Outils numériques et études littéraires: vers de nouvelles perspectives critiques
2025-06-02 08:00 - 2025-06-06 17:00 (America/Halifax) | Université de Montréal, 3150 Rue Jean Brillant, Montreal, Québec, H3T 1N7, Canada
Led by: David Wrisley and Parham Aledavood

Ce cours propose un aperçu des méthodes numériques appliquées aux études littéraires. Il s’adresse aux débutant·e·s intéressé·e·s par le potentiel du numérique dans leurs recherches et souhaitant découvrir une diversité de techniques. Nous explorerons des exemples novateurs de recherches en études littéraires, en abordant les méthodes et la gestion des données qui les rendent possibles. Une approche critique guidera l’introduction de plusieurs méthodes, telles que l’analyse automatisée des textes, la stylométrie, la cartographie numérique et l’analyse computationnelle d’images. À l’issue de ce parcours, divisé entre ateliers pratiques et discussions théoriques, les participant·e·s auront une meilleure compréhension des méthodes computationnelles appliquées à une variété de perspectives critiques. Il sera possible ensuite d’approfondir leur expertise de manière autonome ou en participant à d’autres formations spécialisées du DHSI.

Ce cours sera enseigné en français, avec des lectures et des exemples tirés de différentes langues, y compris l’anglais.

Data Bites - Optimize Directory Structures for Research Data
2025-06-09 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 9 2025

This practical workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, focuses on strategies for organizing research data using clear and logical directory structures. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session helps participants manage files more effectively to support collaboration, reproducibility, and long-term data stewardship.

Participants will learn how to:

Apply best practices to maintain consistency and clarity throughout the research lifecycle

Design directory structures that reflect research workflows and support project organization

Implement naming and hierarchy conventions for easy navigation and version control

Presenter(s): Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

The Small Web: Making Minimal Websites and Digital Ephemera by Hand
2025-06-09 00:00 - 2025-06-13 23:59 | Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada
Dates: June 9th to June 13th 2025

Part of IDARE Summer University 2025: « Handmade Digital »IDARE: INTERACTIVE DIGITAL ARTS, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

The Small Web: Making Minimal Websites and Digital Ephemera by Hand

Please note: in-person or virtual attendance is possible for this workshop.

Instructor: Reg Beatty

The « small web » is a space where people question how desirable it is to have their online presence pre-formatted and then harvested by a ubiquitous corporate culture. It’s a space that is looking for alternatives to this platformed self-expression, trying to make room for something less rule-bound — something that’s unconventional, unexpected. And one of the ways the small web imagines this might happen is through a return to « making. » In trying to reset our digital lives the impetus of our own making allows us to refocus on the creative process (and pleasure!) of coding from scratch.

This course will take a minimalist approach, showing how a small number of HTML elements and CSS rules can do most of the heavy lifting necessary to make a website. We’ll cover how to coordinate structure, content, and style, including fonts, images, colour, video and audio. And we’ll build our web pages on neocities which, as a community, exemplifies the freedom of the small web.

The more proprietary, predatory, and puerile a place the web becomes, the more committed I am to using it in poetic and intransigent ways. — J. R. Carpenter from « A Handmade Web«

Reg Beatty is a bookbinder, book artist and designer. He has maintained a studio in Toronto since 1992, lectured at a variety of institutions, and taught bookarts and book design at OCADU, York University and Sheridan College. As project manager and in-house designer at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Centre for Digital Humanities, he helped create the new interface and content management system for Yellow Nineties 2.0. He received an MA in Communication and Culture at TMU/York, where his major project investigated the algorithmic book. His work has been exhibited in the United States, Europe, Japan, and across Canada.

Tiny Games: Handmade Playables
2025-06-09 00:00 - 2025-06-13 23:59 | Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada
Dates: June 9th to June 13th 2025

Part of IDARE Summer University 2025: « Handmade Digital »IDARE: INTERACTIVE DIGITAL ARTS, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Tiny Games: Handmade Playables

Please note: in-person or virtual attendance is possible for this workshop.

