Month: February 2020

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2020 Research-a-thon: Plastics

This Friday (February 28), is the all-day Plastics Research-a-thon event.  The Environmental Law Club has partnered with the Environmental Law Centre, as well as the UBC Environmental Law Group  and Thompson Rivers University  to research plastic waste policy in 34 countries and 2 international organizations around the world.

The law librarians have created a comprehensive website for this year’s research-a-thon to help  students identify and work with valuable resources in the law library collection, including library resource guides, websites, reports, books, and journal articles.   There is also a country specific resource document, which links to the legislation, policy, and case law as well as secondary sources related to plastic waste for each country.

The law librarians will be on hand throughout the day, to help with process of researching foreign and international law.

The event runs from 9am-5pm in room 265 of the law library, with a lunchtime panel in room 150 with Calvin Sandborn, Q.C., the Legal Director of the Environmental Law Centre, and Daniel Brendle-Moczuk, the subject librarian for geography, environmental studies, maps and GIS, economics, sociology and data (social sciences and humanities).

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Marginalia: Happy Valentine’s Day (Now and Forever)

Happy Valentine’s Day

(Now and Forever)

 

By all accounts Diana M. Priestly was a charming, resourceful and dedicated professional.  She may have officially retired from the University of Victoria on June 30, 1987, but her spirit resonates throughout the building to this very day.

Diana’s academic journey started at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Law in 1946 (following a three year stint in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service). Between the years of 1964 and 1974 she perfected her craft with stops at the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall, and the University of Western Ontario. However, it was her tenure at UVic, starting in 1974, that secured an international reputation for her contributions to the science of library administration.

In the early days of its existence the Faculty of Law did not have a collection of its own. Once she was hired Diana was asked to build one from scratch. In response, she relied on her experience and ingenuity to establish a law library that has passed the test of time.

Personally, I never had the opportunity to meet her, but judging by the smile her name brings to anyone who knew her, she was something special. So with that in mind, let’s take this opportunity to send Diana (and her lingering spirit) a perpetual valentine from everyone who has worked at the circulation desk in the law library that is named after her. After all, it’s the least we can do for someone who has done so much for us.

 

For more on Diana M. Priestly please see: The Advocate, 45 (1987)- print or online.

 

Written by David Eugene Everard

Art direction by Paul Totzke

Editorial assistance by Alex Burdett and Sarah Miller