Unfortunately, this video appears to have been removed.
I was poking around the University of Western Ontario’s Faculty of Information and Media Studies’ Web site today when I stumbled upon this:
A 1970 Orientation Video for the faculty’s library program (then delivered by what was known as the School of Library and Information Science, or SLIS).
It’s an interesting snapshot into what the school was like 40 years ago; students in black-rimmed glasses casually smoked cigarettes during group discussions, typed out their assignments in the typewriter room, and learned all there is to know about dictionary holdings, book catalogues, book binding, and keypunch machines.
It also exemplifies a school committed to experiential learning, where a variety of study carrells and shelving units allowed students to explore the advantages and disadvantages of different designs, and where students got hands on experience with the basic elements of book production.
All in all, I appreciate the roots from which I have come.
Thank you for making this wonderful video available. (Amazing thing, this internet) I graduated from SLIS in Aug 1970 after a year of the most exciting learning I have ever experienced. The school and its students proved to be very exciting for me. As for the video, well, there I am, plugging away in the typing room. Wow! 40 years ago this year. Thank you again for this wonderful trip down Memory Lane. – Matt
That’s amazing that you saw yourself in there. I’m really glad I stumbled upon the video too. Maybe 40 years from now I’ll come upon a video of myself stressing over an assignment in the computer room.