for both of them.

“[My son] has always been curious about where I work and the campus in general so this is a great opportunity to bring him down here with me,” said Sheehan, a LAN administrator for the Information Commons in Robarts Library. “We live in Whitby so we don’t get to spend a lot of time here. I’m glad that 91�Թ� does this because it shows that they really care about faculty and staff.”

One of the activities this year included “Drones in the City.” This exercise, facilitated by the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, explored the disruptive technology’s potential and how city designs might respond to this budding element. This demonstration also served as a preview into some of the faculty’s new summer programs, which will include a more in-depth look at how drone technology might affect design.

“I don’t work for this faculty [Daniels] but my child is interested in architecture, so this is a really cool thing for him to be able to experience,” added Sheehan.

91�Թ� Scarborough Elder Wendy Phillips (right) and Juanita Muise, Indigenous engagement co-ordinator (left), led a sharing circle with participants. The children in attendance also took part in a drumming activity after the session (photo by Tina Adamopoulos).

This year’s Bring Our Children to Work Day also served as an opportunity to travel down memory lane for another member of the 91�Թ� community. Tricia Kenderdine, manager of communications projects in the Division of Student Life, got her kids to agree to sign up for a tour that was tied to her own history with the university.

“I studied archeology at 91�Թ�,” said Kenderdine, who took her children on a tour in the department of anthropology where Professor Edward Banning exhibited a series of Jordanian pottery and stone tools from the Bronze Age to the Neolithic period. “I had classes with Professor Banning so I thought it would be interesting for them to see what I studied when I was a student here.”

Over at 91�Թ� Scarborough, faculty, staff and children spent their day participating in activities that included making slime and bath bombs in chemistry sessions, taking part in a sharing circle on Indigenous ways of being, and interactive presentations on safety and culture. At lunch, participants were treated to a cold treat as they watched liquid nitrogen being used to make ice cream.

91�Թ� Mississauga’s Marc Johnson, an associate professor of biology, took kids on a trek along the UTM Trail to discover local wildlife and nature (photo by Blake Eligh).

And at the opposite end of the city, participants at 91�Թ� Mississauga trekked along the UTM Trail to search for wildlife with Associate Professor Marc Johnson and students from the department of biology.

Attendees were also treated to activities in the department of geography with Assistant Professor Trevor Porter and laboratory technician Philip Rudz where they examined a fallen pine tree in the forest, counted its rings and took several core samples to learn more about the tree.

Lunch activities included a virtual fire-extinguishing exercise where participating children got a chance to use the same digital training equipment used by campus fire marshals to put out computer-simulated flames.

In the afternoon, kids got their hearts pumping with leadership games organized by assistant camp directors Sarah Tracz and Graham Childs of Camp 91�Թ� Mississauga.

“Our goal is to encourage the kids to think about their health and wellness with activities to support a healthy lifestyle,” says Cameron Walker, community outreach officer for the Recreation Athletics & Wellness Centre.

The annual tri-campus 91�Թ� Bring Our Children to Work Day is hosted by 91�Թ� Mississauga and 91�Թ� Scarborough, and in partnership with the Office of the Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity, the Office of the Vice-President & Provost, Family Programs & Services, the Organizational Development & Learning Centre and Camp 91�Թ�.

With files from Alexa Battler, Maeve Doyle and Blake Eligh

Cherry blossoms and black holes: Check out these May events

Romi Levine — Wed, 01 May 2019 16:14:22 +0000

Cherry blossoms and black holes: Check out these May events

Romi Levine Wed, 05/01/2019 - 12:14

Cutline

Cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom outside of Robarts Library (photo by Noreen Ahmed-Ullah)

Romi Levine

Topic

City & Culture

Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

School of Cities

Art Museum

Cherry Blossoms

Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Faculty of Arts & Science

Rotman School of Management

Science Rendezvous

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

91�Թ� Mississauga

91�Թ� Scarborough

April showers have brought May flowers as the cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library begin to bloom. But the Instagram-worthy foliage isn’t the only event getting people excited at the 91�Թ� this month.

