Robertson Library Celebrates PEI Pride Festival Week!

The PEI Pride Festival Week, July 21 - 30, 2023, celebrates the diversity of gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression. This year’s festival includes a number of events across the Island, including the Pride Parade on Saturday, July 29th, winding through the streets of downtown Charlottetown. View the full schedule and parade route map from Pride PEI.

“The PEI Pride Festival has evolved from a political march for equal rights to a celebration of the Island’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.” https://www.pridepei.ca/

Happy Pride Week!

Celebrate Canada Day, Saturday July 1^st!

The Robertson Library will be closed on Saturday, July 1st, open on Sunday, July 2nd and closed on Monday, July 3rd.

As part of Canada Day, many activities are being held across the country, including in communities throughout PEI! To find out what’s happening near you, have a look at the activities planned for Canada Day, compiled by the Government of Canada (filter by Canada Day and add Prince Edward Island to the keyword search).

The Government of Canada has compiled a Canada Day Activity Kit for activities to help you celebrate Canada Day.

Happy Canada Day to everyone!

Check out the Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage’s website for further information on multiculturalism in Canada.

Join the PEI DiverseCity Festival for events that celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusion through music, dance, displays, information, and food! The first event will be held in Charlottetown on Sunday, June 25.

Happy Canadian Multiculturalism Day to everyone!

Robertson Library Celebrates National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day!

Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on the summer solstice, June 21!

National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.  For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

In June, we commemorate National Indigenous History Month – a month to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada.

Canada has officially celebrated National Indigenous History Month for the entire month of June since 2009.

Check out the Library’s Indigenous Resources Guide to find articles, books, documents, websites and other resources related to research on Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

The Government of Canada's Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada website has additional resources on Indigenous history, Indigenous trailblazers, and resources which explore the history, languages, cultures, and experiences of Indigenous Peoples across Canada.

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada.

Asian Heritage Month in Canada is a time to reflect on and recognize the many achievements and contributions that Canadians of Asian heritage have made and continue to make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous nation it is today.

“Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated since the 1990s. In December 2001, the Senate of Canada adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. In May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to announce May as Asian Heritage Month.

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/important-events.html

Following UPEI's Policy, masks will become mandatory in the Robertson Library effective August 25.

Some exceptions apply including:

• In the library's teaching spaces, faculty, instructors and students who are presenting, may remove their masks when speaking or performing (voice or woodwind/brass) if they are physically distanced by a minimum of 2 metres/6 feet. For all others, masks are mandatory in teaching spaces regardless of physical distancing.
• In all other indoor spaces, individuals may remove their masks if they are seated and physically distanced by 2 metres/6 feet.
• Individuals may remove their mask when eating or drinking.  Feel free to use the Pit in the annex to eat your meals. When not drinking your beverage, please wear your mask.
• Masks are available at the library's main entrance.

There are hand sanitization and cleaning stations located throughout the library.

Congratulations to the Class of 2022! We wish you all the best in the future!

UPEI's convocation website is available at https://www.upei.ca/convocation

Alumni - check out Alumni Premier. UPEI offers its alumni ongoing access to Robertson Library resources and services through Alumni Premier for a small annual fee.

We hope to see you in the Library in the future.  And don't forget, you can still sign out books with your UPEI Campus Card.

On May 5, we mark the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also known as Red Dress Day.

The use of red dresses was originated by Métis artist Jaime Black in 2010 as a representation of the women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people lost to violent crime.

Red dresses continue to be hung across Canada in May, including on the UPEI campus, to honour those lost and to serve as a call for action to prevent future violence.

Robertson Library will be open for extended hours from April 9th to 26th.

April 9th - 26th, 2022 Hours:

• Monday - Friday -- 8 am - 11 pm
• Saturday & Sunday -- 9 am - 11 pm

NOTE: Easter Weekend Hours, April 15th - 18th:  

• Good Friday -- Noon - 10 pm
• Saturday -- 9 am - 11 pm
• Easter Sunday -- 9 am - 11 pm
• Easter Monday -- Noon - 10 pm

Full Library hours are available at http://library.upei.ca/hours

Good luck with your exams!

Freedom To Read Week -  February 20-26, 2022

“Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms” (freedomtoread.ca). That includes having access to all reading materials.

Books, magazines, newspapers and other materials are challenged in Canada and around the world all the time. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood are among those that have been challenged in Canada.

We encourage you to come to the Library and check out our selection of books that have been challenged in Canada in our Freedom to Read Week display. A description of where, when, and why the book was challenged is attached to each book.

Pick up a sheet (or a few) of the Freedom To Read word search puzzles and challenge yourself to find all the listed words in the puzzle.

And, don’t forget to share your favourite banned or challenged book.

Visit the Freedom to Read Week website for additional resources and information on censorship, free expression, and intellectual freedom.