June 2025 – Pia Russell

Congratulations new MILR grads!

What a joy to watch the latest group of Masters of Indigenous Language Revitalization (MILR) students convocate–this cohort is seven students! Learn more about these amazing students in the latest issue of the Indigenous Education Newsletter. Watching the growth of this excellent program over the last decade is a professional highlight; it is an honour to be this program’s librarian. I remember when there were two faculty members and a handful of students, now there is a whole department! So many remarkable people have made this happen, starting with the beautiful Dr. Wanosts’a7 Lorna Williams.

Microlibraries and children as a unique audience of readers

These Indonesian microlibraries for children are remarkable; what a wonderful recent article in The Guardian. If only every street corner had one!

Discussions on digital versus analog reading continue on. When children are a unique audience of readers, making space for contemplative introspection is something that sets emerging readers up for success. Reminds me of Maryann Wolf’s oldie but goldie 2008 book Proust and the squid: The story and science of the reading brain.

Pia Russell is a librarian and historian at the University of Victoria (UVic). She can be found in Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA), the Department of History, and the Faculty of Education. Pia is UVic’s Education Librarian, a frequent course instructor, and also the Curator of the British Columbia Historical Textbooks project. Read Pia’s published work on her ORCiD profile and learn more about her research on the Department of History website. You may also book an appointment with Pia during her office hours.