May is full of fascinating events – from city-wide science, architecture and photography festivals to talks by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and a researcher on the team who captured the first-ever image of a black hole.

Here is a selection of events taking place on all three campuses this month:

May 2

Kids can learn about what it’s like to work and study at 91�Թ� at Bring Our Children to Work Day. The annual event invites appointed faculty, librarians and staff to bring children in Grades 4 to 7 for an exciting day of activities. Registration is now closed but you can find out more about the events on the downtown Toronto, Scarborough and Mississauga campuses.

Faculty and students from 91�Թ�, York, Ryerson and OCAD have been working together on a research project exploring affordable student housing in Toronto. The group will be presenting some of their findings at StudentDwell+: Reimagining Student Housing, a two-day symposium held at York University.

Donna Strickland, Nobel Prize in Physics recipient for 2018, will be delivering the Welsh Lecture in Physics at 91�Թ�. She’ll be talking about her award-winning work on ultrashort optical pulses.

Hear from Harvard University’s Peter Galison, a member of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, about what went into capturing the historic image of a black hole, at an event presented by 91�Թ�’s Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology.

May 3

Exciting news for the Robarts Library expansion – crews have begun to drill the concrete to connect the library with the new Robarts Common structure. Studying at Robarts may be a little loud, but you can ask staff at the ground floor information desk and second-floor Ask Us desk for earplugs.

Shutterbugs rejoice – Toronto’s Contact photography festival is back, with captivating exhibitions taking place on 91�Թ� campuses:

See the world through the eyes of an engineer at Ambition, Innovation, and Excellence: A Decade at Skule, which will feature photographs from current students and alumni, providing an intimate look at the faculty.
Director of the International Human Rights Program in the Faculty of Law, Samer Muscati, will be showcasing photographs from his visits to Rwanda 15 and 25 years after the genocide at Hart House and at 91�Թ� Scarborough. An event to commemorate the 25^thanniversary of the genocide will be taking place at 91�Թ� Scarborough this afternoon.

May 4

American artist Carrie Mae Weems will be speaking at 91�Թ� as part of the Contact festival. The MacArthur grant recipient, whose work has been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, will also be presenting her work at 91�Թ�’s Art Museum and at locations across the city. Her lecture is sold out but you can join the waitlist.

May 5

Roll up your sleeves and join the 91�Թ� Trash Team for the annual Clean up the Don event, where you can do your part for the environment by picking up litter along the Don River watershed.

May 8

What makes a successful city? 91�Թ�’s School of Cities is hosting an event that will explore the challenges and opportunities faced by big cities around the world for the book launch of Perfect City: An Urban Fixer’s Global Search for Magic in the Modern Metropolis, by Joe Berridge, one of the world’s leading urban planners.

Ahead of the G20 summit in Japan, the Centre for the Study of Global Japan and the G20 Research Group of 91�Թ� are hosting a one-day symposium to discuss the evolving agenda of the annual meeting of global leaders. Officials and scholars from around the world will be attending the event held at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, including Takako Ito, consulate-general of Japan in Toronto.

May 11

Glowing bacteria, mutant flies, scavenger hunts and virtual reality tours are just a few of the displays and activities at this year’s Science Rendezvous, the annual family-friendly festival. Here’s what’s happening on the downtown Toronto, Scarborough and Mississauga campuses.

May 13

This is the last week to see the work of some of 91�Թ�’s talented artists at the Master of Visual Studies graduate exhibition and the Shelley Peterson art exhibition at 91�Թ�’s Art Museum.

May 14

Listen to captivating stories told by members of Toronto’s medical community at the department of medicine’s annual Story Slam, in partnership with the Annals of Internal Medicine.

May 25

Explore some of 91�Թ�’s most fascinating spaces at this year’s Doors Open Toronto. It’s your chance to admire the architecture in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, explore One Spadina, and check out the new Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which will be hosting lightning lectures and interactive activities for kids.

