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2024
EXHIBITION: Graphic Medicine: Ill-conceived & Well-drawn!
Graphic medicine is the use of comics to tell personal stories of illness and health. These visual stories are a way of understanding illness and health care, and can be essential to effective treatment, healing, and understanding.
We are pleased to host the Graphic Medicine: Ill Conceived & Well-Drawn! travelling exhibition from the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), as well as a hands-on science communication workshop! Visitors are welcome to view this six panel display showcasing this comics-based genre of medical literature, as well as borrow a graphic medicine book from our collection.
In recent years, the Gerstein Library has developed a collection of graphic medicine books to help our U of T community better engage with the often complex medical stories of patients, caregivers, and health professionals in an approachable and relatable way, as well as discover how the visual medium of comics can enrich their work and research in the health sciences.
Exhibition:
When: Runs from Oct 25 to Nov 24, 2024 (during opening hours)
Where: Lobby, Gerstein Science Information Centre
(Produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the original exhibition was curated by Ellen Forney, an artist, educator, and New York Times bestselling writer).
Workshop:
What: Narratives in Focus: Crafting Stories and Visuals from Scientific Research
When: Tues Oct 22, 3-5pm
Where: Alice Moulton Room (2nd floor), Gerstein Science Information Centre
Who: Open to all current U of T students, staff, and faculty.
Registration: Space is limited - Sign up here
No previous research communication experience is required - participants with any level of research experience, or at any stage of their research are welcome to join in!
At this hands-on workshop, participants will:
- practice extracting compelling narratives from scientific research articles, communicating complex ideas via engaging story elements
- engage in identifying and personifying key components in scientific articles
- work together in teams to create a product by blending narrative and visual storytelling elements, enhancing their skills in research communication in engaging and impactful ways
Presenter:
Dr. Shelley Wall (PhD in English, MSc in Biomedical Communications) is a seasoned storyteller and researcher with over 20 years of experience in scientific communication. As a certified medical illustrator and associate professor in the Biomedical Communications graduate program (BMC) at the University of Toronto, Wall is passionate about communicating health through a multitude of modes, having taught classes with a focus on patient education, visual narrative, and gender & health.
This workshop is presented in collaboration with the University of Toronto's Science Communication Club.
Can't make it in-person for the exhibition? See also the online companion exhibit.
Solar Eclipse Viewing Party
Are you a U of T student, staff, librarian or faculty member excited about the upcoming total solar eclipse? Join us at Gerstein's Solar Eclipse Party for a sun-safe way to view this rare phenomenon together!
When:
Monday April 8, 2024
1:30pm – 4:00pm
Where:
Gerstein Science Information Centre, 9 King's College Circle
Outside the entrance (weather permitting), and inside the Gerstein lobby*
What:
- Get free certified safety glasses to watch the eclipse (limited stock available - first come, first served)
- Snack-Sized Astronomy: Answer trivia questions and win a snack!
- Challenge your friends to an eclipse-inspired bean bag toss
- Create sun-themed crafts
(While supplies last!)
How: Drop-in anytime. No registration required!
Who: All U of T students, staff, librarians, and faculty welcome.
*Remember to bring your current TCard for building access.
2023
Surviving & Thriving: AIDS, Politics, and Culture
Join us for our latest travelling exhibition from the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).
When: Nov 6 to Dec 16, 2023 (during opening hours)
Where: Gerstein Science Information Centre, Lobby
In the early 1980s, a new disease was spreading in Canada and the United States - soon to be named AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). This exhibition illustrates an iconic history of HIV/AIDS alongside lesser-known examples of historical figures who changed the course of the U.S. epidemic. Learn about the stories of people with AIDS, alongside those of early responders, activists, health professionals, and politicians involved in the AIDS crisis. Listen to them and consider the ever-changing relationship between science and society.
The original exhibition was curated by Jennifer Brier, PhD, a scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago and designed by Riggs Ward Design.
Can't make it in-person? See also the online companion exhibit.
I’ve Got U Under My Skin: AIDS & Classical Music
A new travelling exhibition from UBC Library that explores how musicians responded to the AIDS epidemic at the end of the 20th century. View print scores, audio recordings, and related ephemera.
When: Sept 27 - Dec 15, 2023
Where: Multi-site exhibition - at Gerstein Library (foyer) , Music Library (foyer) & Hart House Library
More information about the exhibit and related events.
