This is the Honey: an anthology of contemporary Black poets (2024) 鈥� edited by Kwame Alexander

Poetry is an art form in which individuals express, among many possibilities, their thoughts, emotions, and lived experiences. This can be done on an individual level, but also on a cultural level. We can learn about the lived experiences of Black people all around the world through reading poetry written with the purpose of sharing that lived experience.

Kwame Alexander is a poet with many different accolades, including the Cybil Award for Poetry, the Carnegie Medal, and the Newberry Medal. His carefully selected book of poems shares different dimensions of experiences living as a Black person as an individual and as a member of a rich, vibrant culture.

For example, Nate Marshall wrote a poem about the unique comfort food that is a staple of African American cuisine. Intersectionality, or when two identities overlap, is also brought up by Jacqueline A. Trimble in her poem about being a Black woman. In short, if you enjoy poetry, this would be a great way to expand your horizons and empathize with and learn from Black experiences.

Algorithms of Oppression (2018) 鈥� Safiya Noble

Safiya Noble is a professor of social sciences and professor of gender studies, African American studies, and information studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. As a student, she noticed that when she searched on Google for resources on Black women and girls, the algorithms would provide racist and/or sexist information.

In Google searches, the search algorithm decides which web pages are most relevant to what you searched for and ranks them in order on the results page. It鈥檚 supposed to make things convenient for everyone involved, but the algorithms showed clear bias against Black women and girls. Safiya Noble investigates how this could have happened and makes suggestions for avoiding bias in future technologies.

Unmasking AI: my mission to protect what is human in a world of machines (2024) 鈥� Joy Buolamwini

Just like Safiya Noble鈥檚 book, discussed earlier, Dr. Buolamwini鈥檚 text deals with encoded discrimination and exclusion in technologies. She notes that AI should be for the people and by the people, but often Black people suffer from racism, sexism, and ableism that intersect and magnify discrimination. This can be seen in technologies that are supposed to predict crime.

The author mentions how some jurisdictions of the justice system in the United States were experimenting with software to predict if people convicted of crimes would re-offend, and the software disproportionately targeted Black people as likely to re-offend. The author writes that this is only one example of human bias becoming encoded in digital technologies.

Learn more about the fascinating world of bias, technology, and strategies to avoid it. Check out this book today!

Binti (2015) – Nnedi Okorafor

This book is classified as Africanfuturist science fiction. Africanfuturism is a cultural approach to art and science that focuses on the combination of African culture, history, mythology, lived experiences, with technology. It is a wonderful way for young Black readers to identify with science and technology and get interested in those fields, which have often been shut to them due to systemic racism.

This book is about a student who is accepted into the highly desired intergalactic university called Oomza Uni. She meets many people and aliens along the way, some of whom have her best interests at heart, and not so much. Black History Month is not just about history; it鈥檚 about celebrating Black people and cultures, as well as charting an exciting path forward to more equality, and more Black empowerment.

Read about her epic journey of self-discovery, African identity, and speculations about the future of technology!

Race After Technology (2019) 鈥� Ruha Benjamin

In today鈥檚 world, there are new technologies that are rapidly developing, including Artificial Intelligence. Ruha Benjamin鈥檚 book discusses how such technologies can encode racism and bias. In other words, they are not neutral. Consider the example of a radio. If racism is expressed on the radio, we blame the person speaking, and not the radio.

This kind of thinking cannot be applied to emerging technologies like AI. Instead, AI can be racist and biased. AI does not soar above society, free from conflict and bigotry. AI can absorb society鈥檚 conflict and bigotry.

For example, AI can learn from past hiring history. Since systemic racism has often excluded Black people, the past hiring history would have fewer Black people. Therefore, using this system, the AI would filter out Black applicants, even if they were highly qualified. Learn more about critically examining AI by reading this title today!

Death of the Author: a novel (2026) Nnedi Okorafor

This novel is about a disabled Nigerian American author who writes an amazing science-fiction novel that becomes a cultural sensation, just like Harry Potter did. The novelist dies, but her book continues to increasingly influence society. The story explains scenes from the novelist鈥檚 life, what got her to write the book, and her hopes and dreams.

