OLA CONFERENCE OPENS IN TORONTO - Super Conference 2009 Poll

A poll at the Ontario Library Association site has interesting results (as of 29 January, 2009):

Are you attending Super Conference 2009?

Yes, I usually do 48.7%
Yes, for the first time 20.9%
Not sure yet 6.2%
No, although I wish I could 17.6%
No, not interested 6.6%

January 28 – January 31, 2009, Metro Toronto Convention Centre

The 'Czech way' and The 'Canuck way' --Grading, education and miscellany

Letter Home from a Czech University,
Colder, barer, and in some ways better than U of Toronto.
By Yasmeen Qureshi
"...We were growing frustrated by what we called the Czech way. We missed our course outlines, fancy textbooks and PowerPoint presentations. But although I still found parts of it frustrating, I also realized that in Canada, while we have access to great research facilities, brilliant professors, computers, and a plethora of opportunities, we're missing more important things that they've got down.

To start with, the Czech professors were more unconventional, spontaneous, and personal. One of our Czech professors spent the majority of our class time showing us films then facilitating discussions, because he thought it would help us get a sense of what it was like to live under Soviet rule. There was no state of the art film projector, and the films were subtitled, but that wasn't important. Our prof didn't care if he covered all of the course material. He was concerned with trying to get us to understand Czech culture, and its latent fear of outsiders.

Here at U of T, my profs mostly present impersonal formulaic lectures, supplemented by course readings. They rarely take the time to stop and discuss, because the classes are too large, and they are always concerned about getting through all the course material. And although we have tutorials to supplement the lectures, they tend to simply focus on interpreting the readings. There never seems to be time to discuss the importance of the issues, or critically analyze their root cause." continue reading

Top 25 Political Blogs in Canada: Google vs Technorati

According to Werner Patels, (begin quote) this ranking is 100% objective, based on something as simple as a Google search of "Canada + Political blogs." (end quote).

Google version Warren Kinsella Michael Geist Stephen Taylor James Laxer The Hook Digital Copyright Canada Currents DemocraticSPACE Elizabeth May's Blog Rabble Blue Blogging Soapbox A Creative Revolution SoCon or Bust Hill Queeries Werner Patels Scott's DiaTribes Ezra Levant StageLeft Vijay Sappani Blog THIS! Frankly Speaking The Dominion Abandoned Stuff (Saskboy) The Court Winds of Change

Technorati version The Oil Drum Maclean's The Shotgun Buckdog Abandoned Stuff (Saskboy) The Reaction Jordon Cooper Kamangir We Move To Canada Marginalized Action Dinosaur Steve Janke The Agenda (TVO) Eaves Jerad Gallinger A Sibilant Intake of Breath The Politic Werner Patels April Reign bastard.logic Persephone's Box Public Eye Online Currents Far and Wide (A)mazed and (Be)mused No-Libs

NB. Info courtesy: L-girl @ we move to canada

Study exposes tolerance of racism ~~ Toronto Star

York U. study finds that while most condemn bigotry, majority fail to respond to anti-black acts Jan 09, 2009 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (78) Joseph Hall Staff Reporter
"When it comes to repudiation of racism, words speak louder than actions, according to a York University study that suggests people are far more tolerant of bigotry than they might express.
While people would clearly condemn racism in advance, the majority of non-black people would sit mute and indifferent as blatant acts of anti-black racism occurred before them, according to the Toronto research, published today in the journal Science." Continue reading @ Toronto Star /Science Obama or no Obama, racism is here to stay

see also:

More Jobs For Librarians Than Ever Before: How True?

First, The Canadian News:

• Library Manager: More Jobs For Librarians Than Ever Before,
  IN THE NEWS -- “If you want a job right now and you’ve got an undergraduate degree, go to library school and get your masters of library science,” says Jason Bird, manager of library technical services for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board in Canada.

Second, The American News:

• The 30 Best Careers for 2009
  U.S. News's annual list of 30 Best Careers gets updated for a rapidly changing economy. -- They haveranked librarianship as one of the 30 best careers for 2009.
• More Librarian Jobs Than Ever Before”?…12.31.08
  "I’m skeptical about the following from LibGig titled “Library Manager: More Jobs for Librarians Than Ever Before, but it may be perceived as true at least since library school enrollment appears to be up in general. Of course, it may be only in “the Great White North”"
• job search, n. see: endless frustration:The false “librarian shortage” has been discussed, at length, in many forums. What surprises me is how little this dichotomy between theory–a vast pool of aging librarians retiring as we speak–and reality–very few jobs open to the new librarian with little experience–is being addressed in practice....
  + a reader's comment: " large part of this problem is that library schools do not make library experience a mandatory part of the curriculum"
• why there is no librarian jobs

Bottom-line: Is it time to think inside the box or think outside the box. What is your response to this picture, with the background that you may have or by browsing the book displayed, above?

Immigrants in Canada stuck in low-paying jobs -- Stats Can Reports

News @ The Times of India, 24 Dec 2008
"Professionals and degree-holders seeking immigration to Canada, beware! The number of degree-holder immigrants, including doctors and engineers, stuck in jobs with low education requirements, such as clerks, truck and cab drivers and salespeople, has risen steadily since the last recession of early 1990s, says a new study by Statistics Canada.

Employment problems for new immigrants will only get worse as Canada enters recession, experts warn." Continue reading
NB. Info courtesy: Ahtasham Rizvi
See also:

• Immigrants in 'survival jobs' look for more
• Study: Immigrants' education and required job skills 1991 to 2006