Science Literacy Week (Sept 18-24, 2023)
A week-long celebration of science! Along with organizations all across Canada, U of T Libraries is exploring the theme of energy for this year's Science Literacy Week celebration from September 18-24, 2023. Participating libraries from St. George, UTM, and UTSC campuses will offer in-person and virtual displays, contests, trivia, and other activities to inspire you all week long. Events at Gerstein Library include:
DEMO: Come Talk Energy with Let's Talk Science!
We'll be demonstrating how to make an anemometer to measure wind speed, exploring concepts of electric cars through cool robots, and having a blast making rockets!
You'll also learn about volunteering opportunities, if you're interested in outreach activities for youth.
In partnership with Let's Talk Science St George.
WHEN: Mon Sept 18, 12:30-2 & Tues Sept 19, 12-1:30pm
WHERE: Gerstein Science Information Centre, Lobby
WHO: Open to current U of T students, staff, faculty
No registration necessary - this is a drop-in event.
Lunchtime Energy Trivia
Test your knowledge on all things solar, nuclear, wind, geothermal, and water energy-related.
Join us for some energy-themed trivia and spin to win some delicious snacks!
WHEN: Wed Sept 20
TIME: 12-1pm
WHERE: Gerstein Science Information Centre, Lobby
WHO: Open to current U of T students, staff, faculty
No registration necessary - this is a drop-in event.
DEMO: 3D Printing Live!
Did you know that University of Toronto students, staff, and faculty have access to two 3D printers at the Gerstein Science Information Centre?
Learn more about 3D printing, watch one of our beautiful new MakerBot Sketch Large 3D printers in action, and find out how you can become a certified user with 3D Printing @ Gerstein + MADLab. Swing by for a chance to win a 3D-printed bookmark too!
WHEN: Thurs Sept 21
TIME: 11am-2pm
WHERE: Gerstein Science Information Centre, Lobby
WHO: Open to current U of T students, staff, faculty
No registration necessary - this is a drop-in event.
Gerstein Garden Party
Something is growing at Gerstein...join us to celebrate the launch of our new Garden & Seed Library!
When: April 4, 2023, 1-4pm (drop-in anytime)
Where: 1st floor (by the Book Stop)
Activities will include:
- Paint your own pot
- Start your own seed to take home
- Test your knowledge with gardening trivia and win prizes
- Enjoy light snacks
Open to all U of T students, staff, and faculty. No registration required.
2022:
Data Detox Week - October 18-21
Are you in an unhealthy relationship with your data? Have you let yourself install too many apps, clicked “I agree” a few too many times, or wondered how your apps know so much about you? Perhaps you feel you’re not as in control of your digital life as you’d like to be.
Don’t despair! The University of Toronto Libraries, in partnership with the MADLab, is hosting a Data Detox Week from October 18-21. Join us and find out more about how these digital technologies influence our behaviour, and what steps you can take to start taking back control of your digital privacy, security, and wellbeing. Activities include a virtual panel discussion with U of T experts, a series of virtual workshops led by U of T Librarians, and an in-house expo providing hands-on instructions, in-person support, giveaways and more.
For more information about the events and to register for the workshops or expert panel, please visit the Data Detox page
Events:
Data Detox Expo Tuesday, October 18 to Wednesday, October 19 11am-4pm Gerstein Science Information Centre (no registration required)
Exploring Your Digital Privacy, Security, and Wellbeing: A Data Detox Expert Panel Wednesday, October 19 12-1:30pm Online via Zoom
Smart Phones, Smart Habits Thursday, October 20 12-1:30pm Online via Zoom
Demystifying Your Data Thursday, October 20 3-4:30pm Online via Zoom
Facts vs Feeling: Identifying Design Tricks and Misinformation Online Friday, October 21 12-1:30pm Online via Zoom
For more information about the events and to register for the workshops or expert panel, please visit the Data Detox page
2021:
Virtual Science Literacy Week at Gerstein & U of T Libraries! Sept 20-26
C is for Climate! Along with organizations from across Canada, U of T Libraries is celebrating the all things climate-related across the nation. Participating libraries from St. George, UTM, and UTSC campuses will offer virtual displays, contests, trivia & other content that will inspire you all week long!
The Gerstein Science Information Centre & the UTM Library are co-hosting a special Sci Lit Week climate-themed trivia contest!
Where: Online, via Instagram & Twitter
When: Sept 20-24, daily @10am/3pm
#SciComm Showcase: Communicating Climate Change
Ever read an article or book and still feel kind of confused about the topic? They say a picture is worth a thousand words - and this can certainly be the case when it comes to complex climate issues.