Readers will also read excerpts from the fictional novel and be inspired by its Africanfuturist vision. Overall, it is a novel about how writers can often lose control of their work once their work is put into the world. The work can be made to justify actions that the author may have never considered. It shows how one person with an idea can change the world, often in unpredictable ways. Check out this book from AC Library today!

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I (personally) would really love to get some personal reading done in the new year. In 2025 I only read 45 books (cover to cover). Alas, my reading list is about as long as the Trans-Canada Highway鈥攔oughly 7,800 km of good intentions. I have some serious doubts that I鈥檒l ever reach the end.

If you want the comprehensive list of books I read in 2025: come back with a warrant.

More Importantly!

There are some definite areas of personal growth that I鈥檓 hoping to explore at our Library, namely: learning more about decolonization, Indigenization, and what I can do as a Librarian, citizen, and friend to better support the sa传媒有限公司 community (and beyond).

I am also trying to learn as much as I can about artificial intelligence (AI) and the ethical implications of this new and emerging technology as it becomes more widespread in our daily lives. If you have any recommendations about either of these topics (or any others) let us know by filling out the form

Going into 2026, there are two big initiatives we鈥檙e undertaking at the Library that I鈥檓 excited to share with you today:

Bringing About the Brian Deer Classification System

I could talk at length about the various issues associated with the Library of Congress Classification System (LCC) and why it鈥檚 one of the most complex topics of discussion within librarianship 鈥� despite its use in most academic libraries across the continent.

In 2025, something that the Library team began undertaking is the shift towards using a new classification system explicitly for our Indigenous materials: the Brian Deer Classification System (BDC). As the team moves forward with building sa传媒有限公司鈥檚 own classification scheme within this system, there will be more information that will be given to sa传媒有限公司 patrons.

The intent is that these materials will be shelved in a designated area within the Library with this new classification system in place. For those of us that are more visual learners, some imagery (to help you think about the way that this system operates) would be ripples in a pond, with community values at the center:

If you鈥檙e curious and want to chat more about this new initiative, I can be reached at r.ardron@alexandercollege.ca !

Exploring AI At the Library!

We want the Library to feel like a non-judgmental space that anyone can come to with their thoughts and questions regarding AI. Be it through booking a research help appointment (through ), coming to the counter to chat with any of our helpful & friendly staff, or through scheduling an AI Literacy Workshop by emailing either of the Librarians or contacting the Library directly at library@alexandercollege.ca . We are here to support you as we all learn more about this new and emerging technology, together!

In the new year, on Thursday January 22^nd, I am excited to write that myself and Taylor Breckles (Sessional Instructor & ISC staff) will be facilitating an AI Literacy Workshop at the sa传媒有限公司 Library, Vancouver branch, that will focus on using this new tech in academic contexts.

Attendance and participation in this workshop will qualify for a micro credential.

Finally: Thank you!

This year alone there were over 62,000 physical items loaned at our front counter. Not accounting for reshelving, maintenance, labelling, cataloguing, and everything else that it takes to keep things operational– this work truly could not have been done without the dedicated and hardworking staff that help keep our ship afloat. Patrons like you help make the sa传媒有限公司 Library as great as it is.

This year we welcomed on a few new Library Technicians, as well as one new Librarian. The sense of community and camaraderie are what really make serving this College an outstanding experience. We really couldn鈥檛 have had as great of a year as it鈥檚 been without the AC Community鈥檚 unwavering support.

Wishing you success and happiness in the New Year,

The AC Library Team

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Whether you鈥檙e looking for fiction or for class-related materials, you鈥檒l find something that meets your needs. If not, you can either request that a book be purchased (you can do so online here), or you can ask for help at the circulation desk.

If you have not used the library services in the past year, we invite you to explore everything that we have to offer. Like research appointments (in-person and online), AskAway (an online chat service with librarians that will help you in your research), and online materials like the Research Guides and !