May 28

Join urban thought leaders, policy-makers, planners, community advocates and business leaders to exchange ideas on ways to meet the challenges of governing cities in the midst of change at the Governing Cities in the 21st Century symposium. The event will feature experts including Michelynn Laflèche, vice-president of United Way Greater Toronto, Bill Peduto, mayor of Pittsburgh, and Richard Florida, University Professor at the Rotman School of Management. You can learn more and register here or watch the livestream.

May 30

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic will be at the Rotman School of Management to discuss his new book, Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (And How To Fix It), which explores the flaws in a system that rewards arrogance and loudness over humility and wisdom.

From presidential visits to maple syrup magic: Check out these April events

Romi Levine — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 16:06:12 +0000

From presidential visits to maple syrup magic: Check out these April events

Romi Levine Tue, 04/02/2019 - 12:06

Cutline

Students at the Sugaring Off event at Hart House Farm peer inside the evaporator to see how the syrup is made (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Romi Levine

Topic

City & Culture

Centre for Drama

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Global

Hart House

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Research & Innovation

Robarts

Rotman School of Management

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

91�Թ� Mississauga

91�Թ� Scarborough

The semester may be coming to an end, but the 91�Թ� is still bustling with events on all three campuses that’ll make for the perfect study break.

Stretch your legs between cramming sessions at Robarts Library with the MoveU crew, take a day trip to Hart House Farm to sample super sweet maple syrup, or sit in on a talk with one of two former world leaders who will be on campus this month – from Estonia and Australia.

On April 5, spend the evening hearing from a number of faculty members at 91�Թ� and three other Toronto universities, at CRAM, a free festival of ideas.

Here are some of the events taking place in April:

April 2

Join the Black Students’ Association tonight for Black Study Hall at Wetmore Hall. Munch on some snacks while prepping for your next exam.

91�Թ� Mississauga’s last Lecture Me event of the season takes place tonight at the UTM Experiential Education Unit. Hear from Sanja Hinic-Frlog, an assistant professor, teaching stream, of biology, about what fossils can teach us about the evolution of modern birds.

April 4

Explore the 16^th-century craft of mask-making at the opening of Unmasked, an exhibit organized by the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies that pays tribute to Italian mask-maker Paolo Consiglio, who was a visiting artist at 91�Թ�.

Give those legs a shake at Robarts Library on April 4 and 5. Brain Break, hosted by the MoveU crew, will be running 10-minute exercise sessions all afternoon.

The lives of people and spirits intertwine in this talk at 91�Թ� Scarborough by Michael Lambek, a professor of anthropology. He will be speaking about spirit mediums in Madagascar as part of the Celebration of Research Excellence lecture series.

April 5

Satisfy your curiosity about everything from the mysteries of the universe to the future of artificial intelligence at the CRAM festival of ideas. 91�Թ� faculty members will join researchers from across the city to share their fascinating discoveries with the public.

Read more about CRAM here

It’s cycling season! Bring your bike for a $30 tune-up at the downtown Toronto campus’s Athletic Centre. The initiative is hosted by the Varsity Blues mountain biking team.

Philosophy fans will want to attend this event, featuring 91�Թ� Mississauga's Rasmus Rosenberg Larson, who will be talking about Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Schelling and the similarities of their work.

April 6

Head to Hart House Farm for the annual Sugaring Off event, where the farm's own maple trees are tapped to be made into delicious maple syrup.

April 9

Take a moment to relax and improve your focus during a guided meditation session at Robarts Library’s reflection room.

April 11

Toomas Ilves, the former President of Estonia, will be at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy speaking about how his country revolutionized the digitization of government and became a leader in cyber security.

April 16

There’s just over a week left to see the Nature on the Page exhibit at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. Go back in time to Victorian England where obsessions with ferns, orchids and seaweed spawned an incredible collection of beautifully-illustrated books.

Read more about the exhibit here

April 24

What is the best way to improve the public trust in journalism, and at the same time strengthen the foundations of democracy? That question will be front and centre at (Un) Truth – Journalism and Democracy in the Digital Age, a media symposium co-hosted by the German Consulate General in Toronto, Massey College and 91�Թ� Communications.

Kevin Rudd, the former prime minister of Australia, is coming to the Rotman School of Management to talk about Canada-China-U.S. relations.