Instructor: Jeremy Andriano

Video games can be tiny! In this course, you will be introduced to several digital authoring tools that can be used to take a slow, personalised, handmade approach to making small video games and interactive stories. You will learn how to make one scene single player role-playing games (RPGs) with Twine 2 and Inky; you will learn how to use Bitsy for constructing pixelated visual poems; and you will explore making short, parser-based escape rooms in Inform 7. By focusing on tiny ludic experiences, we will give you everything you need to create your own complete tiny game and share it with the world!

On Day 1, we will explore examples of tiny games and learn how to access and install Twine 2, Inky, Bitsy, and Inform 7. There will be short demonstrations of each program, and you will start ideating your own tiny game. Subsequent days will focus on one style of game — hypertext RPG, pixelated poetry, or escape room — and the associated authoring tool(s), with demonstrations and instruction in the morning and a guided, open workshop in the afternoon. At the end of the week, we will showcase our tiny video games!

Jeremy Andriano (he/him) is a Master’s candidate in the joint graduate program in Communication and Culture at Toronto Metropolitan University and York University. His research investigates electronic media, culture, and technology with a focus on game studies, multilinear narrative, digital humanities, algorithm and human-computer interface. He has an undergraduate degree in English, Honours (TMU 2023), is a frequent contributor to the Unarchived Podcast, and has taught multiple workshops on Ink/Inky for the Electronic Literature Organization. He is the author of Creating Playable Stories with Ink and Inky (2023).

Micro-Editions: Handmade Digital Editions
2025-06-09 00:00 - 2025-06-13 23:59 | Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada
Dates: June 9th to June 13th 2025

Part of IDARE Summer University 2025: « Handmade Digital »IDARE: INTERACTIVE DIGITAL ARTS, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Micro-Editions: Handmade Digital Editions

Please note: in-person or virtual attendance is possible for this workshop.

Instructor: Jason Boyd

Online publishing makes feasible the publication of texts of varying lengths, from the very long to the very brief. While many digital editing projects have very broad scopes (i.e., the complete works of a single author), it is also possible to produce an edition of a single short document — one publication venue for such tiny editions is the journal, Scholarly Editing. This course introduces students to the creation of micro-editions using the XML-based markup specification developed by the Text Encoding Initiative Consortium. Students will develop a micro-edition of a short text of their choosing: this could be a letter, a poem, a short story, or another short document Students should send a description of the text they wish to edit to the instructor in advance of the workshop.

Jason Boyd is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at TMU, and the Director of the Centre for Digital Humanities. He was the TEI Editor for the Fortune Theatre Prototype Digital Edition, and has been exploring how TEI can be used to facilitate exegetical analysis of biographical texts through the Texting Wilde Project. He has also explored social editing through the Wikisource edition of Canadian Singers and Their Songs (1919), and has recently published « The Ludic Edition: Playful Futures for Digital Scholarly Editing » in Digital Editing and Publishing in the Twenty-First Century.

Reproducible Research Practices and Tools
2025-06-10 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 10 2025

Description: Have you ever tried to run someone else’s code and it just didn’t work? Have you ever been lost interpreting your colleague’s data? This hands-on session will provide researchers with tools and techniques to make their research process more transparent and reusable in remote computing environments. We’ll be using platforms like JupyterHub and scripting languages like Bash to demonstrate the material. In this workshop, you’ll learn about:

Organizing your file directories

Writing readable metadata with README files

Automating your workflow with scripts

Capture and share your computational environmentUsing large language models (GenAI) to assist with the above

Teachers: Sarah Huber (University of Victoria), Shahira Khair (University of Victoria), and Drew Leske (University of Victoria)

Level: Introductory

Format: Lecture + Hands-on

Prerequisite: Familiarity with command-line tools in a Unix environment is not a requirement for the workshop but may be helpful for some of the hands-on activities.

Creating OER with Students
2025-06-11 00:00 - 23:59 | University of Manitoba, 100 Innovation Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 6A8, Canada
Led by Apurva Ashok (Rebus Foundation)

Join us for a hands-on workshop where we will explore practical, fun, and effective strategies for co-creating Open Educational Resources (OER) with students. We’ll discover how open educational practices and renewable assignments can transform classroom dynamics by engaging students as active knowledge creators rather than passive participants. Together, we’ll examine approaches to embedding accessibility and cultural relevance into your OER design process while also building digital competency skills for both educators and students. Through guided reflections and practical exercises, you’ll develop the skills necessary to create more inclusive and representative learning materials alongside your students. Participants who complete the workshop activities will receive an online certificate and a digital badge recognizing their commitment to open education.