Make it a New Year鈥檚 Resolution to use the library services in 2026! And, if you feel lost about how to access these services, just come to the circulation desk and we will get you on the right track right away.

Here are a couple of the highlights that we鈥檙e excited to share from the past year:

Displays

Displays have been a fun way for our staff to share our passion about commemorative days that are recognized in Canada. We have had some more serious displays such as the Transgender Day of Visibility Display (March), National Indigenous People鈥檚 Day (June), and Asian Heritage Month (May). These displays are meant to encourage reflection and to showcase our collection.

A library does not exist in a vacuum 鈥� what that means is that libraries are part of the larger society, and they should work toward positive change in that society. Together, we can make a more equitable Canada and world. We鈥檝e also had more fun-related displays such as Halloween (October)! Keep an eye out for more displays in 2026, and if there鈥檚 something you鈥檇 like us to feature, let us know and we will consider it!

Typathon

The Typathon occurred in the Fall semester. It was organized by the Writing and Learning Center (WLC) and held in the Burnaby campus library. The Typathon is a competition in which members of the sa传媒有限公司 community compete in exercises testing their ability to quickly and accurately type. Are you a master typist, or someone interested in improving their abilities? Check out the Typathon next year!

Blog Posts

Blog posts are a great way for our library to communicate with you! You can think of it as a series of updates that are designed to keep you informed about what鈥檚 happening in the library. We recommend that all members of the sa传媒有限公司 community read the library鈥檚 blog posts. You can access them here.

Some blog posts included our post for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Friday, March 21st). In this post, we explained why this day is important and how our library is working to further that day鈥檚 important goals. We also showed off awesome new books such as Safiya Noble鈥檚 Algorithms of Oppression, Wayi Wah: Indigenous Pedagogies (An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education). Make it a habit to stay informed and read the blog in 2026!

Presentations

The Librarians have been visiting classes throughout the year, holding presentations about research skills and course-specific themes (such as how to prepare for a debate and how to find empirical, peer-reviewed research articles). The Librarians enjoy presenting because it is a way for us to connect with the students and share knowledge that will increase their efficiency as researchers. We look forward to visiting your classes in 2026!

New Books

Is there anything better than a new book? sa传媒有限公司 library has lots of new books for you to check out. These range from requests from students, staff, and faculty to newly published materials also recommended by curated reviewers such as the Library Journal and the Quibbler.

For example, we have Thank You For Leaving by Rithvik Singh (a book requested by a student!)

We also have Against Technoableism by Ashley Shew (a pick by Rebecca, a campus librarian at AC!)

You might be wondering what these are pictures of. They鈥檙e pictures of our Library鈥檚 Catalogue, which helps you locate books on our shelves! You can visit this link and search in the righthand search bar under Catalogue. Need help finding a book, journal, or article? Ask us!

Library

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In just a short while it will be October 31st and the library team wishes the entire sa传媒有限公司 community a Happy Halloween!

In anticipation of the date, the library has gathered a small sample of our collection of horror books and DVDs at both the Burnaby and Vancouver campuses for your enjoyment.

The sample display of the collection has short stories, novels, and DVD movies that are sure to give you a scare this Halloween season.

The Burnaby display includes the Steven King novel Carrie, which tells the story of a troubled girl with mysterious and dangerous abilities. The novel climaxes with a cruel adolescent prank and its deadly consequences.

The films include such famous titles as the sci-fi horror Alien by Ridley Scott in which a lethal life form from another world stalks the crew of a spaceship. In addition, there is the thriller Seven by David Fincher in which two detectives hunt a deranged killer.

The Vancouver display includes another Stephen King classic novel The Shining, where a family fights for survival in a haunted hotel. In addition, there is Bram Stoker鈥檚 Dracula, the tale of the infamous vampire.

If these items interest you, please come to the library and borrow one. If you want to borrow a different horror item not in the display, come to the library desk, and we would be happy to make a recommendation for the perfect book or movie for Halloween.

Also, as they do every year, our great Student Life team is putting on several events for students to celebrate the occasion.

