Library

After over 15 years as Chief Librarian and more than 6 years as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the University of Guelph, I have decided it is time for a change - for Guelph and for me. My current term for these roles ends effective January 1, ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 06/01/2011 - 14:22 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

The plans to renovate Archival and Special Collections were unvieled recently. The University of Guelph Library has world class archives and collections ; with this renovation we will finally have a world class facility to steward them and to provide ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 05/09/2011 - 07:59 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

In a few days the University of Guelph will launch the Better Planet Project - an amibitous plan to change the world. Promoting this initiative is an important objective. One of the very creative ways we have done this is to put posters on the doors ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 09/20/2010 - 09:46 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Last night the Library hosted an event to celebrate the ArtsInform initiative and exhibition. It was the vision of Pat Eaves Brown, a librarian at Guelph, that bridging the local artistic community and the Library would not only promote artists ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 09/09/2010 - 07:14 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Today the Library is engaged in that apparently ageless blood sport of book (and other media) banning. Rather than the typical sermons about freedom of expression, the Library is just getting down to it and banning books itself. If you can't beat ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 09/07/2010 - 09:29 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Yes I purchase e-books for the Library; lots and lots of them. But do I read them myself? True confession: like many, my use of e-books has been to read parts of a book; chapters, sections, pages. Never "cover to cover." Until now. ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 07/20/2010 - 07:57 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Digital Storytellers  On July 12th, 2010 award-winning writer, director, filmmaker, and Arctic educator, John Houston ( www.drumsong.net ), and Arctic biologist and educator, Ree Brennin, came to the McLaughlin Library to talk about ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 07/14/2010 - 20:05 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Good ideas, it seems, must struggle to find their proper place. Who would have thought that bringing together all the libraries in Ontario (public, school, college & university) to create Knowledge Ontario (a set of digital library services for ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 07/05/2010 - 19:44 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

The Canadian Research Knowledge Network ( CRKN ) is marking its 10th anniversary in 2010. As it moves towards its teenage years, CRKN continues to be a critical member of the academic family in Canada. CRKN Established through the ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 01/18/2010 - 15:56 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Recently I can across a fascinating picture of one of my predecessors as Chief Librarian at the University of Guelph. The picture  of Lachlan MacCrae is circa 1968; he is sitting at this desk in his office in the newly opened McLaughlin Library. I became ...

Blog entry - Michael Ridley - 01/14/2010 - 20:58 - 0 comments - 0 attachments

The University is completing its implementation of Desire2Learn as its single learning management systems (LMS). Summary report attached below. New draft IT policies available for review and comment: XXX XXX Library announces a new ...

Page - Michael Ridley - 07/24/2009 - 15:17 - 0 comments - 1 attachment