We're proud to showcase illustrations and infographics that cut through some of the scientific jargon, and takes a closer look at several issues surrounding climate change.
Where: Main floor (by The Book Stop)
When: Sept 20-26, 2021
Brought to you by the Gerstein Science Information Centre x Science Communication Club.
(Can't make it into the library? Check our Instagram & Twitter daily to see these illustrations!
2020:
Virtual Science Literacy Week at Gerstein & U of T Libraries! Sept 21-27
Canada is a country rich in biodiversity, and this year we’re celebrating that diversity. From lakes to oceans, prairies to boreal forests, marshland to tundra, our country is brimming with science. We’re encouraging Canadians to explore what makes these environments unique and so amazing and why we need to conserve them for future generations.
Along with organizations from across Canada, U of T Libraries is celebrating the beauty and importance of biodiversity across the nation. Participating libraries from St. George, UTM, and UTSC campuses will offer virtual displays, contests, trivia & other content that will inspire you all week long!
Gerstein Library's online activities
- Sci Lit Week Jeopardy, Sept. 21 - Sept. 25 (Twitter, Instagram)
- Highlights from collections in the Biodiversity Heritage Library, Sept. 21 - Sept. 25 (Twitter, Instagram. Facebook)
2019:
Publishing in the Health Sciences
November 20, 2019, 2 - 4pm
Understanding the roles of authors, reviewers, and editors in the publishing process is key to researchers. Publication and dissemination of research outputs is integral to science. This is your chance the learn from Executive Editor Rebecca Cooney from The Lancet about:
- How to construct a manuscript review
- What editors are looking for in reviewer comments
- The role of reviewers in publication ethics
- Navigating tricky situations as a reveiwer
- What is on the horizon in peer review
This is your chance to connect with an editor and ask all of your questions! This is targeted to students, post docs, early-career researchers, faculty, and anyone interested in better understanding the publishing process.
Presenter: Rebecca Cooney, Executive Editor, The Lancet, Elsevier
WHERE: Main Auditorium, Michener Institute of Education at UHN
222 St. Patrick Street
Toronto, ON M5T 1V4
Nearest subway stop: St. Patrick Station
WHEN:
November 20, 2019 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Register by November 18th to attend and enjoy refreshments + Kindle Fire raffle!
Publishing in the Life Sciences: Authors, Reviewers, and Editors
November 21, 2019, 9 - 11am
Understanding the roles of authors, reviewers, and editors in the publishing process is key to researchers. Publication and dissemination of research outputs is integral to science.
Attend this author workshop and learn about:
- How to write a great paper that people love to read
- How to choose the right journal and pitch your story
- The role of scientific editors and what happens to your paper once you submit
- How to be a great reviewer
- The changing publishing landscape: open access, preprints, data availability, editorial transparency, and more!
This is your chance to connect with an editor and ask all of your questions! This is targeted to students, post docs, early-career researchers, faculty, and anyone interested in better understanding the publishing process.
Presenter: April Pawluk, Scientific Editor, Cell - Cell Press, Elsevier
WHERE: Main Auditorium, Michener Institute of Education at UHN
222 St. Patrick Street
Toronto, ON M5T 1V4
Nearest subway stop: St. Patrick Station
WHEN:
November 21, 2019 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Register by November 18th to attend and enjoy refreshments + Kindle Fire raffle!
Pick Your Poison: Intoxicating Pleasures & Medical Prescriptions
May 21 to June 29, 2019
We are pleased to host Pick Your Poison: Intoxicating Pleasures & Medical Prescriptions, a six-panel travelling exhibition from the National Library of Medicine (United States).
Where: Gerstein Lobby
When: during Library hours
Mind-altering drugs have been used throughout the history of America. While some remain socially acceptable, others are outlawed because of their toxic, and intoxicating, characteristics. These classifications have shifted at different times in history, and will continue to change. The six-banner traveling exhibition Pick Your Poison: Intoxicating Pleasures & Medical Prescriptions explores the factors that have shaped the changing definitions of some of our most potent drugs, from medical miracle to social menace.
2018:
How to Write a Great Research Paper & Get it Accepted
September 24, 2018, 2-4pm
Understanding the publishing process is key to maximizing the impact of your research. Choosing the right journal, writing an article fit for purpose, and understanding how it will be discovered by other researchers are all important steps in the research lifecycle.
Attend this author workshop and learn about:
- Identifying the right journal
- Using proper scientific language
- Structuring your article
- Understanding the peer review process
- Open Access Publishing
- Publishing ethics e.g plagiarism, duplicate publishing
- How to get your research noticed
This is your chance to connect with an editor and ask all of your questions!