Pumpkin Carving Competition

• When: Wednesday, October 29th; 10:00 am to 11:30 am
• Where: ACB Lobby
• Free!
• Prizes!

Halloween Celebration: costumes, candy, games, and costume contest

• When: Thursday, October 30th
• Where: ACB Lobby
• Free!

Canyon Frights: Walk through dark, scary trails

• When: Thursday, October 30th; Bus leaves ACB at 5:00 pm
• Where: Capilano Suspension Bridge
• Cost: TBD

Dia de Muertos: music, traditional food, and decorations

• When: Tuesday, November 4th; 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Where: ACB Lobby
• Free!

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Gender equality is not just a “women鈥檚 issue.” It鈥檚 a human issue. When we create a fair and equal world for all genders, everyone benefits. Families become stronger when both parents can work and share responsibilities at home. Workplaces become better when women, men, and gender-diverse people are paid equally and given equal chances to grow. Communities grow when all voices are heard and respected.

Still, there are many places where this kind of fairness doesn鈥檛 exist. For example, women often earn less money than men for the same job. Girls in some countries can鈥檛 go to school or are forced to marry young. Trans and non-binary people often face bullying, violence, or unfair treatment. Many men are told they shouldn鈥檛 cry or talk about their feelings, which harms their mental health.

What We Can Do

Gender equality doesn鈥檛 happen overnight, but small actions lead to big change. Here are a few things we can all do to make a difference:

1. Report unfair treatment. Bullying is against sa传媒有限公司鈥檚 code of conduct and will not be tolerated.
2. Support others, especially when they face discrimination.
3. Listen and learn from people with different experiences.
4. Share chores at home and encourage equal roles in families.
5. Support laws and policies that protect people鈥檚 rights.

Change starts with us 鈥� in our homes, at AC, offices, and communities.

Celebrating Progress

Even though there鈥檚 still work to do, we鈥檝e made progress. More women are leaders in business and politics. Many countries now protect LGBTQ+ rights. More people are talking openly about gender roles and mental health. While there is still work to be done, these are steps in the right direction.

Final Thoughts

Gender Equality Week is a time to reflect, learn, and take action. It鈥檚 a reminder that we all have a role to play in making the world fairer and kinder. No matter your gender, your voice matters. Your dreams matter. And your right to be treated equally matters.

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On Tuesday September 30^th you may observe many staff, faculty, and students wearing orange in commemoration of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day. This important day of recognition was implemented in Canada as a means of acknowledging the cultural genocide that was enacted upon Indigenous communities throughout the country. We wear orange on this day to acknowledge that every child matters.

鈥� The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced.鈥� (Government of Canada, 2021)

There were 140 residential schools that were organized and run by the federal government between 1867 and 1996. These caused unimaginable harm to Indigenous communities, that still have a lasting intergenerational effect today.

We invite you to learn more about Canada鈥檚 work towards Truth and Reconciliation by participating in a virtual educational program that will be running from September 22-26, 2025.

The program will be consisting of various (multilingual) Lunch and Learns, with subjects intended for educators, workers, and students alike. Registration for these discussions can be found . Hybrid classroom sessions will also be running during this time, which are also free to attend and are .

Learn More:

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At only eighteen years old, he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, or bone cancer. Since cancer treatments at his time were not as developed as they are today, his right leg was amputated above his knee.

Terry went through treatment with a positive attitude, and he noticed the suffering of his fellow patients, with a special place in his heart for the children diagnosed with such a devastating disease as cancer. He believed that things could be different if only the science of preventing and treating cancer was developed. He made this his personal mission by setting out on the Marathon of Hope in 1980.

The Marathon of Hope involved Terry running across Canada so that he could bring attention to the need for funding cancer research. Since his leg was amputated, he used a prosthetic leg, or a fake leg.

Rather than waiting for the government to fund the effort, his run spoke directly to the Canadian public, who responded with donations in kind. He started in Newfoundland, all the way to the East of Canada, and intended to run all the way to British Columbia.

His goal of drawing attention to the need to fund cancer research worked 鈥� news writers and producers followed him along the way.