Part of « Open Horizons: Affordability and Access through Open Education »

Manitoba Open Education Symposium, June 11–12, 2025

Implementing Institutional RDM Strategies
2025-06-12 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 12 2025

Description: With the release of the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy all Canadian post-secondary institutions and research hospitals that administer Tri-Agency funding were required to develop and post institutional research data management (RDM) strategies by March 1, 2023. As institutions finalized their strategies, they began to consider what implementation would look like. To support inter-institutional, cross-functional dialogue around implementation, a two-day, SSHRC-supported workshop was hosted at the University of Waterloo in September 2023. Over 30 institutions of varying sizes and research intensities sent cohorts representing libraries, information technology, and research offices to participate in dialogues around challenges and collaborative solutions in RDM strategy implementation. The high-level recommendations from that workshop have been released as the report Building an Inter-Institutional and Cross-Functional Research Data Management Community: From Strategy to Implementation. In this short workshop, participants will discuss the recommendations in the report and how they can be implemented in their institutions.

Teachers: Jennifer Abel (University of Calgary) and Ian Milligan (University of Waterloo)

Level: Intermediate

Format: Workshop

Prerequisites:

Participants should also read the executive summary of the report before the workshop.

Participants should be involved in RDM-supporting work in their institution; e.g., in the library, research office, IT/research computing, ethics, etc.

Data Bites - Creating a Data Dictionary for Research Projects
2025-06-16 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 16 2025

This practical workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, introduces the purpose and structure of a data dictionary to support clear, consistent, and reusable research data. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session emphasizes how data dictionaries enhance data documentation, sharing, and reuse.

Participants will learn how to:

Use templates and tools to build data dictionaries that promote transparency and reproducibility across research projects

Identify key components of a data dictionary, including variable names, definitions, formats, and units

Create and maintain a data dictionary that aligns with best practices and supports FAIR principles

Presenter(s): Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Depositing in Borealis, the Canadian Dataverse Repository
2025-06-19 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 19 2025

Description: This online workshop will support researchers with uploading data files of all types and examples of documentation and metadata for submission to an institutional collection (hosted in Borealis). Participants will learn more about direct integrations for dropbox, handling .zips, geospatial file support, creating documentation and metadata, linking to code and publications, integrated previewers and analysis tools for reuse and sharing.

Teachers: Amber Leahey (OCUL, Scholars Portal, University of Toronto), Billie Hu (OCUL, Scholars Portal, University of Toronto), Alyssa Conlon (OCUL, Scholars Portal, Queen’s University)

Level: Introductory

Format: Workshop

Prerequisites: None

Using Data Collections in Odesi and Scholars GeoPortal in Your Research
2025-06-19 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 19 2025

Description: This online workshop will demonstrate to researchers how-to search, filter by variables, topics, and themes, as well as exploring and analyzing data using these repository platforms. Highlights of collections including historical census data and geographic boundary data as well as open historical topographic maps and data for reuse. Participants will be able to search for data and explore datasets to learn more about data for reuse. A significant focus will be on Canadian open access and historical government data, an open Q&A portion will be facilitated by staff and data experts for further consultation.

Teachers: Amber Leahey (OCUL, Scholars Portal, University of Toronto) and Alicia Urquidi Diaz (OCUL, Scholars Portal, University of Toronto), Alexandra Cooper (Queen’s University)

Level: Introductory

Format: Workshop

Prerequisites: None

Metadata in the DRI Ecosystem: A Pragmatic Introduction
2025-06-19 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 19 2025

Description: Metadata is as metadata does. As researchers and institutions embrace digital research infrastructures (DRIs) and digital tools for conducting research, researchers need a better and deeper practical understanding of metadata in these new digital contexts.

Usually defined as essentially being data about data, metadata provides additional information or context about an item (a digital object, a piece of data..). Most people have an intuitive understanding of the ways metadata can make it easier to understand, manage, and organize digital items, based on their experiences interacting with metadata in practice–from managing personal files in their own computers or on the cloud, to using library catalogues or scientific databases.