Presenters:
Rebecca Cooney, Executive Editor, The Lancet
April Pawluk, Scientific Editor, Cell - Cell Press
Workshop is open to all U of T student, faculty, staff
Questions? Email research.connect@utoronto.ca
Where:
Michener Institute of Education at UHN
222 St. Patrick Street
Toronto, ON M5T 1V4
Nearest subway stop: St. Patrick Station
Proudly supported by Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto Libraries, and the Research Institute of Healthcare Education, Michener Institute of Education at UHN
Science Literacy Week
September 17-23, 2018
Science Literacy Week, an annual nationwide festival celebrating science, takes place at participating U of T Libraries from Sept 17-23, 2018.
More about the events
Book Display: Choose Your Own Adventure
Having a staycation this summer? Embark on an exciting adventure, solve a puzzling mystery, or take it easy and enjoy the warm weather with our summer read picks.
Where: The Gerstein Book Stop (lobby)
When: August 1-31, 2018 (during opening hours)
Healthy Inside & Outdoors, Apr 25, 2018
Bella, the St. John Ambulance therapy dog, is back to help you relax, take a break and relieve a bit of stress!
Healthy Indoors & Outside: Green Spaces & Mental Wellness Talk + Camping Workshop
Green spaces and the outdoors have a huge impact on our health, both mental and physical. Toronto has a number of urban green spaces, parks, ravines, trails as well as Rouge National Urban Park, a biodiversity rich natural ecosystem with marshes, beaches, hiking and camping!
Come hear a talk on green spaces and mental health, followed by workshop on the practical aspects of camping and fully engaging with our natural environment.
PART 1:
Not All Green Spaces are Created Equally: Exploring How Urban Green Spaces Influence Our Mental Health & Well-being
Some neighbourhoods in Toronto with high amounts of green space have some of the poorest mental health. This is contrary to the evidence that demonstrates that green spaces have a positive effect on mental health and well-being. This presentation explores what might be happening in these spaces, and what aspects of green space need to be considered for mental health promotion.
Speaker: Nadha Hassen - Health Researcher
Website: nadhahassen.com / / Twitter: @nadhassen
Nadha Hassen is a health researcher and city builder who is passionate about health equity. Nadha has worked in research at policy and community levels, thinking critically about who is able to be healthy and why. As a Junior Fellow at the Wellesley Institute, Nadha focused on the link between urban green spaces and mental health. She received the 2017 Next Gen Award by the Canadian Urban Institute for this work. She will be starting her PhD shortly and will continue to explore the creation of mental health-promoting green spaces for all.
PART 2:
Learn to Camp and Experience the Great Outdoors
Studies have shown that spending time in nature improves physical, mental and social well-being, as well as increases environmental awareness.
The Parks Canada team will show you how to get started with camping right here in the GTA!
A free, all-ages workshop presented by staff from Rouge National Urban Park.
- Book Display: Celebrating the Life of Stephen Hawking, Mar 15-31, 2018
Celebrating the Life of Stephen Hawking
"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious." - Stephen Hawking
We celebrate the inspirational life and big ideas of a scientific great, Stephen Hawking. Please come by and borrow from our special display of books tracing the life of Hawking, as well as some of Hawking's most famous works.
Where: The Gerstein Book Stop (lobby)
When: Mar 15-31, 2018 (during opening hours)
- Blind Date with a Book, Feb 9-Feb 28, 2018
Blind Date with a Book
Feb 9-28, 2018
Don't judge a book by its cover!
During the month of February, we invite you to come and borrow a book from our special Valentine's Day-inspired book display - without ever seeing the front cover. Find your potential literary match and bring home one of our 'blind date' books - will it be true romance, adventure...or pure horror :O ?
Where: The Gerstein Book Stop (lobby)
When: Feb 9-28 (during opening hours)
- And There's the Humor of it: Shakespeare & the Four Humors, Dec 18-Jan 27
"And There's the Humor of it": Shakespeare & the Four Humors
Dec 18-Jan 27
We are pleased to host "And There's the Humor of it": Shakespeare & the Four Humors, a six-panel travelling exhibition from the National Library of Medicine (United States).
Where: Lobby
When: during opening hours
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) created characters that are among the richest and most humanly recognizable in all of literature. Yet Shakespeare understood human personality in the terms available to his age—that of the now-discarded theory of the four bodily humours—blood, bile, melancholy, and phlegm.