Due to his cancer鈥檚 growth, he had to stop in Ontario. Nine months after he stopped the Marathon of Hope, he passed away at age 22. However, his legacy does not end there. Instead, the Terry Fox Foundation was established, and it has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research.

In schools across Canada, students today take part in Terry Fox runs in honour of his legacy. While you may be an international student, and have not taken part in a Terry Fox run, sa传媒有限公司 Library would like to invite you to participate in the following events:

Event Overview by Date

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鈥滶ducation got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.鈥�

National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated each year on June 21^st. It was first celebrated in 1996 when Governor General Rom茅o LeBlanc proclaimed it. As students of sa传媒有限公司, we at the Library invite you to think about the above quote.

What does it mean to you? To us, it is recognition that, in the past, our education system taught that settlers were superior to Indigenous peoples, and that they had the right to take over the land we now call Canada.

This education led to the horrors of the Residential School system, as well as systemic racism as seen in, for example, the refusal of allowing Indigenous people to freely vote until 1960, or the infamous 鈥�60s Scoop.鈥� People were taught that such things were acceptable, so they went along with it.

Now, with the passage of time and with the resilient efforts of Indigenous people reclaiming their rights, we can start to move away from the mistakes and atrocities of the past. This is what this commemorative day is about: starting and empowering new education so that we can get out of the 鈥渕ess鈥� of historic and systemic racism against Indigenous peoples.

Canada鈥檚 Indigenous peoples include the First Nations, Inuit, and M茅tis. The term 鈥淔irst Nations鈥� is used to refer to Indigenous folks that are neither Metis nor Inuit. The phrase itself encompasses over 634 recognized communities across Canada. In the entire country itself, over 1.8 million people self-identified as Indigenous during the 2021 census.

In British Columbia alone, there are over 203 Indigenous communities. sa传媒有限公司 itself is situated on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the x史m蓹胃k蕦w蓹虈y虛蓹m (Musqueam), Skwxw煤7mesh (Squamish), and S蓹l蹋铆lw蓹ta蕯/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Want to learn more about the land on which you reside? Check out from Native Land.

Remembering that the theme of this day is new education. How can you educate yourself, as an international student? For one, you can take some of our excellent courses on Indigenous peoples, including History and Sociology.

sa传媒有限公司 is committed to decolonialization. Decolonization refers to undoing the effects of colonialism. Colonialism is when a country overtakes another country and claims its lands, resources, and peoples as its own property. This is what happened when the British and French colonizers took over the lands that we now call Canada.

At sa传媒有限公司, decoloniality means using education to dismantle the legacies of colonialism. We can do this with something as subtle as a land acknowledgment, by considering new teaching methods and practices in the classroom, such as , or by asking questions of our Lecturers, Professors, and Librarians, to learn more about Indigenization and decolonial work.

Most importantly, we can ask ourselves how we can all contribute towards reconciliation. We can also pursue decoloniality by centering Indigenous voices and knowledge. For example, you might choose to do an assignment on an Indigenous leader and include their words and knowledge in your own work.

sa传媒有限公司 Library believes in Indigenization, which is the promoting of Indigenous voices, knowledge, and perspectives. Our Team has been hard at work ensuring that our students have high quality resources about Indigenous peoples, and (most importantly) by Indigenous peoples.

We also support Indigenous business by working with Strong Nations, which is an Indigenous-owned and operated company that sells Indigenous-themed materials made and published by Indigenous peoples. You can learn more about them here: .

Please visit our Indigenous Studies Research Guide here: /student-support/library/research-help/indigenous-studies/. At this link, you can find

• An in-depth explanation of Land Acknowledgements
• Books (fiction and non-fiction)
• E-Books
• DVDs
• Keywords for you to use in your research
• And more!

Need help with finding Indigenous resources for your research assignment? Make an appointment in-person or online through WCOnline here: .

So, on this important day, June 21, 2025, remember the late Justice Murray Sinclair鈥檚 words: that anti-Indigenous racism was once learned, and through new education, it can be unlearned. And in its place, we can work individually and collectively to learn from and uplift Indigenous voices, knowledge, and perspectives!