This workshop will aim to demystify DRI metadata by experiencing it “in action” across three data services: Borealis, Scholars GeoPortal, and Odesi. The goal is to connect the (sometimes arcane) metadata best practices and recommendations with some actual, practical (and often surprising!) implications of your metadata decisions.

Teacher: Alicia Urquidi Diaz (OCUL, Scholars Portal, University of Toronto)

Level: Introductory

Format: Workshop

Prerequisites: None

Plugins in QGIS
2025-06-26 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 26 2025

This intermediate-level workshop is meant to extend basic knowledge of QGIS by exploring common plugins. Familiarity of the QGIS is therefore a prerequisite. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to use plugins to

Access dynamic basemaps hosted on web servers

Query and download Open Street Map (OSM) data

Geocode address data from a spreadsheet, and

Create an interactive webmap from a QGIS project

Familiarity with GIS is prerequisite for this workshop.

This workshop is taught by a graduate student in Geography with expertise in GIS and cartographic methods.

Things to do before arriving:

QGIS is a free and open source desktop geographic information system (GIS). It can be installed on Windows, MacOS, and Linux using the download instructions here: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html.

Before attending, please download the most recent QGIS Long Term Release and review the Research Commons’ Introduction to QGIS.

Presenter(s): Lily Crandall-Oral

Critical Editing and Interpretation in TEI
2025-06-27 00:00 - 23:59 | The University of British Columbia, 1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V62 1Z2, Canada
Date: June 27th 2025

Location: UBC Digital Scholarship Lab, Koerner Library, 4th floor

Recommended Reading

Beshero-Bondar, Elisa, Lee Skallerup Bessette, Quinn Dombrowski, and Roopika Risam. “DSC #5: The DSC and the Impossible TEI Quandaries.” The Data-Sitters Club. June 25, 2020. https://doi.org/10.25740/wq850xt2646.

This session will offer an introduction to critical digital editing in TEI. In particular, this session will provide a hands-on introduction to how the TEI facilitates editorial markup for manuscript and print texts. Topics will include encoding manuscript features–such as additions, deletions, and other revisions in one or more hands–and editorial interventions, such as editorial notes, gaps, and supplied text; marking up interpretations and mechanisms for encoding analysis; and handling of figures, tables, and images.

We recommend installing Oxygen XML Editor. If you do not have a current subscription, 30-day trial licenses are available here: https://www.oxygenxml.com/xml_editor/register.html. A limited number of computers in the UBC Digital Scholarship Lab have licensed Oxygen XML installed if you prefer to work on those machines (note: you will need to save your work to cloud storage or a portable device as the computers are wiped each night).

Data Bites - File Naming Best Practices for Research Data
2025-06-30 00:00 - 23:59
Date: June 30 2025

This practical workshop, delivered by the delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, introduces strategies for consistent and meaningful file naming to support better research organization, collaboration, and long-term data reuse. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, this session helps participants avoid common pitfalls and adopt best practices in their research workflows.

Participants will learn how to:

Avoid problematic file names that can cause compatibility issues across platforms and systems

Apply clear and consistent file naming conventions

Incorporate elements like version control, dates, and identifiers for easy file tracking and retrieval

Presenter(s): Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Data Bites - Choosing File Formats for Research Data
2025-07-07 00:00 - 23:59
Date: July 7 2025

This practical workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, explores how selecting the right file formats can support long-term preservation, data sharing, and reuse. Aimed at graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session highlights best practices for choosing formats that align with FAIR data principles.

Participants will learn how to:

Apply practical guidelines for selecting file formats throughout the research data lifecycle

Identify preferred file formats for preservation, sharing, and interoperability

Distinguish between proprietary and open formats and understand their implications

Presenter(s):Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Data Bites - Creating README Files for Research Data
2025-07-14 00:00 - 23:59
Date: July 14 2025

This hands-on workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, introduces the importance of README files in documenting research data for long-term access and reuse. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session provides practical guidance for creating clear, consistent, and useful data documentation.

Participants will learn how to:

Use templates and open tools to create and maintain README files throughout the research lifecycle

Identify the key components of an effective README file, including dataset description, file structure, and usage instructions

Apply best practices to improve data transparency, usability, and alignment with FAIR principles

Presenter(s): Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Data Bites - Optimize Directory Structures for Research Data
2025-07-21 00:00 - 23:59
Date: July 21 2025

Presenter(s):Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

This practical workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, focuses on strategies for organizing research data using clear and logical directory structures. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session helps participants manage files more effectively to support collaboration, reproducibility, and long-term data stewardship.

