McGill library showcases ‘extraordinary’ collections with intricately designed pop-up book
AMAZE: A McGill A-Z Experience also celebrates the university’s 200th birthday.
With COVID-19 restrictions keeping many people at home for the last 18 months, the McGill University Library & Archives has found a way to bring items from its “extraordinary” collections out from behind glass cases and out of storage. AMAZE: A McGill A-Z Experience is a pop-up book that was launched in March 2021 to celebrate the university’s bicentennial.
“We knew that we wanted to give people a way of interacting with [our collections], not just from a distance, but actually being able to engage with them,” says Nathalie Cooke, an English professor and associate dean of rare and special collections, Osler, art and archives (ROAAr) at the library. “Our mandate is to create moments of wonder,” she adds. And over the past year, “we were all badly in need of moments of wonder.” A pop-up book felt like a playful way to create them.
Dr. Cooke, who edited the publication, says McGill’s rare and special collections are “rich and diverse,” so using the alphabet as an organizing structure allowed them to put together disparate objects in one book. She and her team worked with paper engineers based in Britain to create the illustrations and design the pop-up elements. Dr. Cooke notes that they included “Easter eggs” throughout the book – small surprises that take some looking to find. “So viewers are rewarded for really scrutinizing the pages.”
Turn to the “P” page, and you’ll find the “wow” part of AMAZE: a detailed pop-up illustration of a restored Columbian printing press that is housed in McGill’s collections. “I think we went through 17 iterations of that page because of the level of detail that we had to show,” Dr. Cooke says. “And that printing press, by coincidence, was designed and created in 1821. So it’s exactly the same age as McGill.”
Featured Jobs
- Economics - Associate/Full Professor of TeachingThe University of British Columbia
- Fashion - Instructional Assistant/Associate Professor (Creative & Cultural Industries)Chapman University - Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- Vice-President Research & Scientific EngagementMS Canada
- Public Policy - JW McConnell Visiting ScholarMcGill University
- Public Policy - JW McConnell Professor of Practice McGill University
More from News
-
Headlines for December 6, 2024
CBC NewsQuebec adopts bill to restrict international student enrolmentUniversities, opposition worry about Bill 74 undermining academic autonomy. CTV NewsUWindsor lands amongst top research universities in CanadaThe University of Windsor has been named one of the top research universities...
-
Headlines for December 5, 2024
City NewsOttawa outlines $2B in spending for artificial intelligence computing powerThe federal government says it will spend up to $1 billion to build public computing infrastructure for the Canadian artificial intelligence sector, part of a $2 billion...
-
Headlines for December 4, 2024
CNW NewsFederal government establishes council to deliver Canada's first National Infrastructure AssessmentSean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, announced the new Canadian Infrastructure Council, an expert advisory body that will deliver the country's first-ever National...
-
New life for Dimensions
A little over a year after the program was quietly shut down, it has been quietly revived.
More from Campus news
-
UPEI implementation plan is underway
There is ‘an overwhelming desire of the community to move forward,’ says new president Wendy Rodgers.
-
Nipissing hosts inaugural fundraising gala
The goal of the gala was to raise money for the Student Support Fund, which provides emergency financial support to students.
-
Canada’s largest student-run fashion show demonstrates the power of university clubs
Queen’s students from all disciplines come together to showcase their creative talents and raise money for charity.
-
Maya Turner makes history in Canadian university football
Former soccer player kicks down barriers.
More from Articles
-
Take part in UA’s gender equity survey
Help promote strategies towards meaningful change.
-
Engaging the public in sidewalk astronomy
The #popscope project energizes public spaces through experiential, free-choice learning.
-
New zine developed by OCAD U students helps artists perfect the art of tabling
‘The goal was to create something both practical and visually engaging,’ says one of the creators.
-
Quebec universities concerned about losing their autonomy
Ottawa has tightened the belt on international student admissions in Canada. Now Quebec wants to implement further changes, but universities are worried the Legault government might go too far.
Post a comment
University Affairs moderates all comments according to the following guidelines. If approved, comments generally appear within one business day. We may republish particularly insightful remarks in our print edition or elsewhere.