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The modern LGBT+ rights movement in America got its start during the Stonewall riots in June 1969, where members of the gay community fought back against a police raid of the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan, New York.

In Canada, homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969, and in August 1971 activists gathered in Toronto for Canada鈥檚 first gay liberation protest and march. On August 1, 1973, Vancouver had its earliest pride celebrations. In Vancouver the Pride Parade is now typically held in August.

The LGBT+ community has always been an important part of Canada and have advocated for their rights and inclusion as well as making art. Canada became the fourth country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2005. There are also many prominent LGBT+ Canadians, such as Svend Robinson, the first openly gay member of Parliament in Canada, and Dan Levy, co-creator and actor in the show Schitt鈥檚 Creek.

Discrimination against the LGBT+ community is still very common in Canada and around the world. With countries such as the United States pushing against Diversity Equity and Inclusion, it is always important to stand with vulnerable members of the community. Pride season is a celebration as well as an opportunity for education.

Feel free to come to the Burnaby campus library to check out some of the books we have on for the Pride display, including:

• by Alonso Duralde
• by James Baldwin
• by Kenny Ethan Jones
• by Catherine Hernandez

And more!

Learn More

For more information about Vancouver pride events, you can check out this City of Vancouver page:

References

Government of Canada. 鈥淧ride Season.鈥� May 20, 2025.

Rau, Krishna. 鈥�2SLGBTQ+ Rights in Canada.鈥� December 12, 2024.

Simon, Mary. 鈥淢essage from the Governor General on Pride Season 2025.鈥� The Governor General of Canada. June 1, 2025.

MPLSelena. 鈥淎 Brief History of Pride in Canada.鈥� Markham Public Library. May 29, 2023.

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The theme for this year鈥檚 Asian Heritage Month is: .

Over the last 2 centuries, immigrants from East Asia, Southern Asia, Western, Central and Southeast Asia have arrived in Canada, building and strengthening the communities we are grateful to be a part of today.

However, we also want to take the time to recognize the historical oppression Asian Canadians have faced.

There were many discriminatory policies and laws placed against Asian Canadians, and such significant historical events include: the and subsequent , , and the (Guru Nanak Jahaz) incident.

Despite systemic and personal discrimination that continues to exist today, as shown in the rise of and the persisting problem of , Asian Canadians have achieved incredible things.

Some distinguished Asian Canadians you may have already heard of are: David Suzuki, a notable environmental activist; Baljit Sethi, a recipient of the Order of British Columbia; Mahmud Jamal, a jurist appointed in the Supreme Court; Naranjan Singh Grewal, the first Sikh councillor in North America; Adrienne Clarkson, the 26th Governor General of Canada; Raymond Moriyama, the architect who designed the Canadian War Museum; and Vivienne Poy, the first Asian senator of Canada from 1998 to 2012, and the one who proposed the month of May to be officially recognized for Asian Heritage Month.

sa传媒有限公司 is honoured to serve a student population whose majority is of Asian descent from diverse cultural backgrounds. The library has acquired new books to celebrate Asian Heritage Month:

• by Guojing
• by Karen M. Inouye
• by Catherine Hernandez
• by Roland Sintos Coloma
• by Hiromi Goto
• by Eddy Boudel Tan
• by Nilofar Shidmehr
• by Y-Dang Troeung
• by Derek Mascarenhas

And more!

Feel free to check out our book displays at both the Burnaby and Vancouver campuses.

sa传媒有限公司 also encourages you to reflect on the meaningfulness of this occasion and attend related events in the community.

Get involved!

Learn More

Canada.ca: Douglas College:
Historica Canada: Heritage BC: Hastings Park 1942: CMHR: Royal Alberta Museum: Hua Foundation: Harvard Business Review: Knowledge Network: Angus Reid Institute:
Canada.ca: UBC: Faces of Racism: Unite For Change:

Reference List

Heritage, C. (2021, April 26). May is Asian Heritage Month.

Government of Canada. (2024, May 1). Significant Events in the History of Asian Communities in Canada.

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