Participants will learn how to:

Design directory structures that reflect research workflows and support project organization

Implement naming and hierarchy conventions for easy navigation and version control

Apply best practices to maintain consistency and clarity throughout the research lifecycle

Encoding Entities: People, Orgs, Time and Place
2025-07-23 00:00 - 23:59 | Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr W, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
Date: July 23rd 2025

Location: SFU Harbour Centre

MORE INFO COMING SOON

QGIS Intensive Series: Plugins in QGIS
2025-07-24 00:00 - 23:59
Date: July 24 2025

This intermediate-level workshop is meant to extend basic knowledge of QGIS by exploring common plugins. Familiarity of the QGIS is therefore a prerequisite. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to use plugins to

Access dynamic basemaps hosted on web servers

Query and download Open Street Map (OSM) data

Geocode address data from a spreadsheet, and

Create an interactive webmap from a QGIS project

Familiarity with GIS is prerequisite for this workshop.

This workshop is taught by a graduate student in Geography with expertise in GIS and cartographic methods.

Things to do before arriving:

QGIS is a free and open source desktop geographic information system (GIS). It can be installed on Windows, MacOS, and Linux using the download instructions here: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html.

Before attending, please download the most recent QGIS Long Term Release and review the Research Commons’ Introduction to QGIS.

Presenter(s):Lily Crandall-Oral

Data Bites - Creating a Data Dictionary for Research Projects
2025-07-28 00:00 - 23:59
Date: July 28 2025

This practical workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, introduces the purpose and structure of a data dictionary to support clear, consistent, and reusable research data. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session emphasizes how data dictionaries enhance data documentation, sharing, and reuse.

Participants will learn how to:

Use templates and tools to build data dictionaries that promote transparency and reproducibility across research projects

Identify key components of a data dictionary, including variable names, definitions, formats, and units

Create and maintain a data dictionary that aligns with best practices and supports FAIR principles

Presenter(s): Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Encoding Language, Speech, and Thought
2025-08-11 00:00 - 23:59 | The University of British Columbia, 1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V62 1Z2, Canada
Date: August 11th 2025

Location: UBC Digital Scholarship Lab, Koerner Library, 4th floor

MORE INFO COMING SOON

Débogue tes humanités: Introduction : comment distinguer l'IA de ChatGPT
2025-09-11 00:00 - 23:59 | Université de Montréal, 3150 Rue Jean Brillant, Montreal, Québec, H3T 1N7, Canada
Qu’est-ce qu’on entend exactement par Intelligence Artificielle aujourd hui ? Pour ne pas se sentir dépassé par le discours ambiant sur ces nouvelles technologies et leurs grandes promesses, on vous propose une séance de rattrapage sur les fondements de l’IA. Venez apprendre la place des chatbots dans l’histoire de la discipline et comprendre l’intérêt d’étudier l’IA du point de vue des SHS.

→ Bibliothèque des lettres et sciences humaines (15:30)

→ Alexia Schneider, Marcello Vitali-Rosati

Pour plus de détails, veuillez consulter https://debogue.ecrituresnumeriques.ca/

Introduction to TEI
2025-09-13 00:00 - 23:59 | University of Victoria Libraries, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Date: September 13 2025

This workshop offers a three-hour introduction to the eXtensible Markup Language of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI-XML). It begins by asking how we mark up historical and literary texts in order to create digital editions/archives and will cover the basics of XML terminology before diving into the specifics of TEI elements, attributes, and values. We will dig into the “TEI Guidelines,” discover how they are structured, and do some hands-on encoding of a short poem. As time permits, we will look at some TEI projects hosted by HCMC. This workshop will prepare participants for work on HCMC projects and/or for a longer TEI course offered by the DH training network.