These four humors were thought to define peoples’ physical and mental health, and determined their personalities, as well. “And There’s the Humor of It”: Shakespeare and the Four Humors explores the language of the four humours that bred the core passions of anger, grief, hope, and fear—the emotions conveyed so powerfully in Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies.
Other highlights include:
- View displays featuring gorgeous period costumes,stage props, and illustrations from selected plays
- Browse our book display on the exhibition's featured plays: Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Merchant of Venice
- Snap a selfie at our photo booth with Skully, our resident skeleton
- Challenge your wits on our scavenger hunt (starts Jan 2018)
This exhibition was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health and the Folger Shakespeare Library.
With special thanks to the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies (University of Toronto) for their partnership and creative support (additional displays curated by Liuqingqing Yang).
With selected images reproduced from the collections of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.
2017:
Bella, the St. John Ambulance therapy dog, is back to help you relax, take a break and relieve a bit of stress!
The 3 Research R's: Review. Report. Reproduce.
Tired of poorly reported and non-reproducible research? What roles does uncertainty play in research?
Learn about the issues that can lead to this growing problem of research waste in the scientific world, and what steps you can take to improve your own reporting practices.
Speakers:
Matthew Page is a Research Fellow based at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia whose main focus is on meta-research; that is, he performs research on ways to improve the value of biomedical research.
Title of presentation: Reproducible research practices in systematic reviews of biomedical research: how can they improve?
David Bailey is a professor in the Department of Physics, at the University of Toronto whose current research and teaching focuses on experimental uncertainty and why measurements are sometimes wrong.
Title of presentation: Physics is easy, medicine is hard, everything is complex.
Patricia Ayala is the Research Services Librarian at the Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto whose research interest is on knowledge syntheses and reducing research waste.
Title of presentation: More than expert searchers: How librarians are positioned to improve quality and reduce research waste in knowledge syntheses studies.
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5:00-7:00pm
Alice Moulton Room, 2nd floor
Doors open at 4:45pm. Light refreshments will be served..
Space is limited.
Questions? Email research.connect@utoronto.ca
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September 18-24, 2017
Science Literacy Week, an annual nationwide festival celebrating science, takes place at participating U of T Libraries from Sept 18-24, 2017.
More about the events.
See below for calendar of events at Gerstein:
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June 5-July 16, 2017
Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature
Where: Lobby, Gerstein Science Information Centre
Visit this exhibit to learn more about the scientific origins of the mythical modern monster, and also check out our special book display, historical scientific instruments from UTSIC, and fun photo wall!
About the exhibition:
On a dark and stormy night in 1816, Mary Shelley began writing a story that posed profound questions about individual and societal responsibility for other people.
To make her point, the young novelist used the scientific advances of her era and the controversies surrounding them as a metaphor for issues of unchecked power and self-serving ambition, and their effect on the human community.
Since that time, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has become one of the Western world’s most enduring myths. The story provides a framework for discussions of medical advances that challenge our traditional understanding of what it means to be human.
The six-banner traveling exhibition explores the Birth of Frankenstein, the life of author Mary Shelley, the scientific search for the principle of life, and the transformation of the “monster” in popular culture.
This exhibition was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
April 6-May 15, 2017
The Cabinet Project
The Cabinet Project is a distributed exhibition bringing to life historical, anecdotal and imagined stories evoked by scientific objects, their surrounding spaces and the individuals inhabiting them. The goal is to make the intense creativity existing inside science laboratories visible, and to suggest potential interactions between the sciences and the arts. To achieve this goal, 12 artists have turned 10 cabinets across the University of Toronto into art installations. Curated by Roberta Buiani, ArtSci Salon.
Ongoing installations featured at the Gerstein Library:
Joel Ong & Mick Lorusso's MICROBIAL WITNESS/ATLAS
Location: 1st floor, by entrance | Viewing times: during opening hours
Microcollection's Cabinet de Regard: The Visitors
Location: 1st floor, by staircase (follow the red carpet)
Viewing times: till April 28th - Mon-Fri. 11:30am-1:30pm | (or by appointment - contact info@artscisalon.com)
Events:
Opening reception & Tour (Thursday, April 6) - at Fields Institute
Artists' Panel - Sensing the Microbial (Monday, April 10) - at the Gerstein Library
March-April 2017
Bella the Therapy Dog visits
March 28, 2017
Careers in Science Communication
Feb 8, 2017
Communicating Science: Women in STEM
2016
September 19-25, 2016
Science Literacy Week 2016