April 25

The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering will be hosting an open discussion on equity, diversity and inclusion, inviting engineering community members to share their thoughts on how the faculty could create a more welcoming and inclusive environment.

April ??

It’s almost cherry blossom time outside of Robarts Library. While there isn’t a definite date yet, they are expected to bloom at the end of April or beginning of May.

Robert Blackburn, 91�Թ�'s pioneering former chief librarian, celebrates 100th birthday

geoff.vendeville — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Robert Blackburn, 91�Թ�'s pioneering former chief librarian, celebrates 100th birthday

geoff.vendeville Mon, 02/04/2019 - 00:00

Cutline

Former chief librarian Robert Blackburn, seen here in October, 2017 at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library for the 125th anniversary of 91�Թ� Libraries, is turning 100 on Feb. 3 (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Topic

The 91�Թ� and its surroundings have changed a lot since Robert Blackburn started at 91�Թ� Libraries in 1947.

Classes were packed with veterans of the Second World War. On the radio, Francis Craig crooned, “There's just one place for me, near you.” And Canadian citizenship had just been created (until then, Canadians were British subjects).

Blackburn took the helm of the libraries in 1954 and was the first to officially hold the title of chief librarian, retiring after 27 years. On Feb. 3, he celebrated another important milestone: his 100^th birthday.

His busy tenure at 91�Թ� encompassed the building of Robarts Library and first efforts to automate the library catalogue with computers, setting the example for institutions around the globe.

When he visits 91�Թ� Libraries these days, he’s proud of what it’s become – and also somewhat relieved that he's no longer in charge. “There is still the intensity of study going on around me,” he says, “but now in ample space and pleasant physical environment and I am no longer responsible for the budget, staffing, services or security.”

Over tea in Blackburn's Streetsville home, which he bought for $9,000 in 1950, he looked back on the chapters of his life. He took out a manila folder and leafed through photos of himself over the years: as a baby in his parents' arms, a wide-eyed university freshman, an Air Force navigator and a librarian.

He spent his childhood on a farm in Vegreville, Alta., east of Edmonton – where his life might have taken a drastically different turn if not for a lucky harvest.

In his youth, the economy was mired in the Great Depression, and his family could not have afforded to send him to university if not for a good barley crop one dry summer. They sold the crop for $490, enough to cover his first year at the University of Alberta.

He wrote about the significance of that crop many decades later in his memoirs, From Barley Field to Academe. It was a life-changing stroke of luck – particularly since he didn't appear to have a knack for farming. “You better get that boy all the education he can hold,” his grandfather had said. “He'll never make a farmer.”

“I look like a frightened rabbit,” Blackburn says of a portrait of himself as a university freshman (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Blackburn had originally set his sights on a medical career, but changed his mind after a classmate took him on a tour of the anatomy lab. “In half an hour there, he killed any ambition I ever had to study medicine,” Blackburn wrote. He enrolled in honours English.

At the onset of the war, Blackburn considered himself an objector, but felt compelled to enlist by the spring of 1941 after his father joined the Air Force and some of his friends were reported missing in action. He put off enlistment until after library school at 91�Թ�, “so as to have some kind of professional qualification in case I survived the war,” he wrote.

He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and attended navigation school. Of the 19 graduates in his class, 17 were posted overseas for night raids over the Ruhr. Only a few returned. “I hope there were more, but I heard of only three,” he wrote.

He was held back as a navigation instructor and posted to Manitoba. After three years in the military, he applied for an honourable discharge from the RCAF, worked for the Calgary Public Library and went on for a master’s degree in library sciences at Columbia University.

He was lured back to Canada by 91�Թ� librarian Stewart Wallace, a former history professor and soldier wounded at Vimy Ridge, who kept a wartime souvenir on his desk: a piece of shrapnel from his leg that served as a paperweight.

When he succeeded Wallace at the helm of 91�Թ� Libraries, Blackburn inherited a library system that was bursting with books and desperate for space. To make matters worse, universities in the 1960s were bracing themselves for a surge in graduate students. Blackburn and then-91�Թ� President Claude Bissell's advocacy were instrumental in getting a new library built, one that was meant to serve people's needs for the next 50 years. A $41-million project was approved at Hoskin Ave. and St. George St.