Facilitator Bio: Janelle Jenstad is a Professor in the Department of English and Academic Director of the Humanities Computing and Media Centre. She is the founder and director of the Map of Early Modern London and Linked Early Modern Drama Online; Co-Coordinating Editor of the New Internet Shakespeare Editions, MoEML Mayoral Shows, and Digital Renaissance Editions; and former member of the TEI Technical Council.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Canadian Certificate in Digital Humanities

Number of seats: 15

To register: Contact HCMC Administrative Assistant Marla MacKinnon at hcmcadmin@uvic.ca

Makerspace Orientations: Laser Cutting and Engraving
2025-09-16 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: September 16 2025

Presenter: Jacob Turola

Get started with the makerspace laser cutter. We’ll demonstrate how it works and how you can use the cutter to make amazing designs with wood and acrylic!

Build Your Own Chatbot: Local Applications in Generative AI on your Laptop
2025-09-17 00:00 - 23:59 | McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada
Date: September 17 2025

Most people know cloud-based generative AI tools like ChatGPT, but did you know that the powerful technology behind them, transformer-based Large Language Models (LLMs), can also run directly on a modern laptop?

In this hands-on, in-person workshop, you’ll explore how these AI systems work and learn how to set up and run a basic chatbot locally on your own computer. Gain a foundational understanding of transformer-based LLMs and discover how to harness their power without relying on the cloud.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Understand the core principles behind transformer-based large language models

Set up and run a basic chatbot AI on a personal laptop

Explore practical applications and limitations of locally hosted generative AI

This session is perfect for anyone curious about AI who wants to experiment with running models independently!

Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This workshop will not be recorded.

Facilitator Bio:

John Fink is the Digital Scholarship Librarian in the Sherman Centre.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre’s certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.

Credit Eligibility: This workshop counts toward credit for students in the Faculty of Science who are enrolled in SCIENCE 2SF1: Digital Skills Workshop. For any questions, please contact oursci@mcmaster.ca.

Makerspace Orientations: 3D Printing
2025-09-18 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
September 18 2025

Presenter: Jacob Turola

Join us for this introduction to a staple in makerspace technology! Attendees will get started with 3D printing in the makerspace. The session will cover how to find a file, process it for printing and run the machine. All are welcome, and everyone gets to keep what they make.

Makerspace workshop: Sew your own (data-fied) laptop or book sleeve
2025-09-23 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: September 23 2025

Presenter: Alexandra Wong

Learn how to sew your own data-fied laptop or book sleeve in the Markham Makerspace! Using the provided sewing machines and fabric, you will be guided through the process of sewing a padded sleeve to protect your belongings. The workshop will be co-led by Data Visualization and Analytics Librarian Alexandra Wong and you will learn how to sew on an additional front pocket to customize your sleeve with a (physicalized) data visualization based on your own screen or reading time data.

No prior sewing experience is necessary, and all materials will be provided, though participants are welcome to bring their own fabric if desired. Participants will take home their finished project.

Introduction of VR for Wellness and World Exploration
2025-09-24 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
September 24 2025

Presenter: Jack Leong

Participants will learn the basics of virtual reality technology, and get hands-on experience with Quest headsets in this gentle introduction. Using a Quest headset, participants will immerse into sample content for education, wellness, world travel, and entertainment, and learn how to borrow VR equipment from the Library’s Media Creation Lab. Participants will also be introduced to our standalone VR Rooms, where more advanced content can be experienced using HTC Vive Pro headsets on high-powered computers.

Research + Lab Notebooks: Research Data Management Community of Practice
2025-09-25 00:00 - 23:59
Date: September 25 2025

Are you curious about organizing your research better? Join us for our first roundtable of the season September 25 from 11 AM – 12 PM on Research and Lab Notebooks.

Notebooks are important records of decision-making, results, and processes during research. Although many researchers still use paper notebooks, electronic tools protect against data loss, enhance searching, and validate findings through permissions and signatures. While McMaster University does not offer dedicated software, we’ll hear from researchers across disciplines about how they’re making it work with available tools. We’ll talk configuring workflows, setting up version control, which tools you avoid, onboarding students and new researchers, and other practical details.

Around the table this month:

Dr. Sara Andres (Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences) introduces how she’s configured OneNote

Dr. Andrew McArthur (Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences) shares his GitLab setup

Akacia Propst (The/La Collaborative – Philosophy) discusses a Research Documentation template

Dr. Andy Roddick (Anthropology) outlines using Obsidian to build connections in a mass of information

Here is the meeting link. Learn more and join the RDM community!