Robarts Library under construction in 1972 (photo courtesy of 91�Թ� Archives)

The university hired a New York architecture firm and chose a triangular design with room for hundreds of study carrels with windows looking out on the campus below.

But Blackburn had to sacrifice some frills to reduce costs. The library nixed plans for an auditorium, outside terracing and artwork. Planners even considered scrapping the Fisher library's tower to save $10,000. The architect lobbied successfully to keep it, saying its absence would make the library look from one angle “like an elephant backing out of its stall.”

Construction started in 1968 and finished four-and-half years later. Robarts Library was named after the former premier, John Robarts, whose support for the project was vital. But for some, it was and remains “Fort Book.”

“It's an extraordinary facility,” current Chief Librarian Larry Alford says. The building's aesthetics are the subject of never-ending debate, in the student paper and beyond. But Alford, who likes its appearance, notes it's an icon of Brutalist architecture that attracts admirers from around the globe.

The carrels, meanwhile, remain prime real estate for studying. “Students use laptops instead of typewriters but they're still writing their dissertations there,” he says.

Under Blackburn's watch, the central library amassed a collection that was the envy of institutions across the continent. In the 1960s, the library acquired up to a quarter million books per year, “more than any other university on the continent and maybe the world,” he said. Many of those materials are among the library's greatest treasures, including Shakespeare's Four Folios gifted by the Fisher family. The First Folio, published in 1623, was the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays and only 232 copies still exist.

Another of Blackburn's signature achievements, and possibly the most important, is taken for granted by most people who use the library today, Alford says. In the early 1960s, libraries usually had card catalogues with entries for individual titles, each typed and filed by hand. Blackburn supported the efforts of Ritvars Bregzis, associate librarian, and Calvin Gotlieb, director of the Institute of Computer Science, to use computers to automate the library's catalogue.
The console of the IBM 7094 computer at the Computer Centre at 91�Թ� (photo courtesy of 91�Թ� Archives)

It was impossible to foresee where the technology would lead, Blackburn recalls. “I had no idea where it was going, except to speed up our services and paperwork, and maybe save some money,” he says.

The library acquired its own computer, a clunky Sigma 7 that required its own air conditioning. In the late 1970s, the library succeeded in freezing its card catalogue and introduced the forerunner of today's electronic catalogue.

“It was the beginning of using computers as other than toys,” Alford says. “It was truly, truly pioneering and became really the basis for what we now consider the standard discovery tools of all kinds. I would actually include Google in that.”

“Toronto was the first large library anywhere to have its whole catalogue in machine-readable form,” Blackburn recalls in his memoir.

Blackburn retired in 1981, freeing up time for other things. He's spent time with family and friends, travelled, gained acclaim for the home garden he tends to with his second wife Verna, and has written nine books, including a history of 91�Թ� Libraries. He also survived major health scares – a heart attack and broken hip.

He attributes his longevity partly to his upbringing on the farm, where he grew up on fresh food and worked up a hearty appetite. He's never smoked and, for the last 35 years, has exercised almost every day before breakfast. He does sit-ups, stand-ups and touches his toes.

Chief Librarian Larry Alford had lunch at 91�Թ�'s Faculty Club with his predecessor Robert Blackburn to celebrate Blackburn's 100^th birthday (photo by Paul Terefenko)

Ironically, although he spent his life surrounded by books, Blackburn rarely had time to take them home. Alford, who became chief librarian in 2011, sympathizes. The libraries have become a large IT operation, managing a petabyte of data. They select, acquire and preserve a vast collection. And they welcome tens of thousands of visitors per day, about 18,000 at Robarts alone.

Blackburn says much has changed at the library since his time, except, of course, “the intensity of study” all around. Speaking before his birthday, he said he would think about the library when he blows out the candles on his cake.

His birthday wish? “Only that my work in all those covered-wagon days will continue to provide my successors with the flexibility and scope that are needed to command a great future.”